Communication Conundrum
When I worked in the news business, I used to laugh when things went wrong because of a failure of communication. The irony!
However, communicating, especially under pressure (as newsrooms always are) is a continuing challenge. Right now, as we work remotely, in an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty, our communication skills are being put to the test like never before.
Here are some quick tips to minimize the mistakes:
Over-communicate: people can't hear as well when they're stressed. Make sure your messages are repeated. In the news, we'd say: tell them what you're going to tell them, tell them, tell them what you told them. Then the message gets through.
Keep messages simple: read and re-read and edit and re-edit what you write (and read it out loud, if you're going to deliver it verbally). Get straight to the point. Don't make it hard for others to understand what you want to convey. Don't waste their time.
Be careful with your tone: remember, short AND sweet. Start by acknowledging how the other person is feeling and then get to your point. Use emojis. But look them up first!! As a Gen Xer, I learned from my millennial that 😉 could be misinterpreted 😬