Effective Communication

F. You have just participated in an important meeting with your superior. How will you ensure that every part of the instructions you received will properly reach all subordinates, suppliers and clients, located in different parts of the world?

An effective communication is a two-way process, which includes both sending / transmitting and receiving information. To ensure instructions are properly cascaded, one must be able to communicate effectively. Some of the key traits in effective communication is good advocacy and inquiry.

A person with good advocacy skills will not only state their ideas or intents clearly but also discloses the rationale for it. A person with good inquiry skills, seeks to understand while also reveals the reason for inquiry. The common feature of these skills is to disclose the purpose of the action. This disclosure helps the recipient to understand the intent and removes doubts about other motives. The combination of these two skills set form an effective feedback loop especially useful to cascade instruction and reaffirming the instruction is well received.  

Advocacy and inquiry can be applied regardless of the medium of communication (verbal, phone conversations, email, fax, IM, etc), though it is more effective for direct communication like verbal, phone conversation or IM. When advocating the instruction, ensure the message is clear, concise and to the point with purpose of the intent associated. Once the message is across, inquire the listener or recipient that the instructions are well received with the same level of understanding. This is done by testing the recipient to repeat the instructions, explaining why it is important to seek that clarity. This also allows opportunity for the recipient to enquire further details that may be important if required. Inquire politely and ensure it does not come across as being rude. Repeat advocacy and inquiry until the instructions are fully understood by the recipient.