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Here’s a very interesting quote about communication…

Tags: Be interesting | Impact | Leadership | Influencing

12th June

Happy Tuesday!

Here’s a wonderful quote about communication from the author George Bernard Shaw:

      “The single biggest problem in communication
        is the illusion that it has taken place.”

This is so true, isn’t it?

We tell people something once. Then we’re amazed when they forget it.

Or we roll-out the new strategy once. And are surprised when they drift back to last year’s ways.

Or we send an email asking someone to send us something. They don’t reply. And we console ourselves by thinking “well, I sent the email once. The ball’s in their court now.”

But, as Mr Shaw says, the problem with communicating like that is that we believe “… the communication… has taken place.”

But it isn’t finished yet.

Another phrase I’ve heard which says the same thing – “The fortune’s in the follow-up.”

In the next five minutes, you’ll no doubt be asking someone to do something.

You’ll be crystal clear about that.

But do you also know when you’re going to follow-up, to ensure they did it?

Action Point

For your next communication, do two things:

  • Send the communication
  • Set a diary reminder for you to chase it in a few hours/days

If they do what you ask at the first time of asking, you ignore the diary reminder when it appears.

But if they don’t do it, your diary will remind you to chase them. And of course you can then add another diary reminder to chase them again a few hours/days after that.

(Quick warning though – be careful who you do this with. So, if you’re chasing your boss’s boss’s boss, you might want to adapt/ignore this Tip!)