Mastering Communication Skills

Introduction

(Video 1)

Have you ever struggled to get your message across?

Perhaps you tried pitching a ground-breaking project, you were chairing a departmental meeting, or you needed to deliver a compelling presentation. You gave it your best shot, but all you got back were blank looks and awkward silences.

Or worse, you sent an email, or gave an instruction and it was mis-interpreted?

Chances are, there wasn’t much wrong with what you were trying to say; it’s just that you needed to work on how you said it.

The purpose of this guide is to help you to become a better all-round communicator by addressing six areas of communication:

  1. Understanding the Basics
  2. Channels of Communication
  3. Barriers to Communication
  4. Communicating Powerfully in Writing
  5. Communicating Effectively Face-to-Face
  6. Delivering Great Presentations

Definition of the communication process:

“Communication is a two-way process where information (a message) is sent from one person (the sender) through a channel (medium) to another (the receiver), who reacts by giving feedback (a response)”

Communication is defined as a process by which we assign and convey meaning to create shared understanding. This process requires a vast repertoire of skills in intrapersonal and interpersonal processing, listening, observing, speaking, questioning, analysing, and evaluating.

Communication is fundamental to all working relationships; inept or inadequate communication causes more controversy in business and industry than any other factor.

Drucker (1977:262) who writes about business management, says that an employee’s success is directly related to communication:

“Your success as an employee – and I am talking of much more than getting promoted – will depend on your ability to communicate with people and to present your own thoughts and ideas to them so they will both understand what you are driving at and be persuaded.”

All communication depends on understanding others and having others understand us. Much of our communication is intended to influence what people feel and think.

People communicate to plan products and services, hire, train, and motivate workers.

In every organisation, communication is the way people get their point across, get work done, and get recognized for their contributions.

Effective communication demands efficient management organisation, understanding of the effects of technological change, comprehensive interpersonal skills and the mastery of communication techniques.

 

Understanding the Basics

The 7 C’s of Communication

 

We can spend almost the entire day communicating, mostly through channels such as writing emails, facilitating meetings, participating in conference calls, creating reports, devising presentations, debating with colleagues….the list goes on.

So, it stands to reason that communicating clearly and effectively can boost productivity. Let’s face it, how many hours have you spent on reading emails or responding to mails, attending to meetings that just go on and on? Ever asked yourself “is there a better way to manage this?”

Therefore the 7 Cs of Communication are helpful. The 7 Cs provide a checklist for making sure that your meetings, emails, conference calls, reports, and presentations are well-constructed and clear – so your audience gets your message.

Authors, Cutlip, Scott M book, Effective Public Relations, 8th ,2000 define the 7 C’s as follows:

  1. Clear
  2. Concise
  3. Concreate
  4. Correct
  5. Coherent
  6. Complete
  7. Courteous
  1. Clear

When writing or speaking to someone, be clear about your goal or message. What is your purpose in communicating with this person? If you’re not sure, then your audience won’t be either.

To be clear, try to minimize the number of ideas in each sentence. Make sure that it’s easy for your reader to understand your meaning. People shouldn’t have to “read between the lines” and make assumptions on their own to understand what you’re trying to say.

Bad Example

Hi John,

I wanted to write you a quick note about Daniel, who’s working in your department. He’s a great asset, and I’d like to talk to you more about him when you have time.

Best,

Skip

What is this email about? Well, we’re not sure. First, if there are multiple Daniels in John’s department, John won’t know who Skip is talking about. Next, what is Daniel doing, specifically,

that’s so great? We don’t know that either. It’s so vague, that John will definitely have to write back for more information.

Last, what is the purpose of this email? Does Skip simply want to have an idle chat about Daniel or is there some more specific goal here? There’s no sense of purpose to this message, so it’s a bit confusing.

 

Good Example

Hi John,

I wanted to write you a quick note about Daniel Kedar, who’s working in your department. In recent weeks, he’s helped the IT department through several pressing deadlines on his own time.

We’ve got a tough upgrade project due to run over the next three months, and his knowledge and skills would prove invaluable. Could we please have his help with this work?

I’d appreciate speaking with you about this. When is it best to call you to discuss this further?

Best wishes,

Skip

This second message is much clearer because the reader has the information, he needs to take action.

  1. Concise

When you’re concise in your communication, you stick to the point and keep it brief. Your audience doesn’t want to read six sentences when you could communicate your message in three. Ask yourself:

Are there any adjectives or “filler words” that you can delete? You can often eliminate words like “for instance, “you see,” “definitely,” “kind of,” “literally,” “basically,” or “I mean.”

Are there any unnecessary sentences?

Have you repeated the point several times, in different ways?

Bad Example

Hi Matt,

I wanted to touch base with you about the email marketing campaign we kind of sketched out last Thursday. I really think that our target market is definitely going to want to see the company’s philanthropic efforts. I think that could make a big impact, and it would stay in their minds longer than a sales pitch.

For instance, if we talk about the company’s efforts to become sustainable, as well as the charity work we’re doing in local schools, then the people that we want to attract are going to remember our message longer. The impact will just be greater.

What do you think?

Jessica

This email is too long! There’s repetition, and there’s plenty of “filler” taking up space.

