Strategic Communication
STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION means thinking BEFORE you speak. Instead of just blurting out what comes to mind, you plan: What's my goal? Who is my audience? What's the right message? When and how should I deliver it? This kind of thinking is what separates polished communicators from everyone else.
Four questions to ask. (1) GOAL: what do I want to happen? (Inform? Persuade? Comfort?) (2) AUDIENCE: who am I talking to? What do they care about, know already, and worry about? (3) MESSAGE: what's the ONE thing they should walk away with? (4) CHANNEL: text? Phone? In person? Email? Different messages need different channels.
You need to ask your boss for a raise. Which is the BEST channel for this conversation?
Common audience mistakes. ASSUMING they know what you know — they often don't. USING jargon they won't understand. NOT MEETING them where they are emotionally (talking business when they're upset). FORGETTING their interests — what matters to YOU may not matter to THEM. The fix: imagine the conversation from THEIR side first.
Plan a Conversation
Pick a conversation you need to have soon (asking for help, sharing news, addressing a problem). Apply the 4 questions: goal, audience, message, channel. Write your plan in 4 sentences before having the talk.
Strategic communication takes 30 extra seconds of thinking — and saves hours of misunderstanding. The best leaders, teachers, friends, and family members all do it.
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