Today we’ve got some things for you to think about before you blast out that next email with urgent and important information. If you want to only say it once, spend a little more time thinking out what you want to communicate and be sure your point gets across! Here’s how:

Plan Your Message – Think about what you want to say before you say it!

• What is your objective? Why are you communicating?
• Who is your audience? Who needs to know? What do they need to know?
• Plan what you want to say, and how you’ll send the message.
  • Remember KISS, Keep it simple and straightforward.
• Seek feedback on how well your message was received.

Make your message Clear and Concise

• Understand what you truly need and want to say.
• Anticipate the other person’s reaction to your message.
• Choose words and body language that allow the other person to really hear what you’re saying. How would they deliver the same message to you? NLP suggests that by mimicking a person’s mannerisms, we are more effective in communicating.

Deliver your message the right way – by phone, in person, or email – Consider the following:

• The sensitivity and emotional content of the subject.
• How much detail do you need to convey
• How does the receiver prefer to communicate – how do they usually “talk” to you
• How time sensitive is the message, and how long do you have to deliver it
• The need to ask and answer questions, will written correspondence make the task easier if questions arise later?

Communication works both ways (for face-to-face) – to ensure understanding, you have to “read” the person with whom you are communicating, and check for understanding. Don’t assume that because you have perfectly crafted your message beforehand the other person will instantly “get” it.

• Look at the person you are talking with, remember a conversation is an interaction between two people and not a one-way directive
• Pay attention to his or her body language, by observing expressions and body language you can spot potential issues such as: whether or not they believe what you are saying (confidence level), if they understand, if they are in agreement, if they are interested, and any emotions they are feeling.
• Allow the person to speak, without thinking about what you’ll say next.
• Don’t interrupt if they need clarification
• Avoid distractions, try to pick an appropriate time and place to communicate

Seek Feedback (especially for written communication)

Ask people you talk to or write to regularly if they find your communication style effective. Other people may have noticed bad habits you’ve developed without even knowing it. Including the bad habit of not following up to check for understanding!

Working in a team can outperform an individual effort in many cases. Teams provide creativity, inputs from multiple points of view and disciplines, and allow for more work to be done in less time. But, not everybody naturally works well in a team. There are often conflicting personalities, different thoughts/ideas how the team should move forward, schedule conflicts, misunderstandings, et-cetera, that can quickly make a good project go bad.

Developing a Team Charter before you start your project is ideal, but it can also be used to reign in a team that is out of control.  Your Team Charter should include the following sections.

Section 1: Purpose

Why is the team being formed? What problem are you trying to solve? Why is it important?

Section 2: Objectives and Goals (Mission)

What will you accomplish and how will you do it? Remember that you should have SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

Section 3: Roles

What team responsibilities do you have? Who is best suited to fill the roles? Some roles to consider: Team Leader, Coach, Sponsor, Data Manager, Communicator, Fact Checker, Scheduling Manager.

Section 4: Authority and Boundaries

How much time is each team member expected to dedicate to the project? Who will resolve conflicts? What is the budget, how will it be allocated? What can individual team members do, and what requires approval?

Section 5: Resources and Support

List what resources the team will need to accomplish its goals. What is your budget, time constraints, equipment, and human resource/skill needs? If available this is a good place to list training and coaching resources.

Section 6: Operations

Here you will lay out how your team will function on a day-to-day basis. When will you have meetings? How will you share work?

Section 7: Negotiation and Agreement

Once you have addressed the previous 6 areas, you should have the team review the charter on their own and come back with any ideas or thoughts they think should be changed. The entire team needs to believe that your mission and goals are achievable within the timeframe you’ve allotted. There must also be agreement on the roles selected and who is assigned each role. It is best if any conflicts or bad feelings are brought to light and resolved at the onset, rather than later. Once everyone is in agreement, have the team members sign off on the charter.

Do you use team charters in your organization? Do you have different sections or roles to share?  We’d love to hear what works for you! Please share your comments below!

Next week, we’ll discuss efficient/effective communication. Don’t miss it!