Good Example

Watch what happens when we’re concise and take out the filler words:

Hi Matt,

I wanted to quickly discuss the email marketing campaign that we analysed last Thursday. Our target market will want to know about the company’s philanthropic efforts, especially our goals to become sustainable and help local schools.

This would make a far greater impact, and it would stay in their minds longer than a traditional sales pitch.

What do you think?

Jessica

 

  1. Concrete

When your message is concrete, your audience has a clear picture of what you’re telling them. There are details (but not too many!) and vivid facts, and there’s laser-like focus. Your message is solid.

Bad Example

Consider this advertising copy:

The Lunchbox Wizard will save you time every day.

A statement like this probably won’t sell many of these products. There’s no passion, no vivid detail, nothing that creates emotion, and nothing that tells people in the audience why they should care. This message isn’t concrete enough to make a difference.

Good Example

How much time do you spend every day packing your kids’ lunches? No more! Just take a complete LunchboxWizard from your refrigerator each day to give your kids a healthy lunch and have more time to play or read with them!

This copy is better because there are vivid images. The audience can picture spending quality time with their kids –and what parent could argue with that? And mentioning that the product is stored in the refrigerator explains how the product is also practical. The message has come alive through these details.

  1. Correct

When your communication is correct, your audience will be able to understand it. And correct communication is also error-free communication. Make sure your message is correct by asking yourself the following questions:

  • Do the technical terms you use fit your audience’s level of education or knowledge?
  • Have you checked your writing for grammatical errors? (Remember, spell checkers won’t catch everything).
  • Are all names and titles spelled correctly?

Bad Example

Hi Daniel,

Thanks so much for meeting me at lunch today! I enjoyed our conservation, and I’m looking forward to moving ahead on our project. I’m sure that the two-weak deadline won’t be an issue.

Thanks again, and I’ll speak to you soon!

Best,

Jack Miller

 

Good Example

Hi Daniel,

Thanks so much for meeting me at lunch today! I enjoyed our conversation, and I’m looking forward to moving ahead on our project. I’m sure that the two-week deadline won’t be an issue.

Thanks again, and I’ll speak to you soon!

Best,

Jack Miller

  1. Coherent

When your communication is coherent, it’s logical. All points are connected and relevant to the main topic, and the tone and flow of the text is consistent.

Bad Example

Traci,

I wanted to write you a quick note about the report you finished last week. I gave it to Michelle to proof, and she wanted to make sure you knew about the department meeting we’re having this Friday. We’ll be creating an outline for the new employee handbook.

Thanks,

Michelle

As you can see, this email doesn’t communicate its point very well. Where is Michelle’s feedback on Traci’s report? She started to mention it, but then she changed the topic to Friday’s meeting.

Good Example

Hi Traci,

I wanted to write you a quick note about the report you finished last week. I gave it to Michelle to proof, and she let me know that there are a few changes that you’ll need to make. She’ll email you her detailed comments later this afternoon.

Thanks,

Michelle

Notice that in the good example, Michelle does not mention Friday’s meeting. This is because the meeting reminder should be an entirely separate email. This way, Traci can delete the report feedback email after she makes her changes but save the email about the meeting as her reminder to attend. Each email has only one main topic.

  1. Complete

In a complete message, the audience has everything they need to be informed and, if applicable, take action.

  • Does your message include a “call to action,” so that your audience clearly knows what you want them to do?
  • Have you included all relevant information – contact names, dates, times, locations, and so on?

Bad Example

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to send you all a reminder about the meeting we’re having tomorrow!

See you then,

Chris

This message is not complete, for obvious reasons. What meeting? When is it? Where? Chris has left his team without the necessary information.

Good Example

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to remind you about tomorrow’s meeting on the new telecommuting policies. The meeting will be at 10a.m. in the second-level conference room. Please let me know if you can’t attend.

See you then,

Chris

  1. Courteous

Courteous communication is friendly, open and honest. There are no hidden insults or passive-aggressive tones. You keep your reader’s viewpoint in mind, and you’re empathetic to their needs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bad Example

Jeff,

I wanted to let you know that I don’t appreciate how your team always monopolizes the discussion at our weekly meetings. I have a lot of projects, and I really need time to get my team’s progress discussed as well. So far, thanks to your department, I haven’t been able to do that. Can you make sure they make time for me and my team next week?

Thanks,

Phil

Well, that’s hardly courteous! Messages like this can potentially start office-wide fights. And this email does nothing but create bad feelings, which can lower productivity and morale. A little bit of courtesy, even in difficult situations, can go a long way.

Good Example

Hi Jeff,

I wanted to write you a quick note to ask a favour. During our weekly meetings, your team does an excellent job of highlighting their progress. But this uses some of the time available for my team to highlight theirs. I’d really appreciate it if you could give my team a little extra time each week to fully cover their progress reports.

Thanks so much, and please let me know if there’s anything I can do for you!

Best,

Phil

 

 

 

The Communication Cycle

 

The ability to express an idea is well-nigh as important as the idea itself.

