below you in the chain of command,
acknowledge it as quickly as possible. (For
superiors, I would recommend that you do
so immediately).
Similarly, request an acknowledgement
from anyone you send a message to, and
if they don’t respond, be proactive about
acquiring that acknowledgement. No need
to be impolite, just assertive and persistent.
Send them a nudge by email or pick up the
phone and say, “Hey, I sent you a message
about such-and-such yesterday. Did you
get it?” It’s possible they didn’t. Maybe it
passed under their radar somehow, or the
technology you sent it by just happened
to fail you in this instance. This happens
occasionally, as all of us can attest.
You can’t let anyone use the claim
that they didn’t get a message as an excuse
for not getting something done. Get an
acknowledgement, not just so you can
cover yourself later but so you can make
sure that they understand what you need
and require, and so that you know that
they comprehend the urgency of your
request.
In a related vein, make it abundantly
clear that anyone you send a message
to is free to ask questions if they don’t
understand what you’re trying to say.
Encourage them to do so, and be patient
when they do so that their lack of under-
standing doesn’t result in unproductive
errors. The same goes for you: If you don’t
understand exactly what your interlocutor
wants, keep asking questions until you do,
even in the face of their irritation and rude-
ness, if it comes to that. It’s more produc-
tive to go back and forth a few times than
to find out later that the wrong thing got
done because of a miscommunication.
THE FINAL WORD
When you communicate directly with
anyone in the workplace, your phrasing
and delivery must be as clear as possible
in order to maximize productivity. Be asser-
tive, plain and straightforward. Never hem
and haw. Don’t use a $10 word when a
nickel wo rd will do and avoid jargon when
you can. Finally, immediately acknowledge
any communications you receive and
strongly encourage acknowledgement from
those you communicate with; require such
acknowledgement if possible. Make it
clear that others can ask questions in order
to clarify your wants and needs, and be
willing to ask such questions yourself.
Financing your exciting
While there will always be some
potential for confusion in human interac-
tion (we are only human, after all), solid,
clear communication at all levels will
ensure that such confusion is minimized.
If you follow these simple rules, not only
will people not have to waste time (and
therefore productivity) trying to figure
out what you’re trying to say, they’re less
likely to mistake what you’re trying to
say. Mistakes waste time and time really
is money, so it’s crucial to avoid as many
miscommunications as possible. G
Laura Stack, MBA, CSP, CPAE, aka The
Productivity Pro ® , gives speeches and
seminars on sales and leadership produc-
tivity. For over 25 years, she’s worked
with Fortune 1000 clients to reduce inef-
ficiencies, execute more quickly, improve
output and increase profitability. Laura
is the author of seven books, including
“Doing the Right Things Right: How the
Effective Executive Spends Time.” To
invite Laura to speak at your next event,
visit www.TheProductivityPro.com.
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Carol Francis | [email protected] | 617-641-9276 | 1-800-851-1001 ext. 2913
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