When we think about “communication”, we tend to think about words. Rightfully so, as words are a huge part of communication, but the pace of your speech, body language, eye contact, and much more can make a big impact.
Really, though, communication goes a few steps further into the ideas of preparation and responsiveness.
A poor communicator tends to have an out-of-control inbox. If I reach out to someone that I need to hear back from and they never reply, I don’t think “well, at least the times they are able to reply it’s always well-written”. The lack of a response is poor communication.
A poor communicator doesn’t keep their calendar updated. It happens to all of us, but some people constantly find themselves mistakenly double-booked and frequently needing to rearrange their schedules.
A poor communicator has tasks and notes floating around everywhere. We all need to write down quick notes from time to time, but taking the time to consolidate them will help keep your world in better shape.
Resolving all of those takes intentional effort, and is certainly much easier said than done. However, managing all of those properly will actually save you time. A bit more investment up front in keeping things in shape will prevent you from having to write apology emails, rebook meetings, and dig through your bags to try to find that “one note”.
Personally, I tend to be better with the stuff in the middle of this post than the stuff at the top. My email and calendar stay well-organized, but my speaking pace and body language could always stand to improve.
What areas do you feel you need to work most on?