– American businessman, Bernard Baruch

There are so many factors to consider during preparation and presentation that it’s easy to forget an important point. The Communication Cycle is a six-step process that can help you to tailor and refine your messages. Originally developed by Charles Berner, the model was updated into its modern form by Oxford professor Michael Argyle in his 1972 book, The Social Psychology of Work

The Communication Cycle helps you to ensure that you don’t forget anything essential the first time you present it and can maximize its impact. By putting the process into the form of a cycle, this approach encourages you to use the feedback you receive to improve your communications in the future.

This method can be used for both presentations and written communication.

To demonstrate how to effectively use the communication cycle, lets look at an example and then answer the questions that follow.

 

Understanding the Communication Cycle

 

You’re responsible for IT in your organization, and you need to create a presentation for your CEO and executive board. The content should explain exactly what the IT department does and how much work you’re all responsible for. The presentation’s goal is to show how vital IT is to the organization so that you can hire additional staff to manage the workload, instead of facing budget cuts next quarter.

Step One: Clarify Your Aim

Organize your thoughts about the message that you want to communicate by answering these questions:

  • To whom am I communicating?

The CEO and Executive Board

  • What message am I trying to send? What am I trying to achieve?

I must show that IT is an essential part of the organization, and that we deserve additional funding to hire more staff.

  • Why do I want to send this message? Do I need to send it at all?

Without the board’s understanding, they might cut our budget next year.

  • What do I want my audience to feel?

I want them to feel excited about the valuable service that IT performs and concerned about the threats the company might face if our staff is cut.

  • What does my audience need or desire from this message?

My audience needs to understand thoroughly what IT does and, specifically, that we protect the organization from daily threats. The board will need strong data about the money that we’ve saved the company over the past two years.

  • What do I want my audience to do with this information?

They must understand that giving IT additional funding is in their best interest.

Step Two: Compose/Encode

Now that you’ve organized your thoughts with the questions in Step 1, start drafting your message. Ask yourself:

  • What’s the best way to communicate this message?

Group presentation.

  • What level/type of language should I use?

I should avoid using IT jargon and terms. My language should be professional, but easy to understand.

  • Does the audience have any background information on the topic?

Some members of the executive board have only a vague understanding of what the IT department does. Others have a much sharper idea.

The executive board has figures to show that the IT budget is higher than that of other departments.

  • Will my audience need any additional resources to understand my message?

Graphs and statistics, on paper or in a PowerPoint presentation, will be helpful visuals.

  • Am I expressing emotions in my message? If so, which emotions?

I must express how excited I am by my job and my department, as well as the urgency we all feel when faced with additional budget cuts, especially when we provide such an important service to the organization.

  • Will the audience assume anything about me or my motives that will damage the credibility of the communication?

They might assume that, since I’m in IT, I’ll naturally be a poor communicator. I must prove right away that this isn’t true.

Step Three: Transmit/Deliver

The way that you communicate your message is vital to ensuring that your audience receives it effectively. Ask yourself:

  • Is this the right time to send this message?

Yes, because the board will soon approve the budget for the next year.

  • What is my audience’s state of mind likely to be, and what workload will they be experiencing when they receive this message? How should I present my message to take account of this?

They’re likely to be overloaded with information already. I must be concise, yet convincing.

  • Will there be any distractions that may damage the impact of the communication? (This is especially important to consider when giving a speech or presentation.)

The presentation will likely be in Conference Room A. There’s a noisy air vent in that room, so I’ll have to speak loudly.

The presentation is near the end of a long day for the executive team, so they might be tired or lose interest easily.

  • Should I include anyone else in the audience?

NO

Step Four: Receive Feedback

This is a key step in the Communication Cycle. Without feedback from your audience, you’ll never know how you can improve the way that you communicate your message.

Make sure that you include some type of feedback process as part of your communication. For instance:

 

  • Do you know how to read body language, and could you use it to steer your presentation?

Are people looking down, are they focused on you?  If the room is bored – think of a way to change the vibe.

  • If you’re giving a speech or presentation, will you allow time for a question-and-answer session at the end?

Yes, allow 10 minutes at the end of the presentation for a question-and-answer session with the board.

  • Will you have a process for getting feedback from your audience?

I’ll meet with the CEO immediately after the presentation to get his input.

  • Then you receive feedback, is it generally what you want and expect?

I need to look on the points raised, go back to my drawing board before providing an answer “from the top of my head”.

Remember to use indirect feedback here, too. Did you get the response that you wanted from your communication? Is there anything more that you can interpret from the response that you received?

 

 

Step Five: Analyze/Decode/Learn

Using the feedback that you received in Step Four to learn and grow. Depending on your situation, you might need to rewrite your message and try again. Questions to ask yourself might include:

 

  • Why did you receive this feedback? What does this tell you about your message?
  • What could you have done differently to get the response that you wanted?
  • Did the audience feel the way you expected them to feel? If not, why not?
  • How should you act or behave differently to move forward?

 

Step Six: Change/Improve

This step completes the cycle. All of the feedback in the world won’t help you unless you commit to learning and changing. Do this by:

  • Honor and respecting the feedback that you’ve received. If you believe it’s valid, change your message or behaviour.
  • Identifying resources that can help you to improve. For instance, ask colleagues for help and advice; do more testing; or use surveys, classes, books, seminars, and so on.

