As you may have noticed by now, I’m all for effective communication (and who isn’t?). It is an art and a science that CIOs and IT Managers must master.
As a leader, you must assure that people understand what you are asking and expecting from them. But you also need to make sure that colleagues and customers “get it” when presenting a new plan, project or strategy.
I found this article this morning, where the author recommends 10 Ways To Explain Things More Effectively.
I strongly agree with most of the points and the only concern I had was point #9. Why? Because I don’t think that using the concepts of Supersets and Subsets are that applicable to “normal” presentations, unless we are talking about software version, as explained.
My favorite tip was #7. I use that technique commonly. Analogies do help to drive the point home easier.
What do you think? Any point that you think is great or incorrect? Please let me know by adding a comment.
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Hi Andres,
These are good reminders. Points 3 (Avoid talking over people’s head) and 4 (Avoid talking down to people) are good reminders for us in IT. Jargon and acronyms should almost never be used when there are people outside of your immediate group. If you have to refer to ITIL, SDLC, OOK, or CDL, it’s good to make sure that you mention the definition at least once.
Remember – most people won’t ask for explanations. They will just tune you out.
Alec
Alec Satin´s last blog post..Leadership Skills for IT Managers – 10 Things Learned at Grid International Training