Leadership Turn

How To Communicate Your Decisions

by Jonathan Farrington on May 5th, 2007

So, you have reached a decision that will affect other people and you need to now advise them of your deliberations and conclusions so that the decision can be put into effect or implemented without further delay.

The What & The How:

Communication is very important, not only the what but also the how:

• Decide what you want the people to do/know after the communication

• Define target audiences (e.g. executive, staff/union, customers, media, etc.)

• Determine the content of the message for each audience group

• Identify the most effective and efficient media to use per message per audience group

• Identify barriers to effective communication (organisation and physical)

• Agree best delivery date(s), day, time and situation

• Identify the most effective communications of the message

• Check if the right message has been heard by the right people at the right time

• Keep at least one step ahead of the target audience’s thinking processes

• Prepare for adverse outcomes

Structuring Your Argument:
 
To persuade others to support your decision or lead them into taking the decision that you wish them to take, structure your argument so well that it leads them step by step to the inescapable, logical conclusion. This is the same conclusion that you have reached and are now asking them to agree to.

You must lead them to your conclusions without them realising it, by setting out what is common knowledge:

• The situation

• The issue – the complication or what is wrong

• Then the decision that is required

So far they cannot disagree as you are re-stating facts that should be known and understood.

• Then set out the conclusion that is the decision

• Then the supporting evidence

• Faced with such a logical approach most people will readily come to the same conclusion as you and make the decision

The argument must, of course, be constructed logically and contain no flaws
 

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POSTED IN: Leadership Skills