Consideration for Step 5 and 6: Few days after the presentation, your boss tells you that the board liked your message and approved additional funding, thanks to your convincing statistics and message. However, they thought that the presentation was a little too long.

With this knowledge, you commit to shortening your speeches and presentations in the future and you’ll do a better job cutting unnecessary information while you’re creating your message.

 

Channels of Communication

 

Vertical Communication

This type of communication takes place both up and down the organisational structure. It consists of upward communication, and downward communication.

Upward Communication

This is when communication flows to a higher level in an organisation. It is used to provide feedback to individuals higher up in the organisation, to inform them of progress toward goals and to relay current problems. Upward communication keeps managers aware of how employees feel about their jobs, co-workers and the organisation in general. Managers rely on this to get an idea of how things can be improved.

Downward Communication

This is the flow of communication from one level of a group of people to a lower level in the organisational hierarchy. This type of communication is used by group leaders and managers to assign goals, provide job instructions, inform employees of policy and procedures, point out the problems that need attention and offer feedback about performance.

In general, organisational structures facilitate downward flow, so this type of communication occurs easily. Sometimes, this channel may be selectively used for certain subjects. Some items of information may be protected as confidential and communicated on a need-to-know basis only.

Sharing information with lower-level managers boosts morale, especially when it is used to explain management’s actions before they occur. It is valuable for letting people know the results of management decisions that affect them in some way.

Horizontal/ Lateral Communication

This type of communication occurs between people on the same level in the organisation. This type of communication increases productivity because everyone knows what everyone else is doing. It also helps employees understand the problems of other departments and the way that the work of one department may affect the work of another.

Informal Communication

This system is called the grapevine and is an important source of information.

Rumours spread rapidly and quickly and once they are started there is no way to stop it. The rumours can be hurtful to individuals as well the organisation in question. Grapevine can

have its advantages in that it can permit problems to be detected and hence improve the overall efficiency of the organisation. Grapevine information is said to be accurate most of time yet sometimes it can be very harmful to the organisation. Rumours emerge as a response to situations that are important to us, where there is ambiguity, and under conditions that arouse anxiety. Work situations contain all three elements. Therefore, it is the reason why rumours flourish in organisations. The grapevine thus helps managers identify issues that are causing confusion and creating anxiety among workers.

Barriers to Communication

(Video 2)

 

DEFINITION: Any factor that interferes with the message or prevents it from being transmitted or received is called a communication barrier, noise, or interference (Robbins, et al 1999: 31).

Management and employees are interacting with each other as well as with outsiders daily and it is important that good communication channels are established if they are to understand each other. In the most effective communication, the message received should be the same as the message sent. However, this rarely happens for a number of reasons.

Various barriers can be identified to understand why poor communication may occur. The following list of classification are some of the few problems identified.

 

Physical barriers

These are outside factors (environment) that the sender and receiver have no control over. For example: An unclear telephone line, poor or no reception on the television, traffic noise, being unable to use the medium of the message (cellular telephone, computer), discomfort.

in the environment (too hot/cold). These factors may result in a distorted message, or even in the message not being received at all.

Physiological barriers

This refers to the receiver’s or sender’s state of health. For example: poor eyesight or hearing; pain or discomfort (headache); being under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Psychological barriers

This is the mental/ emotional state or make up of the sender or receiver. For example: shyness or irritation; fear, anger aggression, excitement or nervousness.

Perceptual barriers

Perception refers to the process of observing something or someone, and then interpreting what has been observed. Our perception of the world or the way we interpret things around us is affected by factors such as our culture, upbringing, religion, etc. Therefore, perceptions will affect the way we interpret messages. For example: socio-economic background; education; intelligence; interests; personality; attitudes; age; sex.

Intercultural barriers

In a country where there is a diversity of cultures, this can sometimes lead to problems between management and employees, as well as between colleagues. The two major problems are:

Stereotyping: a person is categorised because he/she is a member of a particular group and is usually ‘labelled’ through one perceived bad trait, e.g. all politicians are corrupt.

Ethnocentrism: this means that a person belonging to a particular group, nation or culture regards him/herself as superior to others.

Gatekeeping

Gatekeeping is the name given to describe the creation of deliberate communication barriers. For example: a secretary who screens the calls of his/her boss. Gatekeeping can be positive and, in some cases, necessary, but if taken too far, it can be annoying and lead to problems.

 

Overcoming Communication Barriers

 

Use feedback

Many communication problems can be directly linked to misunderstanding and inaccuracies. These are less likely to occur if the manager ensures that the feedback loop is utilised in the communication process. This feedback can be oral, written or non-verbal.

Use multiple channels

By using multiple channels, one increases the likelihood of clarity. Firstly, by stimulating several the receiver’s senses. Repeating messages helps to reinforce it and decreases the likelihood of distortions. Secondly, people have different abilities to absorb information. Some can absorb information best when it is in writing, while others prefer oral communication.

Simplify language.

As language can be a barrier, a manager should structure messages in ways that will make them clear and understandable. Understanding is improved by simplifying the language used in relation to the intended audience. Always bear in mind that effective communication is achieved when a message is both received and understood.

