It's No Wonder Our Communication isn't Effective, is it

In this episode, Lee Horton explores the complexities of communication and the challenges that arise when messages are not received as intended. Lee emphasises the importance of consistently and clearly communicating messages multiple times to ensure they are understood by different individuals. He shares the six key factors in any communication process into six key factors and talks about how acknowledging these factors and actively checking for understanding can help set up leaders for success.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Communication is a complex process: There are multiple factors that can affect how a message is received and understood, including our senses, thoughts, words, environment, and the listener's interpretation.

Consistency is key: To ensure that messages are understood, it is important to communicate consistently and repeatedly. One-time communication may lead to misunderstandings or the message being lost.

Check for understanding: It is crucial to verify that the intended message has been understood correctly. This can be done by asking for feedback or engaging in conversations to clarify any confusion.

Consider different mediums: Sharing messages through various mediums, such as in-person conversations, emails, or presentations, can increase the chances of effective communication and understanding.

Give people the opportunity to succeed: By communicating clearly and consistently, we can provide others with the best chance to act on our messages and achieve success in their tasks or responsibilities.

The communication process can be broken into six key factors: senses, thoughts, words with intent, environment, ears of the listener, and their understanding and subsequent actions. 

By acknowledging these factors and actively checking for understanding, leaders can improve their communication effectiveness and increase the likelihood of successful outcomes.

BEST MOMENTS

"The art or the secret of communication is what has been heard, not what has been said."

"Different people receive messages in different ways...we need to give everybody the greatest opportunity to truly understand what we mean in our words by saying them multiple, multiple times." 

"If you only give a message once, then there is a high likelihood that that message will not be received in the intended way." 

"Words are just labels for things, then my labels need to match your labels. And the only way we know that is by speaking to people and actually understanding that the labels, the words that we use for different things, mean the same thing." 

"What can you do to help ensure that your messages land more effectively with your people, give them a greater chance of success and doing the things that you'd like them to do by maybe communicating a little bit more, communicating clearer and checking understanding." 

HOST BIO

You can contact Lee Houghton on 07813342194 Lee@leehoughton.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/lhoughton/

For the last 15 years, I have been a multi-sector internal or external business improvement consultant, building the improved capability of individuals, teams and businesses.

In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my two young children Jack & India. I also enjoy listening to and reading business & personal development material.

Lee Houghton is “THE Business Problem Solver”, a Management Consultant, CX Specialist and Keynote Speaker.