The Power of a Succinct Message--and How to Create One

Joe Wynne is a versatile Project Manager experienced in delivering medium-scope projects in large organizations that improve workforce performance and business processes. He has a proven track record of delivering effective, technology-savvy solutions in a variety of industries and a unique combination of strengths in both process management and workforce management.

 

Think about how much information workers have today flooding their minds--more than ever, from more sources than ever. There is information screaming for people's attention all day from television, the Internet, e-mail, meetings, etc. You have to cut through all of this like a machete with your message.

"Communicator" is just one of the many hats you have to wear, but it is a very important hat. Your messages are critical enablers that allow you to get results through others, so if you confuse your audience or get them lost amid extraneous verbiage, you become an impediment to your own leadership. You can't afford to bungle your communication opportunities, whether they be in informal meetings, formal presentations, even e-mailed messages.

Sharpen Your Point
Know your point before speaking. It sounds easy, but it is not in many cases. Here is an example of a project manager's message. She has several important things to say, but not a clear point.

Bad: "This report needs some refining before we turn it in. The stakeholders are going to come down on us hard based on some of these figures. The final verbiage of the document is going to be important. Our experts in accounting do not have the ability to write up the rationale …

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