Strengthening Your Communication Skills to Ensure Effective Messaging
Communication is at the core of nearly any leadership or management position. There are countless articles, books, podcasts, and videos on the subject. It seems there can never be enough communication on communication. That seems fitting, and it is also likely your message (whatever it may be) cannot be over communicated. There is a saying that states, “when you feel like you’ve communicated enough, you have just scratched the surface.” I am certain we all have examples of that. Not long ago, I published The Power of Communication: The Importance of Body Language, Smiles, and Words in Every Interaction where I covered different forms of communication. It will set the stage for this follow-up discussion.
Here, I wanted to touch on things you can do to improve your communication connection and ensure your message is getting through. There is no one right way to communicate, and if you are only using one approach, you are likely missing the vast majority of your target audience. Communication is hard. It is often misunderstood, both literally and figuratively, for what people believe communication is. But, and I cover this at the end of this article, everything communicates something. Even no communication is a form of communication. Silence can be both a powerful and crippling form of communication.
As leaders, we must each continue to hone, enhance, and develop our communication. Below are some ideas to help you on the journey.
Practice Your Communication
If you think you have it all figured out, you’re wrong. The needs of those around you, as it relates to communication, are constantly changing. No one ever has it all figured out. Continue to be in practice mode to ensure you are getting better. Try new things, explore different forms of communication, and drill for consistency. Connecting this thought process with the next two steps will help you continue to build the communication channels that work best for the situations you find yourself leading.
Get Feedback from Multiple Sources
Are you getting feedback from multiple places, with different perspectives? If not, you are likely missing out on valuable information. Reaching beyond your normal circles can help ensure your message is also expanding outside your normal orbit. Find people who you do not engage with often and ask them for both ideas they have on how they communicate, and what they are hearing you say. This will assist in ensuring you have a balanced approach for messaging, but also varied, so you are connecting across different audience variations.
Ask Questions About Your Message
As simple as this is going to sound, the best way to find out if your message is getting through the way you intended…ask. That’s right, crazy, I know, but talking to people who would receive your message to see what they heard will help you learn whether your words, actions, and message are getting through the way you hoped. If they are not, dig further to find out where the message is diverging, so you can make those course corrections. Remember, the onus is on you to get your message across, not the listener. “They just don’t understand,” is not something you can say, unless you own it, then address it. It is not the audience’s fault they didn’t get your message. Find out where the disconnect is, and fix it. That starts with the simple question directly to audience members, “what did you hear?”
Use Different Forms of Media
People learn in different ways. Trying to stick to only one form of communication will ensure that you do not reach your full audience. Not only do some people not subscribe to the form of communication you may be using, they may require reinforcement from other mediums as well. Reading something may get a portion of the message across, but seeing it in action connects the dots. Embracing using multiple forms of communication to get your message across. Use the feedback you gather in the steps above to branch out into different areas to help spread your word. You may find that you are suddenly making big inroads to people who were never getting your message in the past.
Everything Communicates
Every action, word, or gesture communicates something. Every word, sign, or email also communicates something. Whether it is what you intended or not largely relies on the items listed above. Frequently we find out we inadvertently messaged something apart from what we had hoped for. You will not be able to solve for every possibility, but understanding the principle that everything you do will say something is critical to be mindful of. Like businesses, and brands, people make decisions based on what they see, hear, or experience when they engage with you. This can be a powerful way to create positive connections, expand your vision, and influence others to support your cause and desired outcome.
The skills involved with communication are something that can always be improved, and need to continue to evolve. Using the recommendations here, along with so many available others, will ensure that you continue to meet your team, customers, or anyone else you hope to serve where they are, and where they need you to be. This may be the single best way for you to make the difference you hope to in your role.
How will you continue to develop your communications muscle?
Join other retail leaders in continuing their development journey with Effective Retail Leader.com. SUBSCRIBE today to receive leadership tips directly to your inbox and monthly newsletters that provide many tools to help further develop your leadership skills. JOIN NOW!
Photo by Quino Al on Unsplash