Active listening

When someone talks, we hear. But too often, we don’t listen. Listening is an active search for meaning, whereas hearing is passive. Active listening is enhanced when the receiver develops empathy with the sender. This is when the receiver puts himself in the position of the sender. Active listening will be discussed in detail further in the guide.

Constrain emotions.

Though it cannot be expected that all communication be transmitted in a calm and rational manner, we have to realize that emotions severely cloud and distort the transference of meaning. If we are emotionally upset about an issue, we are more likely to misconstrue incoming messages and we may fail to express clearly and accurately our outgoing messages. The best approach is to defer further communication until composure is regained.

Use the grapevine!

The grapevine is part of the organisation. Therefore, managers should use it and make it work for them. Managers can use the grapevine to transmit information rapidly and to test reactions to various decisions before their final implementation.

It is a valuable source of feedback as well. However, the grapevine can carry damaging rumours that reduce the effectiveness of formal communication. To reduce this potentially damaging force, managers should make good use of the formal communication channels by checking that they carry relevant and accurate information.

Prevent overloading!

To prevent overloading of information, organisations can run courses to improve the ability of people to handle messages. Lower departments in the company should be encouraged to reduce the amount of information sent upwards. More communication channels could be added, and staff trained to put messages in order of priority.

Prevent under loading!

To prevent under loading of messages, managers should ensure that all communication channels are properly designed and used. Each section in the organisation must receive all the information necessary for it to operate successfully. Staff members who work quickly and efficiently must receive the right amount of information.

 

 

Communicating through writing

The Inverted Pyramid

 

Being able to write a report like a journalist, clear, concise and in a way that grabs the reader’s attention right from the start is something we should all be able to do especially in business.

It is a real time-saver to read and produce reports that are attention-grabbing, succinct, and that have all the important information clearly summarized right at the beginning. It encourages the writer to focus on what’s important, and the reader does not get “bogged down”in over-long communications. But what is this skill, and how do we improve on it?

This style of writing is often called the “Inverted Pyramid”. The Inverted Pyramid is a simple, effective model for producing eye-catching, quickly digestible content. It takes the elements of writing, such as introductions, descriptions, conclusions, and explanations, and puts them into order according to their importance.

In the Inverted Pyramid model (see figure below), the most important information goes first. This is called frontloading. This opening section, known technically as the summary lede, should summarize your entire message in a few sentences. Subsequent paragraphs then present less critical information, in order of diminishing importance.

This approach can also be suitable for business writing. As with any communication, you want your message to be received and understood, and front loading your reports or emails means the reader will immediately get the points you are making. Also, your communications will stand out from ponderous and wordy ones, so a reader is more likely to pick your reports out of the pile on her desk in future.

 

  1. Choose the Most Important Information

Pinpoint the most important part of your message and work out the least amount of information you need to give people to get it across. Decide which details are less and least important and plan a “running order” for your piece.

  1. Front Load Your Communication with a Short, Strong Summary Lede

Set a maximum of 30 words for your crucial opening section, or as many as will fit on a screen before you have to scroll down. Limit it to a few short paragraphs or sentences that summarize the key details, and lead with your most important point.

Covering the “five Ws and one H” of a story (what, who, where, when, why, and how) here can be too much. Make your priority the “what” and the “who.” The “where” and “when” can follow next, and then the “why” and “how. “Remember to keep things simple; use everyday language and avoid jargon.

  1. Add Your Supporting Information and Detail

This is where you include the bulk of your information, expand on your argument, describe the issues, or supply contextual material. Illustrations, quotes and statistics can also go here. Such details will help the reader but aren’t essential for understanding your message.

Keep this section clear and concise. Your communication might have more “room to breathe” here than in your introduction, but you don’t want to lose your readers by overwhelming them with detail. Split your points into separate paragraphs and front-load them by making your point and then elaborating on it.

  1. Close Your Piece With Background or Bonus Information

You can end your communication with information that may not be directly related to its main subject, but which might help someone to understand it. This could include background or historical detail.

The Inverted Pyramid is ideally suited to writing emails one of the most fundamental types of business writing. Chances are, you read or write dozens of emails a day, so you can reduce information overload by “cutting to the chase.” And, when you have to write detailed reports that aren’t suited to this technique, you can include an executive summary that does use it.

Avoiding Potential Pitfalls

The Inverted Pyramid is a multi-purpose writing tool, but it is not a universal one. It does not group similar information together or present it in chronological order. So, if you don’t “shuffle” your information with great care, you risk confusing your reader.

You also risk losing your readers after your summary lede. They will have the key points but, if that’s all they read, they will miss out on the supporting information and other important, but not necessarily attention-grabbing, detail.

It’s not appropriate for every business writing situation, either. You often need to “hook” people with a good opening, but you may not always want to say everything straight away. For example, sometimes, you’ll want to build a compelling, step-by-step argument, or follow a prescribed

template for a corporate report. Or, you may be writing for people with lots of time on their hands, or who are looking for a more predictable storytelling approach, with a beginning, a middle and an end.

