The four building blocks: People and perspective

- Four building blocks create the foundation for successful communication, the people, the message, the context, and effective listening. These four elements are at play in every communication event, whether you're presenting in front of a thousand people or just making small talk with a coworker. In the next few videos, we'll explore each of those building blocks. Let's begin with people. Who should you talk to? Now, sometimes, that's obvious, but let's say you want to vent about something at work. There are only a few appropriate people for this, so choose wisely, or maybe you plan to make a change of some sort. Who are all the people affected by that change? Have you included them in your communication? Once you've decided with whom you should communicate, it's important to think about that person's perspective and tailor to your audience. For example, Tatiana and I have been colleagues and friends for years. We have deep trust, and I know that she's a busy person who prioritizes action. If we need to edit some writing, I can simply say, "Hey, our deadline's Tuesday. You edit the odd chapters. I'll do the even ones. Sound good?" But with another colleague, Irene, who I don't know as well, that message might sound bossy or overbearing. I tailor by softening the language to something like, "Hey, to get the ball rolling for our Tuesday deadline, I thought you could edit the odd chapters and I'll do the even, but if you had something else in mind, let me know." When deciding how to adapt your communication, consider the think, feel, do model. What did I want Irene to think? "Mm, time to start editing." What do I want her to feel? Respected. And what do I want her to do? Get started. Tailor to your listeners' knowledge level and preconceived notions about the topic and maybe about you. Another example. I know that some people think college professors can be too theoretical, so when I'm speaking to a group, I try to manage that perception by including lots of real-world work examples. Think of a conversation you have coming up soon. What assumptions might your conversational partner have about you or the topic? How much does the person know about the subject? What do you want the other person to think, to feel, to do? Let your answers inform the words, the tone, and the body language you use during the conversation. If you want to be a great communicator, begin with the people building block. Do your best to understand a message from the other's perspective.