I love tapas, but not as a communication method. Here’s why:
It’s a sure thing that the journey from expert to leader is paved with intentional communication. Reading my posts you might think I’m on a mission against details. That’s not so! There is no absolute right or wrong in communication – but there is one important question:
Is your communication creating the desired understanding and impact?
Recently, a leader shared a story where someone created an extra-long report and included many examples. The leader was rightly concerned that the audience reading the report might miss the important message. And their feedback to that team member was not only to make the report shorter, but why. They said:
By providing more, you are actually providing less, because the listener doesn’t know what to focus on, and the understanding and impact gets lost.
It’s as if instead of one main dish there are a lot of small plates (maybe really small plates like with one olive on them). If you ask someone what they’ve eaten, what will they remember?
So when you’re communicating, know what your “main dish” is, put it in the spotlight, and let it shine.
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