Anyone else suffering from cognitive overload?

I’ve been experiencing cognitive overload recently.

In simple terms, it happens when the brain is overwhelmed with information and in the context of learning, I’ve found myself on the receiving end of it during this past month. To deliver some work for a client, I have been asked to learn, understand, synthesise, and then translate content which I have not created, but need to deliver.

Oh my.

As I reviewed the material, I experienced all sorts of anxiety. There was way too much information, so my attention started to wander. There were far too many concepts, so it was hard to distinguish the threads of connection and purpose of understanding it all. There were way too many builds, so I quickly realised that each slide was going to be a long slog. There were too many bullets, which meant that the density of each point weighed heavily on my mind and finally, there was just far too much complexity.

So what?

Yet again I’m drawn to how this experience relates to the way in which we need to influence, persuade, and engage others in our professional lives. For the audience, it needs to feel relevant, straightforward, clear, ‘risk free’, light on the head, the heart, and the hands.

Our challenge with communication as leaders is to come out of the density, provide the clarity and know when to stop.

That’s my cue.

Until next time….

Simplicity Doesn't Mean Stupidity In The World Of Communication

As leaders we continually strive to take complexity out of our businesses, out of our processes, out of our decision making… and we do so to drive agility. Makes sense, doesn’t it?

However… I’m continually struck by how we don’t take the same approach when it comes to our communication.

My conversations with clients this month have focused on pitches that are too long, presentation slide decks that are too dense (and which no-one understands), answers that are too detailed, and opinions that are too unstructured… the list is endless.

So, what’s going on here? I cannot decide if it’s driven by a lack of confidence, a need to demonstrate the ‘right’ to be in the room, a power play, a misunderstanding about what influence really means, a belief that our value is in our technical expertise so we need to talk about it extensively in our messaging, a desire to avoid being perceived as stupid or incompetent or something else entirely.

Whatever the rationale, let’s be clear – simplicity of message doesn’t mean stupidity… it means clarity.  It also means agility. We can only be agile if we remove complexity from our communication.

So, if you want to influence others, get support for your ideas, drive momentum to get things done, achieve your objectives, get more time back on your calendar, increase your satisfaction and improve your relationships with colleagues and customers alike, then focus on simplifying your message.

Simplicity doesn’t mean stupidity; it means clarity.

Until next time….

Concise, Compelling Communication Isn’t Easy

The new year has begun with international travel to work with clients in the world of law, life sciences, energy, finance and professional services; and even though January still isn’t over, I’m reminded of a stark reality for professionals everywhere.  It is simply this: concise, compelling communication isn’t easy. Unless we really hone the essential skills which underpin an influential message; it’s a common error to fall into the trap of ‘blah, blah, blah’. What do I mean by that? I mean too much has been said, or the focus isn’t right or the level of detail doesn’t suit the requirements of the audience.

Concise, compelling communication means:

• Rigour on the objective for the message. What do you want achieve specifically by the end of it?
  
  
• Structure is paramount. A 3-part narrative stops the waffle. If we’re not clear on the sections of our message, it’s impossible to organise and convey our message effectively.
  
  
• Grab the audience’s attention at the beginning. The goal is that they ‘lean in and listen’, rather than ‘lean back and check out’.
  
  
• STAR moments. Every engaging message needs these. What are they? Something They’ll Always Remember.
  
  
• Context – why should they care about what you’re saying? Be clear on this early on.
  
  
• Ask – if you’re influencing you’re asking for something. What is it exactly?

Until next time...