 

10 Common Email Mistakes

 

Mistake 1: Using the Wrong Tone

 

You might be tempted to send emails quickly when you’re in a rush, without thinking carefully about your audience, what you’re saying, or how your message might come across. So, it’s important to consider who you’re “talking” to and what action you want them to take, before you start writing.

Although your email’s subject matter may be clear to you, its recipient might not share your knowledge or understanding. So, avoid using abbreviations, jargon or “text speak,” and consider whether your message is appropriate before you hit the send button. Will your reader understand what you’re saying? And is your information clearly structured and presented?

A good rule to follow is to address people in an email as you would in person. For example, making a quick requestor providing instructions without a “hello” or “thank you” will likely come across as rude, regardless of how busy you are. So, make sure that all of your emails are courteous and respectful, and avoid typing in capitals, which implies anger or aggression.

 

Mistake 2: Hitting “Reply All”

How often have you been copied into an email exchange that’s not relevant to you, and doesn’t require you to take any action? Chances are, it happens regularly, and you know how frustrating it can be.

“Reply all” is a useful tool for keeping multiple team members in the loop, or for documenting group decisions, but many people use it without considering who should actually receive their email.

Receiving numerous irrelevant emails throughout the day can be distracting and time consuming; and becoming known as the person who always hits “reply all” can potentially damage your reputation, as it can appear thoughtless, rushed and unprofessional. It might also suggest that you’re not confident making decisions without input from senior managers.

So, consider whether you should “reply all” or respond only to the email’s sender. And think about whether using”cc” (carbon copy) or “bcc” (blind carbon copy) to include selected team members is more appropriate.

 

Mistake 3: Writing Too Much

Keeping your mail brief and including the important details are more effective that short story.

If you’re struggling to keep your message short, consider whether the subject matter is too complex. Would another way of communicating it be more effective? Would a face-to-face meeting or telephone call make it clearer? Should you put your information in a procedure document instead?

 

 

Mistake 4: Forgetting Something?

How many times have you sent an email without attaching the relevant document? Perhaps you included a link that didn’t work? Or even attached the wrong file?

These mistakes can often be fixed quickly with a follow-up email, but this adds to the large volume of messages that people receive, and it can appear unprofessional or forgetful. Consider attaching files as soon as your start drafting your message, and always check all of your links carefully.

Attaching the wrong document can be much more serious, particularly if it’s sensitive or restricted. Always add in a password on documents that is sensitive and consider adding a delay timer on your mails.

 

Mistake 5: Emailing the Wrong Person

Today, email providers increasingly use “auto-fill,” predictive text and “threads” (or “conversation view”), which can all increase the risk of you sending your message to the wrong person.

This can be embarrassing, but it also means that your email might not reach its intended recipient unless someone flags up your mistake. More seriously, you risk distributing sensitive information to the wrong people, and damaging your organization’s reputation. So, always pause to review your email before you send it.

When you reply to or forward an email within a thread, make sure that all the messages contained within it are appropriate for the recipient. Is there any sensitive information? Are there any personal comments or remarks?

 

Mistake 6: Being Too Emotional

One of the main benefits of email is that you don’t need to respond immediately. It’s particularly important to delay your response when you’re stressed, angry or upset – if you send a message in the heat of the moment, you can’t get it back (although some email clients do have a limited “undo” or “retrieve” option). These emails could damage your working relationships, or even be used as evidence against you.

So, avoid sending any messages when you feel this way. Wait until you’ve calmed down and can think clearly and rationally. You may even want to consider drafting out the mail and then having a colleague read it over before you send it out.

 

 

 

 

Mistake 7: Not Using “Delay Send”

It can be satisfying to send an email as soon as you finish writing it, so that it is “off your desk.” However, many email clients now provide a “delay” or “scheduled send” function, which can be particularly useful.

For example, imagine that you are catching up on your emails late at night or during the weekend. What sort of impression will this give clients and stakeholders? How will they view your time management? Will team members feel that they should act out of working hours?

Alternatively, imagine that you are working on a project, and you want to provide your team members with information at a specific point. Scheduling an email to arrive at a certain time is a good way to do this, and it can help you manage your time and organize your workload.

 

Mistake 8: Using Vague Subject Lines

As we’ve said, email is most effective when your message is concise and to the point (but not abrupt). So, it’s important to start with a clear subject line, so that people know what to expect when they open it.

What is your email about? Is there an important deadline date? Do you want people to take action before a certain time? Is it urgent or non-urgent? Tailor your subject line accordingly, so your recipient can give the email the right level of priority and attention.

 

Mistake 9: Not Reviewing

Proofing your emails is one of the most important things you can do. It only takes a few minutes, and it helps you to pick up poor grammar, spelling mistakes and punctuation errors, which look unprofessional and sloppy. Consider programs like Grammarly to help with this function.

It’s also important to ensure that you properly read and understand emails that are sent to you, including all messages in threads or conversations. Here, someone may have already dealt with your question or concern, and raising it again will likely result in duplication, frustration and confusion.

Finally, don’t add the recipient to your email until the last moment. This ensures that you can’t accidentally send your message before you’ve finished writing it, have added your attachment, checked the email, and spotted any errors.

