Balance
What You Have to Say with What They Want to Hear.
I was running a publishing
company when a mentor told me “George, communication occurs when you balance
what you want to say with what the audience wants to hear.” He was
pointing out the problem that when we prepare for a one-on-one meeting, a
speech, or written communication we tend to focus on what we want to say and
what we want the receiver to do - to the exclusion of considering their
needs.
Your message will fail if you neglect to take into account the needs of the
reader or listener. Ask yourself: what are their needs and what is it
that would make them more successful? Put yourself in their shoes and
consider: how does the message sound, what’s in it for them, how does it
improve their life and how are they inspired? Consider testing the message
on a select few just in case you have missed something that could derail you.
"The
most important thing in communication is hearing what isn't said. Peter Drucker
