Unfortunately people are not mind readers. If they were volunteers would do want you want them to do. Students and parents would get why you want them there.
Courtesy of altemark/Creative Commons License
We all have a message we want to get across to people. Unfortunately we aren’t always sure how to deliver it. To get your message across you need to:
Too often we say too many things. When you do not narrow it down all you do is create noise. As a leader you need to determine what’s the most important thing. Before you communicate ask yourself, “What’s most important.”
Many times we know what we want to say, just not how to say it. If it’s an email ask someone to review it. If it’s a message get others to listen. If you want people to hear you, then you need to make sure it sounds clear.
People might hear you the first time, but they’ll still need to hear it multiple times. That’s because messages need time to sink in. Whether its a reminder for a meeting or your mission statement you want to make sure it sinks in.
Not only do people need to hear things multiple times they need to hear it in different ways. Ask others to help you spread the word. If using a live presentation ask, “How else can this be said or shown?”
What do you want people to know? Be sure of it but also give it focus. Don’t expect people to hear you or get you the first time. In the end a good communicator also needs patience.
You need patience in the process. You need patience in how you grow as a communicator. If you keep at it people will embrace what it is you are trying to say.
[reminder] What is your largest frustration as a communicator? [/reminder]