Can't Tailor the Message to the Audience
One of the greatest weaknesses in effective communication is considering the audience: we consider what we want to communicate, not what the audience wants or needs to hear. As a result, the message doesn't get through, or doesn't have the intended impact, or has unintentional side effects.
It's also stressed that one of the most important audiences to consider is management. While having credibility with peers is important, having it with management is critical.
Addressing a Topic
The author suggests there are five approaches to any topic:
- Target- Expressing your opinion and getting others to accept it is probably the most important thing you can do to demonstrate that you are decisive
- Discuss the breadth - Calling attention to the breadth of a topic demonstrates that you have considered the scope of the topic before coming to a conclusion
- Depth - Investigating the details, especially peripheral issues, can be of use in demonstrating that you understand the context of the topic
- Height - By "height," the author means relating the topic to higher-level strategy, which demonstrates you ability to correlate topics to the larger issues, which are interests and goals of the organization.
- Vision - Vision relates a topic to the far future, months or years later, which demonstrates an ability to think long-term rather than immediate
While the first (on target) is the most importance in demonstrating your competence, the other four build your credibility.
Responding to Questions
A general guideline is to keep your answers the same length as the questions. If the other person wants more detail, they'll ask more questions.
Another approach is to consider the nature of response the person expects. The author draws a parallel to standard exam questions: some are true/false, others multiple choice, some fill-in-the-blank, and others are essay questions.
When making a presentation, you can anticipate questions, and you should be prepared with a concise answer - often called the "elevator pitch." Being able to address a complex issue briefly wins a lot of points.
Also, apply a problem-solving model: is the person interested in knowing the nature of the problem, its cause, its effect, or a solution?
When there are several alternatives, advocate one. You may wish to discuss some of the others (showing the breadth of your thought), but show some spine and take a stand: the problem is X; I recommend Y; I also considered Z, but here is why that's not as good a solution.