The response to last week’s poll didn’t surprise me.
I hear it all the time in my trainings and read it on my Tik Tok comments.
Most people think everyone else is the problem ;)
Whether it’s talking too much or too little, when communication breaks down, goals don’t get achieved as effectively.
Across industries, I see the same pattern in meetings: people prepare what they want to say without thinking about the listener.
When I pitch a new client, I focus on three things: what they care about, how much detail they need, and what I want them to do next.
It’s not enough to think this through once.
You have to apply it before you speak, while you’re speaking, and even after you’ve finished.
In this issue, I’ll explain how you can build these considerations into your own communication.
We will cover:
Attention Spans
3 Steps to Make Your Message Easy to Understand (Jump to Tip)
Weekly Laugh (Jump to Comic)
Attention Spans
Capturing attention is the most valuable currency in a meeting, and all of us have less of it than we used to.
To communicate effectively, you have to work with that reality.
3 Steps to Make Your Message Easy to Understand
1. Before the Meeting
Don’t just prepare what you want to say.
Think about how you want it to land, and what the audience in front of you needs to hear.
Before you speak, make sure you know the answers to these questions:
What’s my main point?
What do I need from this group?
Your message should also change based on who you’re speaking to.
Senior leader: Lead with your objective and the key decision.
Colleague: Lead with why it matters to them and what you need.
Team: Lead with context and next steps.
Clarity drill: Can you explain your main point and what you need in 30–60 seconds, in plain language that anyone could understand?
This drill forces you to focus on what actually matters, which leads to clearer communication and better outcomes.
2. During the Meeting
Pay attention to how people are responding to you in real time.
If you are losing the room (meaning people stop looking at you, or worse… someone else tries to summarize for you 😬) bring it back to a headline:
Try:
“The key takeaway is…”
“The one thing I want you to walk away with is…”
You can also reset yourself mid-thought:
“Let me simplify that…”
“Here’s the short version…”
👉 If these tips could help someone you know please share this newsletter.
3. After the Meeting
Making sure people understood you doesn’t end when you stop speaking.
Reinforce your message in a follow up email if you need it to stick:
Follow up with a concise summary
Highlight the key takeaway or next step
Make it easy for others to act
If you’re not sure how you came across, ask people you trust for feedback.
I promise you, that’s how you get better, faster.
“Was that clear?”
“Anything I should tighten up next time?”
Quick pulse check: What would you like to see more of in this newsletter?
Weekly Laugh
If you found this newsletter helpful, please share it.
If you’re interested in team training or one-on-one coaching- or if you have a topic you want me to cover, email me at [email protected].
Now for your weekly laugh.
Remember, training your teams in how to communicate benefits them as much as it does you.
