Be honest
Spin doctoring is the newest and least trusted art form. It is least trusted because it assumes recipients believe everything they are told, and couldn’t cope with the truth. Most people have the wit to work out if they are being misled.
Bring in reinforcements
How many times have we heard the big speech accompanied by all of the trappings of a big conference? A better way to get a key message across is to reinforce it through a series of team briefings so people can absorb it, and then perhaps challenge it at a later stage in a more “people-friendly” environment.
Keep it simple
Most of us can only absorb a certain amount of information at once. If you have a significant piece of information, hit hard with a clear and concise headline, then back it up with information in an appropriate, digestible form.
Do it face-to-face
It is easy to sit down and rattle off an email to everyone – but email has its limitations and is often totally inappropriate if the message is complex or ambiguous. If what you have to say is really that important, then face-to-face is invariably the best way to say it – however uncomfortable that may make you feel.
Take feedback seriously
If someone takes the time to give feedback, positive or negative, it is imperative to respond and not just give lip service to it. If the point raised is an important one, it should form part of wider communication in the longer term.
Get involved
If you are at the heart of what is going on, that’s great. But if you are in the periphery and receive limited information, then the sense of connection is often not there.
Good communication depends on being honest, factual, timely and responsive to feedback. Whether you are in the boardroom giving a presentation, or drafting a quick email to a colleague, ask yourself: ‘If I was receiving this, what else would I want or need to know?’
Keep it simple, keep it honest.
Source
Housing Today
Postscript
Peter Jeffery is director of human resources and communications at Anglia Housing Group
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