While there are all sorts of different ways to think about communication, for most of us, concentrating on three communication points can make a dramatic difference in our effectiveness. It leads to better preparation, better delivery, and better impact.
Better Preparation
Sometimes preparing for an interview, speech, one-on-one interaction, or any communication event can be overwhelming – particularly if you don't have a lot of time to prepare. Thinking through the overall message and three main communication points provides a framework for your communication and a structure for your preparation. It helps you focus on what's most important and cut out the rest.
One of my personal favorite models is the past – present – future framework for toasts: "When I knew Jack and Susi way back when…." "Today we're celebrating their….." "Going forward we wish them nothing but…." Fill in the blanks for maximum positive impact.
Better delivery
With three points in mind, you can adapt your communication to the moment without getting lost. Knowing the points you want to make frees you up to be flexible about how you make them. Thus you can pick up on something someone else says, leverage a question or a contemporaneous event to make a point instead of rigidly following your script. Knowing where you're going allows you to turn a presentation, speech or interview into a free-flowing conversation.
Better impact
It's not what you say that counts. It's what they hear. Telling people your main points up front, fleshing them out, and then recapping them at the end, increases the likelihood that they'll remember them. It's easier to remember three points that to remember twenty. It's often easier to remember three points than one – if they all fit within the overall message.
Net, focus on three communication points for 1) better preparation, 2) better delivery, and 3) better impact.
George Bradt – PrimeGenesis Executive Onboarding and Transition Acceleration
