THIS MEETING SHOULD'VE BEEN AN EMAIL

1. Communicate with intention.

OMNIDIRECTIONAL COMMUNICATION

COMMUNICATE WITH INTENTION

• Know what your goals are before you start communicating
• Goals = alignment
• It's much easier to work backwards from outcomes

2. Read it out loud.

READ IT OUT LOUD

• Typos
• Clarity over correctness
• Avoid overload

3. Treat meetings like a project.

TREAT MEETINGS LIKE A PROJECT

• Prepare an agenda
• Have a time limit
• Take notes
• Set action items/next steps
• Document and follow up

4. Find channels that work.

FIND CHANNELS THAT WORK

• Not every message is ideal for every medium
• Know you're going to need more than one
• Consider what you're saying AND where/how it's being delivered

5. Own your mistakes.

OWN YOUR MISTAKES

• Mistakes happen
• Be prompt
• Transparency matters
• Acknowledge and find a way forward

6. Practice empathy.

PRACTICE EMPATHY

• Consider how your words may affect others
• Practice this beforehand
• Open, empathetic communication builds trust
• Use confirming language (e.g. "I'm hearing that ______")

7. Build in margin.

BUILD IN MARGIN

• Ask for more time than you need
• Anticipate delays
• Have a buffer

8. Fall in love with follow through.

FALL IN LOVE WITH FOLLOW THROUGH

• It's okay - be a nudge
• Commitments kept build trust and respect
• Make follow through easy for yourself

9. Get comfortable with feedback.

GET COMFORTABLE WITH FEEDBACK

• Giving and receiving

10. Keep learning.

KEEP LEARNING

• The only way to get good at this is to practice
• Communication is just as important as your other skills

Mandy Pennington

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