I couldn't make it any clearer!
I used to have a boss who would talk at a million miles an hour. They were very inspiring with their energy and ideas and I would nearly always leave conversations with them feeling motivated and raring to go…. however, often as I walked away, down the corridor, a dawning realisation would come over me…. I didn’t have a clue what had just been asked of me.
Frequently when I work with leaders they express frustration with their teams not taking the initiative, being slow at delivering or simply that it would be quicker if they just do ‘it’ themselves.
Possibly tainted by the experience with my old manager, the question I always ask here is ‘were you clear with them?’ to which the answer is almost always, categorically, ‘yes’!
However, when pressed with follow up questions such as ‘how do you know?’ what transpires is that because the individual in front of me is clear in their mind they believe it must be clear to everyone else.
It’s an easy trap to fall in to, we all do it from time to time.
When wanting to successfully get your point across to people, either individually or as a group I find the following five-point plan can be a useful tool to help structure the conversation
1. Be clear in your mind
Make sure you know what it is you want to get across/what you want out of the conversation
2. Say what your objective is out of the conversation - don't let people guess!
By stating this up front it will provide a reference point for your audience to check they’ve understood correctly
3. Do a dummy run
Try out what you have to say on someone who will be honest with you on their understanding
4. Ask for feedback… in the right way
i.e. ‘What else would you like to know?’ ‘can I give you more detail?’ Emphasising your clarity rather than their ability (or lack of it) to understand
5. Check in!
Ask them to reflect back what they heard, make sure it chimes with what you meant to say… what you say and what people hear can be two totally different things
Taking time in the process will save time in the long run AND it will demonstrate that you are committed to your audience's progress and understanding …. it will also make them feel listened to and valued.
When I went back to my old boss for further clarification they would snap “I couldn’t make it any clearer!” My response nearly always would be “by the very nature of me having to ask again means… you could” … I’ve been told I roll my eyes really well!
