Grounded Confidence: Our communication. A dip into Brené Brown's Strong Ground: Part 4

Grounded Confidence: Our Communication

Brené Brown shares that she has watched organisational communication tank a transformation effort, and she has seen communication elevate it a little, or a lot. What she never sees is neutral impact communication. My takeaway from that is simple. We are always having an impact. It is either the impact we want or the impact we don't.

Brown holds that professional communication delivered from a place of grounded confidence gets measured by two things: impact and value. That's hard to appreciate, and harder to measure, when we've put so much effort into getting a message right and we can feel the pressure of needing it done. Maybe that's where the confusion creeps in. We're feeling the buzz of finishing and crediting it to the message. Getting it done is not the same as having our intended impact.

Think about the last piece of communication that cost you something. The restructure email that went out at 4:55pm on a Friday. The team meeting where you explained the new process twice and got the same three questions the following week. The message you laboured over that nobody acted on. Every one of those got done.

In Strong Ground, Brown sets out what confident, mission-grounded communication looks like. It should be:

• Accessible

• Anticipatory

• Clear

• Compelling

• Consistent

• Economical

• Honest

• Reliable

• Timely

  
  

Nine characteristics is a lot to hold. But that's a reflection of the complexity of good communication. The whole point about good communication is that its reach is broad and deep when it's done well. Everyone is trying to reduce things to three points, and in doing so they are often missing the point.

What I want to get curious about here is what these nine actually ask of us in real time. Understanding a principle is a long way from demonstrating it in the heat of the moment, in the wild of our workplaces and our workplace relationships. So, I've written myself a question for each one. Something I can run in my head before I open my mouth or hit send.

1. Accessible. Is what I'm saying or writing truly accessible to all the people I'm intending to reach?

2. Anticipatory. Have I anticipated what people are already thinking about this topic? Who have I talked to? Am I landing it with the right insights into the prior knowledge of my audience? If not, who do I need to ask?

3. Clear. Is my message clear? I know my intention, but do I know my impact, and how am I checking it?

4. Compelling. Is my message attractive and interesting? Does it pique curiosity?

5. Consistent. Which parts of my communication need to be consistent to help my target audience connect with the impact that I intend?

6. Economical. Is my message balanced well with the impact? What would less look like? What would more look like?

7. Honest. Is this message 100% honest with everything I know at this point in time?

8. Reliable. Where did this information come from? Do I have the source references to share, if asked?

9. Timely. Does my audience have the bandwidth to receive this right now, or am I sending it when it suits me?

   
   

I don't know whether those are the interpretations Brown intended. They are the questions that come to mind for me, and they're where I'm starting.

This week I'm going to experiment with all nine and take the time to reflect, learn, and grow. If that's something that interests you, give it a go yourselves, and even better, reach out and tell me your thoughts.

Ali McCormick DE

This is part of my ongoing series of short dives into Strong Ground by Brené Brown, one idea at a time, with my own lens on what it means for leaders in Aotearoa New Zealand.