Why Communication Tips Are Not Enough for Effective Communication
A communication approach is needed for each business context before applying tips.
Philosophies are for philosophers, theories are for academics, and approaches are for practitioners.
That's why when I go into an industrial plant, I ask the maintenance supervisor about their maintenance approaches, not their theories on maintenance. And the same can be said with business leaders. When I talk to executives, I don't ask about their philosophy on running their business. I ask them to describe their approaches to running their business.
The big takeaway is this all the tips in the world do not make sense unless you have that overarching approach. Find the appropriate approach for the given situation, then consider applicable tips. FINESSE is one such approach for effective communication. Hopefully, you will like FINESSE for big decisions when complexity and uncertainty are high. But if you don't like FINESSE, find and apply another.
I'll add one more takeaway. Resist any advice from people who will only give you tips. Ask for their approach first. Then, let them give you their tips if you agree with their approach.
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JD Solomon is the author of Communicating Reliability, Risk & Resiliency to Decision Makers: How to Get Your Boss’s Boss to Understand and Facilitating with FINESSE: A Guide to Successful Business Solutions.