The Best Communicators (Conclusion)

According to Wikipedia, communication “is a process of transferring information from one entity to another.” Sounds pretty straightforward. But there is a vast difference between communicating and being an effective communicator. What do the best communicators do better than good ones? The 10 points I’ve outlined are a combination of things that can be learned [...]

Read Full Post »

The Best Communicators (Part 10)

What do the best communicators do better than good ones? 1.  They have credibility. If you had a million-dollar house, you wouldn’t use duct tape to attach your mailbox, would you?  The mailbox is the first thing that people see.  People wouldn’t see your house because they couldn’t stop seeing the duct tape. Likewise, a [...]

Read Full Post »

The Best Communicators (Part 9)

What do the best communicators do better than good ones? 2.  They know when to stop. You’ve made your point. If it’s face-to-face, you can tell the listeners get it. If it’s another form of communication, the feedback you’ve received indicates that your message is nearing the saturation point. What’s next? Stop. Discontinue your active [...]

Read Full Post »

The Best Communicators (Part 8)

What do the best communicators do better than good ones? 3.  They seek feedback. I worked with someone who would close her eyes during one-on-one conversations whenever she got passionate about her point. She would keep them closed, move her head from side to side, and not stop talking long enough for me to make [...]

Read Full Post »

The Best Communicators (Part 7)

What do the best communicators do better than good ones? 4.  They are intentional. Unless your goal is to test the limit of your spontaneity, you wouldn’t drive to the airport and purchase a ticket for the first available flight to anywhere.  Your goal (destination) dictates your plan. Great communicators take the time to plan [...]

Read Full Post »

The Best Communicators (Part 6)

What do the best communicators do better than good ones? 5.  They align messages. One time my organization had several large, concurrent changes going on that affected about 2000 employees. I was getting a little concerned about how I was going to lead so many different communication efforts.  My boss simplified things: This is about [...]

Read Full Post »

The Best Communicators (Part 5)

What do the best communicators do better than good ones? 6.  They use context. Finish this statement that parents share with their children: “Don’t run with scissors or __________________.”  What? Were you thinking “poke/put your eye out?” Probably. “Don’t run with scissors” tells the what, or in this case, what not to do. Anyone who [...]

Read Full Post »

The Best Communicators (Part 4)

What do the best communicators do better than good ones? 7.  They are transparent. There’s a link between how open a communicator is with you and how much you trust him. If a communicator is closed or guarded, you might assume that person is hiding something. With the exception of protected, private information, great communicators [...]

Read Full Post »

The Best Communicators (Part 3)

What do the best communicators do better than good ones? 8.  They use repetition (without being repetitious). Writing and public speaking classes teach this same concept: tell them what you’re going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them what you told them. Repetition helps people remember what you are communicating. Depending on the [...]

Read Full Post »

The Best Communicators (Part 2)

What do the best communicators do better than good ones? 9.  They are conversational. Does your writing read like you talk? Do the words have an authentic feel, or do they sound like you are trying too hard or using a thesaurus? Regardless of the communication method used, we tend to trust messages more when [...]

Read Full Post »