Focus Learning

As we all know, communication is not just simply talking and listening, or writing and reading, but it also includes body language. Through these actions, meanings are transferred and understood between the sender and receiver. Hence, communication is a process to create a shared understanding.
For a communication to be successful and effective, a vast repertoire of interpersonal and intrapersonal skills, besides an appreciation of the various channels or mediums of communication is required, and the process has to be as error-free as possible. Just one little error somewhere along the communication process such as the lack of a needed skill, or the wrong channel or medium used, will lead to a faulty transference, a defective message. The meaning that is received and understood by the receiver is not quite, according to what it was meant to be originally by the sender and the result is a miscommunication, a misunderstanding.

Much miscommunication unfortunately occurs today at the workplace as we spend a minimum of eight hours per day carrying out our jobs in pursuit of a sustainable career or business. Miscommunication disrupts or hinders collaboration and co-operation, and at best, we get a difficult collaborative situation, or an ineffective co-operation. When this situation abounds, it is difficult for an organisation to be effective. Hence, it is essential to work towards achieving effective communication so that greater collaboration and co-operation can develop for organisations to progress at a faster rate.

Effective communication is also pro-active communication. To achieve this, we can make use of specific tools that have been proven easy to learn and easy to apply. The following is a list of seven simple Winning Tools for Communication that we have abbreviated to remember easily:-

1. CTA - Communicate to Align
   The first and most important tool we use in a normal, common communication setting in the workplace i.e. before we execute any task, we must bring to line the expectations. We use this to get the ‘big picture’ of the assignment, and to check our understanding with our superior. We also use this tool to check that our subordinate understands our expectations, preferences, outcomes, and objectives.
2. CTL - Communicate to Lock
   This is done after we have clarified both superior and subordinate expectations. We Communicate to Lock the task to the Person-in-Charge with specific outcomes and deadlines, i.e. we obtain clarification on when and who to deliver the tasks, or to engage the subordinate specifically on when and who to deliver the task as agreed.
3. CTR - Communicate to Remind
   We should Communicate to Remind to highlight events, keep track of schedules or targets, and educate the other party on tasks and ongoing or current issues. Timely reminders are important - before and after deadlines.
4. CTU - Communicate to Update
   We should also Communicate to Update to inform the superior regularly on the progress of current or urgent issues, especially those that are important to him/her. It is not only better for us to over-update than under-update our superiors, especially before deadlines, but also crucial that we use his or her preferred channel of communication to ensure the communication is effective.
5. CTS - Communicate to Simplify
   We need to Communicate to Simplify when dealing with complex or complicated concepts. We use visual means, analogies, or metaphors to turn these difficult concepts into something simple and meaningful to understand.
6. CTN - Communicate to Negotiate
   We Communicate to Negotiate in difficult and critical situations, or when task expectations, priorities, or deadlines change. We must consult the individual or team involved before the deadline.
7. CTN - Communicate to Win
   To Communicate to Win, we put forward ideas while attending to major issues; we aim to be our superior’s “Best Man,” not his “post man.

The above seven simple tools tell us ‘what’ to do, but just knowing about the tools, just knowing ‘what’ to do, does not guarantee that our communication or message is effectively transmitted. These tools – the ‘what’ - need to be supported or complemented by skills and techniques – the ‘how’. We need to know ‘how’ to use these tools. How do we communicate to align and to lock? How do we communicate to remind and to update? And how do we communicate to simplify, to negotiate, and to win?

There are a few communication techniques that we can learn to apply based on an understanding of the fundamentals of communication. This understanding coupled with the techniques helps us prevent mistakes happening in the communication process (which may still occur even while using the tools). With fewer errors occurring in the process, the less chances of a miscommunication occurring. With fewer miscommunication incidents, the shared understanding will be greater. And with a greater shared understanding, collaboration and co-operation will be higher, lea

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