Features
Clarity in both tone and message is required for effective corporate communication. Professionals must not only be concerned with the language and tone of communication, but they must also comprehend the exact, measurable result they intend to achieve from each discussion, letter, or marketing effort. Professionals cannot expect clarity in their customer communications until they are clear about their own messages.
Effects
Professionals can break down long-term messages into smaller portions by calling out the desired next actions of a certain communication. These short-term objectives fit into a feedback cycle, which is crucial for effective, unambiguous communication.
Professionals can incorporate feedback into subsequent communications by viewing communication as an opportunity to listen as well as talk. Over time, reinforcing an audience’s expectations helps encourage individuals to take the next steps required to reach milestones.
Considerations
Slowing down a conversation may appear paradoxical to some professionals. In most companies, technology and culture have conspired to heighten urgency, making engaged communication more difficult to achieve.
Effective professionals not only seek feedback from their audience but also repeat it several times to ensure that it has been properly digested and comprehended. Professionals who hold themselves accountable for creating two-way clarity relieve their audience from pressure while maintaining greater control over the direction of a conversation.
Misconceptions
In some professional groups, communicators place an undue focus on coming up with fast rebuttals to audience concerns. Instead of just striving to deflect criticism and other forms of feedback, competent professionals view negative communication as an opportunity to craft a more persuasive case.
Deep diving may take longer, and a professional may not always have the correct answer to every question posed to her. Spending time on achieving clarity, on the other hand, fosters rapport, which can lead to long-term trust in professional relationships.
Benefits
Consistent clarity in professional communication lowers friction in other areas of the company. Many customer service issues and interpersonal confrontations are avoided when there is good communication.
Similarly, proper communication at the start of a project can help set more realistic expectations for the project’s outcome. Clarity fosters trust, which may be used to benefit both individuals and organizations.