Four Questions to Improve Your Communication at Work

Ask anyone you work with what issue in your organization needs the most attention and you will likely hear one word: communication. That makes sense. Communicating well is difficult. You can, however, improve your communication without going back to college. Whenever you have a message to deliver, be sure to ask yourself these four questions before you begin typing a memo or putting together a proposal:

1. What is the Message?
Before you start to write that memo, know what it is that you are trying to say. Decide what information is crucial and make sure that it is clearly presented. Try to anticipate any aspects of your communication that other might misunderstand. Carefully consider the best form and tone for your message. A upbeat announcement about upcoming layoffs is likely to backfire.

2. What is the Medium?
Spend some time thinking about how you should deliver the message. As a culture, we have begun to rely on informal emails, but there are many instances when this is a clearly inappropriate mode of communication. If you need to deliver a message and receive feedback from staff, a meeting might be the most efficient medium. Bad news affecting a single employee might call for a discreet one-on-one conference. Many mediums exist for delivering messages. Be sure that the one you choose enhances your message and does not work against it.

3. Who is Affected?
No matter how carefully you craft a message, it will not be effective unless you deliver it to everyone affected by the issue. Identifying those people is often difficult. We often fail to how many people can be affected by even the simplest change. For example, if you find a cheaper supplier for materials you need to manufacture a product, it is obvious that you need to communicate that information to those responsible for purchasing. Should you also tell the people in marketing? If they just spent six months working on a campaign to brand your product as the option with the highest quality components, you'd better. When in doubt cast a wide net. If the change is worth making, there is no reason to hide it.

4. When Do They Need to Know?
Timing is everything. Consider when it is best to deliver your message. If your message will require a change in someone's workflow, that person needs to know about it as soon as possible. If you have bad news that the staff is unable to do anything about, don't burden them too early. If the rumor mill has started to turn, the time to release correct information is now.

These four questions alone will not turn you into a communication superstar, but they will help you deliver messages with more clarity and impact. Answer them before delivering your next important message. Communicating well is always worth the time.