 

Mistake 10: Sending Unnecessary Emails

Because email is so quick and convenient, it can easily become your default communication method with your team. However, it’s important to remember that email is also impersonal, and you risk losing touch with people if you rely on it too much. It’s certainly not a substitute for face-to-face or even phone communication.

Communicating Effectively Face-to-Face

 

There are good meetings and there are bad meetings. Bad meetings drone on forever, you never seem to get to the point, and you leave wondering why you were even present. Effective ones leave you energized and feeling that you’ve really accomplished something.

So, what makes a meeting effective? This really boils down to three things:

  • They achieve the meeting’s objective.
  • They take up a minimum amount of time.
  • They leave participants feeling that a sensible process has been followed.

If you structure your meeting planning, preparation, execution, and follow-up around these three basic criteria, the result will be an effective meeting.

  1. The Meeting Objective:

An effective meeting serves a useful purpose. This means that in it, you achieve a desired outcome. For a meeting to meet this outcome, or objective, you have to be clear about what it is.

Too often, people call a meeting to discuss something without really considering what a good outcome would be.

  • Do you want a decision?
  • Do you want to generate ideas?
  • Are you getting status reports?
  • Are you communicating something?
  • Are you making plans?

Any of these, and a myriad of others, is an example of a meeting objective. Before you do any meeting planning, you need to focus your objective. To help you determine what your meeting objective is, complete this sentence:

At the close of the meeting, I want the group to …

With the end result clearly defined, you can then plan the contents of the meeting, and determine who needs to be present.

  1. Use Time Wisely

Time is a precious resource, and no one wants their time wasted. With the amount of time, we all spend in meetings, you owe it to yourself and your team to streamline the meeting as much as possible. What’s more, time wasted in a meeting is time wasted for everybody attending. For example, if a critical person is 15 minutes late in an eight-person meeting, that person has cost the organization two hours of lost activity.

 

Starting with your meeting objective, everything that happens in the meeting itself should further that objective. If it doesn’t, it’s unnecessary and should not be included.

 

Creating an Agenda will help you stick to activities that require attention. The agenda is what you will refer to in order to keep the meeting running on target and on time.

  • To prepare an agenda, consider the following factors:
  • Priorities – what absolutely must be covered?
  • Results – what do you need to accomplish at the meeting?
  • Participants – who needs to attend the meeting for it to be successful?
  • Sequence – in what order will you cover the topics?
  • Timing – how much time will spend on each topic?
  • Date and time – when will the meeting take place?
  • Place – where will the meeting take place?

With an idea of what needs to be covered and for how long, you can then look at the information that should be prepared beforehand. What do the participants need to know in order to make the most of the meeting time? And, what role are they expected to perform in the meeting, so that they can do the right preparation?

If it’s a meeting to solve a problem, ask the participants to come prepared with a viable solution. If you are discussing an ongoing project, have each participant summarize his or her progress to date and circulate the reports amongst members.

Use your agenda as your time guide. When you notice that time is running out for a particular item, consider hurrying the discussion, pushing to a decision, deferring discussion until another time, or assigning it for discussion by a subcommittee.

 

  1. Satisfying Participants that a Sensible Process Has Been Followed

Once you have an agenda prepared, you need to circulate it to the participants and get their feedback and input. Running a meeting is not a dictatorial role: you have to be participative right from the start.

In the meeting, to ensure maximum satisfaction for everyone, there are several things you should keep in mind:

  • If certain people are dominating the conversation, make a point of asking others for their ideas.
  • At the end of each agenda item, quickly summarize what was said, and ask people to confirm that that’s a fair summary. Then make notes regarding follow-up.
  • Note items that require further discussion.
  • Watch body language and make adjustments as necessary. Maybe you need a break, or you need to stop someone from speaking too much.
  • Ensure the meeting stays on topic.
  • List all tasks that are generated at the meeting. Make a note of who is assigned to do what, and by when.
  • At the close of the meeting, quickly summarize next steps and inform everyone that you will be sending out a meeting summary.

After the meeting is over, take some time to debrief, and determine what went well and what could have been done better. Evaluate the meeting’s effectiveness based on how well you met the objective. This will help you continue to improve your process of running effective meetings.

 

Meeting Etiquette

Effective meetings need structure, order and ground rules. Without these elements they can go on forever and not accomplish a thing.

Etiquette covers behaviours such as timekeeping; the use of laptops and cell phones; eating and drinking during the meeting; whether you can interrupt while someone is speaking, or only ask questions at the end; where you sit, and so on.

And some meetings may be more formal than others, depending on the agenda and who is attending. But agreeing to these basic standards – and sticking to them – can help you and your team to conduct meetings in a more professional manner, and to achieve your objectives with the minimum of fuss or disruption.

Delivering Great Presentations

Presenting is not a natural activity and to do it well requires careful thought and lots of practice. You can choose to be average, or even below average, by simply emulating what most other presenters do. Or, you can take your presentations to the next level and leave your audiences with a powerful message that they remember, while keeping them interested and connected from start to finish. To do this you need to pay strict attention to your audience analysis, content preparation, delivery style, and the external environment. When you control these for optimum audience relevance, interest, and engagement you are ready to deliver a great presentation.

