{"id":24585,"date":"2019-10-22T13:19:01","date_gmt":"2019-10-22T02:19:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/test.clarityfirstprogram.com\/?p=22926"},"modified":"2022-09-23T13:26:38","modified_gmt":"2022-09-23T03:26:38","slug":"root-causes-of-poor-communication-have-little-to-do-with-communicating","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/clarityfirstprogram.com\/root-causes-of-poor-communication-have-little-to-do-with-communicating\/","title":{"rendered":"Root causes of poor communication have little to do with ‘communicating’"},"content":{"rendered":"[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”3.22″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”3.27.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_padding=”|||0px||” global_colors_info=”{}”]
I have been coaching a Clarity First<\/a> client through a particularly sensitive piece of communication this week, which has highlighted some insights that I thought might help you also. The situation was politically fraught<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Clive is a consultant helping solve a range of productivity problems in a large organisation.\u00a0 He is a gun problem solver and regularly called in to help leaders solve difficult problems.<\/p>\n This one was highly sensitive: he had a tough message to deliver just before performance evaluation and bonus time.<\/p>\n To add to that, his ‘client' was two people with conflicting agendas: a Chief of Staff who needed a team's performance to improve and the team manager who was the cause of the problem but who would need to be positively engaged in the solution.<\/p>\n And, of course, it all had to be sorted yesterday.<\/p>\n Ultimately, the message was that the team manager needed to lift his game so that the team could deliver critical work on time.\u00a0<\/p>\n The team needed greater clarity around resourcing, work allocation and priorities.<\/p>\n So, what to do? Here is how we tackled it.<\/span><\/p>\n The solution required a mix of skills<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n We used a mix of clarity, care and discipline to craft a proactive and constructive message that left nobody in doubt that improvement was needed.\u00a0<\/p>\n Clarity<\/strong>:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>We first got absolute clarity on the message that needed to be conveyed, even if we were not going to deliver it ‘straight up' and blunt. The ‘blunt' story was deductive and looked like this: Care:\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/span>We thought carefully about the issues facing all players:<\/span> Discipline<\/strong>:<\/span> We held firm to storylining principles so we delivered a constructive recommendation that kept the team leader onside. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n We:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The story required structure\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Three conf<\/span>licting and chaotic work stream makes it very difficult for the team<\/span>\u00a0to deliver critical work on time<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n However,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>changing the team's operational<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>approach<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>will give greater<\/span>\u00a0control<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n Therefore, we recommend changing operational appr<\/span>oach<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Davina has helped smart people all over the world clarify and communicate complex ideas for 20+ years.<\/span><\/p>\n She began this work when she joined McKinsey & Company as a communication specialist in Hong Kong where she helped others use the Minto Pyramid Principle\u24c7<\/span>. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n She continued helping others when living in New York, Tokyo and now back in Australia where she was approved by Barbara Minto herself to teach Pyramid.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Her clients include experts across many disciplines across Australia, Asia Pacific, New Zealand, the UK and the US. She currently coaches a number of C-suite executives as well as many mid-level folk and the occasional graduate.<\/span><\/p>\n Get her 4 Tips for Communicating Complex Ideas here<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
This case highlights how delivering communication is the easy part, while the strategy and problem solving that drives the right messaging can be hugely challenging.\u00a0
\u200b\u200bLet me unpack the situation for you as well as our solution and story.<\/span><\/p>\n
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<\/span>The team needs stronger leadership if it is to start delivering<\/span>
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To learn how to prepare clear and compelling communication using top-down structured thinking techniques such as these, check out our Clarity First Program<\/a>.
PS<\/strong> In case you are not familiar with the term ‘Agile<\/span><\/a>‘, it refers to a popular project management approach.<\/span><\/div>\nPRESENTED BY DAVINA STANLEY<\/h3>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#edbb5f” divider_weight=”2px” _builder_version=”3.2″ max_width=”60px” module_alignment=”left” height=”4px” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.2″ text_font=”Poppins|300|||||||” text_font_size=”11px” text_letter_spacing=”1px” background_layout=”dark” max_width=”554px” custom_padding=”0px|||1px|false|false” locked=”off” inline_fonts=”Advent Pro,Poppins” global_colors_info=”{}”]