Good Communication Is Not Ambiguous
Say what you mean and mean what you say. Unless you’re a philosopher or teacher trying to provoke contemplation and reflection, and then it’s okay. Maybe. But generally, in the business world, it’s a lot better for everyone to clarify your direction and need upfront.
I really enjoyed this article from Inc. about the 5-word question that leaders should ask before leaving the room, and in many cases, leaving the meetings that consume so much of our work time (on average, about 483 hours per year).
Like many communicators, I’ve seen first-hand what a disaster it can be to have everyone on the team on a different page with different agendas and different expectations. It then becomes necessary to ask the right questions to keep everyone in their respective driver’s seat. After all, great leaders ask great questions.
Scott Mautz suggests employing a really great question to give everyone clarity and direction: Who'll do what by when? The “what” brings clarity to the goal [and does that action align or not], who’s doing it, and the “when” officially sets the goal in motion. Not only does this dispel ambiguity that dissipates productivity, but it sets the tone and expectation for meetings [and culture] going forward.
Good communicators clarify potential gray areas that can disrupt the flow or cause misalignment. Don’t leave anything significant open to interpretation that shouldn’t be, professionally, or personally for that matter.
Warren Buffet says it like this, “an ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure.” As a communicator that’s always looking to bridge the gap and keep everyone on the same page, that extra step and questioning are very worth the time.
Whenever in doubt, I often like to employ this question from my toolbox: What did you hear me say? Or, what was your understanding of what I said? This allows the person or team to echo back to me what I’ve shared so that we can ensure alignment. This is also a great question to dispel ambiguity when working with a client or even managing up (your boss) but in reverse. This time, I answer the question: So, this is what I heard you say.
This allows me to echo back my understanding and takeaways so that we can ensure alignment for the goal at hand. Good communication is like a rising tide, it raises all ships and positions the team for success.