The final element you must add is lots and lots of practice. Make your next presentation great by planning and preparing well in advance and making it look like it does come naturally to you.

(video 4)

Principle of Great Presentations

  1. Understand Your Audience

To deliver a great presentation you have to consider the following audience characteristics:

  • Profile – Who are they? What is the common element that brings them together?
  • Needs – Why are they attending the presentation? What do they need to know after you’ve finished?
  • Wants – What do they want from the presentation? Do they want to increase knowledge, learn something or be entertained? How can you connect their interests with your message?
  • Expectations – What do they expect in terms of content and length?
  • Current Knowledge – How much explanation do you need to provide? What assumptions can you make?

When you know your audience, you can prepare content that appeals to them specifically. If you pass over this first crucial step you risk delivering a presentation that is content rich and relevance poor.

 

  1. Prepare Your Content

Now that you know who you are presenting to and why they are there, you can determine what to present. Here are some tips for content preparation:

  • Don’t try to cover everything. As Voltaire said, “The secret of being a bore is to tell all.” Great presentations stimulate thoughts, questions, and discussion. Develop your content so that it covers the main points but leaves room for the audience to apply the information to their own circumstances.
  • Start off well with a great hook – you only have a few minutes right at the start to fully engage the audience. Don’t use this time to present background information. Get your audience charged up and eager to listen. Make the relevance immediately obvious.
  • Also, start by telling your audience where you are heading. Don’t make them wait for your conclusion, tell them up front what your premise or purpose is. This helps your audience stay focused. They may or may not agree with you at the start, but they will be able to quickly spot all of your supporting arguments.
  • Tell a story, make comparisons, and use lots of examples. Be sure to mix up the type of content to stimulate audience interest.
  • Present your ideas logically using supporting evidence as necessary.
  • Provide only as much background information as needed.
  • Outline actions or next steps that are required.
  • Develop a strong close, including a summary. Bring your conclusions back around to audience need and the hook you created. Consider ending with a question designed to stimulate further discussion.
  1. Deliver Confidently.

There are two main aspects of your delivery: your visual aids and your style.

Slides

Unless your presentation is very short, you will need some sort of visual aid to keep the attention of your audience. There is a fine line, though, between drawing attention to your points, and distracting the audience from what you are saying. Here are some key factors to consider when designing slides:

  • Keep slides simple and easy to understand.
  • When explaining, start with the overall concept and then move to the details.
  • The information on the slide should add value to your presentation or summarize it – it is not meant to be your presentation.
  • Ensure that any charts, graphs or tables you include are very simple and easy to read. Use them sparingly.
  • Use images (clip art and photos) sparingly and make sure the image means something and isn’t just there to fill up space.
  • Use pleasant colour schemes, high contrast, simple fonts, and bold and italic to add meaning to words.
  • Don’t use fly-ins, fade-ins or outs or other animations unless absolutely necessary to really emphasize a point. How many times have you been put into a hypnotic state watching words or lines fly into a presentation?

Delivery Style

The way you deliver the content is often what makes or breaks a presentation. Here are some pointers to remember:

  • Use gestures for meaning, not for comfort. Try not to talk with your hands or move about carelessly. Everything you do should have purpose i.e. gesture to the visual aid to draw the audience’s attention.
  • Pause for effect after main points or after you present a visual aid.
  • Step out from behind the podium and connect with your audience – make sure you have a remote control deviceto change slides or cue other types of visuals.
  • Talk loudly enough for people at the back to hear, or use a microphone.
  • Make eye contact and hold it for three to five seconds. Any less and it looks like you are merely scanning thecrowd.
  • Be passionate – show your audience that you care about what you are saying.
  • Consider putting up a blank or low-content screen between slides – this puts the attention where it should be: onyou!
  • Change your pace and style from time to time.
  • Be natural – don’t try to be a comedian if you’re not.
  • Finish early rather than late.

When you present with confidence and authority, your audience will pay attention and react to you as someone who is worth listening to. Fake it if you need to, by turning your nervousness into creative and enthusiastic energy.

 

  1. Control the Environment

You won’t ever eliminate all sources of problems, but through diligent planning and preparation, you can mitigate your risks.

Practice, practice, practice: The ultimate goal is to deliver your presentation note-free. Short of that, you want to be sure you are comfortable with the material and that nothing comes as a surprise. Consider practicing in front of a video camera and reviewing your delivery. Don’t take short-cuts here because it shows! The point is for the presentation to look effortless – when you struggle, the audience focuses on you, and not on what you are saying.

Keep the lights on: when you darken the room, the screen stands out, not you. And it also encourages sleep, which you want to avoid at all costs!

Always have back-ups and a backup plan. What if you forget your material? What will you do if the CD won’t load? What if the equipment doesn’t arrive on time? Plan for as many contingencies as possible.

Dress appropriately for the situation – find out in advance what the dress code will be.

Have a policy for answering questions – let your audience know when they can ask questions, so you aren’t inappropriately interrupted.

Finish on time, every time. Last impressions are just as important as first ones.

 

 

End

 

Scroll to Top