Increase Your Communication Clarity, by Christine Comaford
Clarity of our words requires us to increase explicit communication and expectations and decrease implicit communication and expectations. Explicit expectations are stated outright; we know exactly what is expected of us in detail. For example: "Please e-mail me a spreadsheet of our top five manufacturing suppliers, who the vendors are, our payment terms, and all payment-related contract terms by 5 p.m. Friday, June 15." Implicit expectations are those that we have to figure out, that we expect other people to magically understand. For example: "Please send me a report of our top manufacturing expenses and the details of each." By when? In what file format? Digital or printed? What exact details do you want? We can’t expect someone to know what we mean unless we tell them, and low or vague information often sends people into their Critter State, into fight/flight/freeze.
So if you aren't getting the results you want -- from interaction, from another person -- the best question to think about is, "Am I making clear requests?" An example of a clear request is: "Can you please get a report of our top five advertisers in the United States by revenue, renewal rate, and account manager to me by 4 p.m. Friday?" The recipient of the request understands what the request is and how to be successful in promising to fulfill it. Now they can fulfill their promise by saying, "Yes, I will do that" or, "No, I cannot do that, but here’s what I can do."
How direct and clear are you? Let’s find out. Think of a scenario where you aren’t getting the result you want with another person. Perhaps a direct report, colleague, friend, or family member isn’t following through on expectations you have.
Make two columns side by side. Label the first "Explicit" (clear and direct) and the second "Implicit" (vague and mysterious). List the explicit expectations you have of that person; these are expectations you have clearly verbalized. Now fill in the implicit column; these are expectations that have not been verbalized or things you expect them to figure out without clearly telling them what you need or expect. Total up your explicit and implicit expectations. Do you have more of one than the other? More implicit than explicit? Or equal?
Let’s take action. Now meet with that person to explain this exercise and go over your implicit expectations. Encourage them to ask you for more clarity, and be sure to make it safe to do so. And when they do, thank them for helping you become a better leader. We find that within a mere few weeks of receiving increased directness and clarity, a team member will feel safer, will understand the structure they are operating within and will deliver much better results.
Here are some of the results from our clients who have increased their clarity and communication and what their team members have done as a result:
- Individuals are 67–100% more emotionally engaged, loyal, accountable, and ownership-focused.
- New products and services are created 29–48% faster.
- 97% of team members tangibly contribute to increasing key executive strategic and high-value time by five to fifteen hours per week.
- 100% report the ability to apply communication techniques and thinking styles both at home and at work and a resulting increase in personal and professional fulfillment.
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