Effective communication
Last week I wrote about effective communication being a learned skill that anyone can master. It centres around two key aspects:
How can I make the message clear enough to be understood immediately (or to prompt further discussion or debate)?
How does the person receiving the message prefer to receive information?
For communication to be effective you can’t have one without the other. You can write the clearest email that has ever been written, however, if the person receiving the message prefers face-to-face communication rather than written, then it will be wasted time.
Conversely, you can spend time building a professional relationship with someone or ask for their communication preferences, but if the message isn’t clear then it will merely undermine the work that you’ve done.
Effective communication requires time and effort, but once mastered it is a skill for life.