Why am I talking about this?
Social media stifles communication. Fast changing technology. There is very little time to communicate. Business or personal thoughts.
Take test drive. Go to mall. Sit in food court. Listen to people talking. Sentences start in middle of topic. Or are not finished. Topics of conversation change instantly. People are talking over each other. Very little listening. Look at them. Most are thinking about their response. Instead of listening.
Then look at how many jobs most people have in 5 years. Employers are doing very little training. Teaching. 50% overall turnover is employers fault. Other 50%? Employees with short memories. People who have never been taught. Who don’t know how to act.
Yes, above 2 paragraphs are generalizations. But they fit to most people
Start taking charge. Like our peers did with us. Yes, this is societal problem. We each have chance to make difference.
My story.
When I started out. People would tell me to clarify. They acted like I should know what they meant.
Definition is easy. AI says being coherent and logical. But how was I supposed to know if I was? I would look at my team when I was talking. I could see confusion on their faces. Or watch them start thinking about other things.
Went to my boss and told him I needed help. I wasn’t getting my points across.
He asked for example. I told him about meeting day before.
When I finished, he had three tips.
My sentences were too long. He told me no sentence longer than 10-12 words. Ideally 7 words or less. Shorter the sentences. Clearer the messages
He asked,” Did you practice speaking before the meeting?” Of course I hadn’t. “Did you write down what you were going to say?” My facial expression gave away my answer.
Had I practiced on anyone, my wife, or a friend? Nope, hadn’t done that either.
He told me that was the answer. Think in clear short sentences. Practice writing sentences. Then see if I could shorten sentences. Pick simple words. Easily understood.
Told me it would take practice initially, but I would quickly acquire the skills. He was right. It took practice. I learned to think before I spoke.
I started writing what I wanted to say. Started thinking about the actual words I used. No, I didn’t practice speaking the words very often. The first two forced clarity into my thoughts. Once I thought about clarity I started to practice it.
Team understanding improved. Team and individual performance improved.
Today, I rarely go through the steps. But…once a month I force myself to step back. Amazing how many bad habits I’ve picked up. Run on sentences. Poorly chosen words. Sentences not clear.
How to teach clarity to others
In all meetings. Team members lead some segment.
That increases their confidence and forces them to be aware of their own communication skills.
It gives me chance to work with employees. One-on-one before meetings. That helps me to teach above. To have them practice on me. They can make mistakes. Screw up. Without being embarrassed.
Side benefit: Makes me think through meeting agendas. Why is this an agenda item? We have reduced length of meetings at least 10-15 minutes
Last point. Who do you admire in your company? Why do you admire them? Are you emulating them? If not, why not. All leaders learn from other leaders.
CTA: Step back and review your own skill set. What can you do better. It will improve your leadership. That’s the goal.
Tom Ferree is the founder of Ferree & Associates and SecureEmploy, organizations focused on helping companies find exceptional talent and helping professionals advance their careers. Since founding Ferree & Associates in 1977, Tom has worked extensively with hospitality companies, executives, and rising leaders across the industry. Through SecureEmploy, he shares practical career strategies, leadership insights, and real-world advice to help professionals grow their careers and help organizations build stronger teams.
