ASK British Telecom and they will say it’s good to talk. After all, despite advances in technology, talking is the best way to communicate and get your point across.
There are times in business though, when talking is only good, to a point. A journalist will tell you, ‘never say in three words what you can say in two’. And managing communication in business is important – if only to limit the amount of time we spend communicating while ensuring the message is simple and effective. While the world has moved on, the essentials of effective communication remain the same.
The most important aspects are to be:
1. Clear about your message.
2. Able to put yourself in the shoes of your target audience after correctly identifying who it is you are speaking to.
3. Able to deliver succinctly.
Making communication a key priority in an organisation can alleviate problems before they surface. Managers need good communication skills. The more senior they are, the more adept at getting the correct message across they need to be.
(Article based on a chapter from The Greatest Management Tips in the World)