Become a better communicator: Specific frameworks to improve your clarity, influence, and impact

Key Concepts

• Communication as a Skill: Communication is a skill that can be improved through practice and reflection.
• Agency in Communication: Taking responsibility for the effectiveness of one's communication rather than blaming others for misunderstanding.
• "Practicing Like It's Game Day": Consistently applying best communication practices in all interactions, not just with executives.
• Sales Then Logistics: Prioritizing buy-in and excitement before diving into the details of implementation.
• Concision vs. Briefness: Concision is about economy of words and density of insight, not just absolute word count.
• Signposting: Using words, phrases, and formatting to guide the reader and signal the structure of the communication.
• MOO (Most Obvious Objection): Anticipating and addressing the most likely objections to a proposal or idea.
• Strategy, Not Self-Expression: Focusing on the desired behavior change when giving feedback, rather than venting frustrations.
• CEDAF (Comprehension, Excitement, De-risk, Align, Feedback): A framework for effective delegation.
• Swipe File: A collection of inspiring examples of communication, design, or strategy to refer back to later.
• Managing Up: Proactively communicating and aligning with one's manager, regardless of seniority.

Main Topics and Key Points

The Importance of Communication

• Communication is a high-leverage skill for product leaders, leaders in general, and anyone trying to get ahead.
• "Communication is the job" - Boz (CTO of Meta).
• Poor communication leads to confusion, skepticism, apathy, and avoidable questions.
• "The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place." - George Bernard Shaw.

Taking Responsibility for Communication Effectiveness

• If you're not getting the reaction you're looking for, reflect on how you might be contributing to the problem.
• Ask yourself: "How could I explain this more clearly? How can I be more compelling? How can I anticipate any questions that they might have?"
• Focus on controlling your own behavior and improving your communication skills.

Practicing Communication Consistently

• Don't save your best communication for executives only.
• Treat every stakeholder as important and worthy of clear, concise communication.
• Executive communication includes both verbal (meetings, presentations) and written (emails, documents, Slack messages) mediums.
• Communication is a means to an end, with the end being the ideal outcome (buy-in, good decisions, progress).

Sales Then Logistics

• A common mistake is overestimating buy-in and jumping straight into logistics.
• A sales note is meant to get people excited and agree to do something. Only then share the logistics.
• Example: Head of operations trying to get executives to fill in wins for the week. Leading with logistics got little response. Selling the benefits of motivating team members would have been more effective.
• Always do a little bit of selling, even when people have generally bought in, to remind them why it matters.
• A concise sales pitch can be done in 30 seconds to 2 minutes.
• Explain why you're doing this, why it benefits the business, what problem it solves, and what you need from the other person upfront.

Concision

• Concision is not about absolute word count, but about economy of words and density of insight.
• You can't cut to the chase unless you know what the chase is.
• The bottleneck to being concise is often a lack of clarity about your core point.
• Preparation is the key to being concise. Even a couple of minutes of preparation before a meeting can make a huge difference.
• In writing, remind yourself to be concise and ask yourself how you might be adding cognitive load.
• Read what you wrote at least once before you share it.
• The blast radius of a poorly written memo is way bigger than most people think.
• Books recommended for improving writing:
  • On Writing Well by William Zinsser
  • Stein On Writing by Sol Stein
  • On Writing by Stephen King
  • A Series Of Short Sentences

Signposting

• Signposting is using words, phrases, formatting, and structure to guide the reader.
• Examples of signposting words: "for example," "because," "as a next step," "first, second, third."
• Signposting can be used in writing and verbally.
• Excessive formatting (e.g., bolding 30% of a memo) negates the point of highlighting.
• Avoid overusing bullets and sentence fragments when complete sentences would show the logical flow of ideas.

Practicing Communication Skills

• Track how long it takes to get the reaction you're looking for.
• Watch for the reaction and how quickly and enthusiastically you're able to get that reaction.
• For the things that are working, do more of that. For things that are not working, adjust your execution.
• Approach it with a hypothesis-driven experimental mindset.
• Don't try to incorporate 30 different tactics at the same time. Pick one thing you want to try and focus on that.

The Power of Minor Improvements

• All these little things compound and make a big difference.
• No one instance of something is ever going to feel important enough to spend a little bit more time on, but when you zoom out, that's all your work.
• All the "big things," everyone else is already doing.
• People claim the point of diminishing returns way too early.
• All the advice comes down to just spend a little more time on all these things you're putting out.
• It is a little bit more time in the moment but reaps a lot of benefits down the line.

Confidence

• People tend to be either too confident or not confident enough.
• Avoid stating hypotheses as if they are fact.
• Speak accurately about your level of conviction and the amount of evidence you have.
• It's okay for something to be an initial hunch. Say, "It's an initial hunch."
• If you have really strong reasons to recommend something, it's almost irresponsible to act like you are not really sure.
• Have a point of view, have a recommendation, present accurate facts, and be clear when you are not.
• Share a point of view, share a recommendation, and then back it up with evidence, with logic, with first principles, with examples, with data, if you have it.
• Anytime people have to discount what you're saying because you are biased in this way is not great.

MOO (Most Obvious Objection)

• MOO stands for Most Obvious Objection.
• Anticipate the obvious objections you're likely to get when you share something.
• Knowing your own argument in and out, including counterarguments, becomes so important.
• Putting MOO on a post-it is a great way to train yourself to empathize with your audience.
• Thinking ahead to what might be the most obvious objection actually then prompts you to realize that maybe there was a gap in what you were planning to present.

Keeping Your Cool

• Don't put a lot of pressure on yourself to get the exact right answer.
• If you don't know the answer, you should say, "Let me look into it, I'll get back to you."
• If you are more experienced, you can ask for a bit more information to be able to continue the conversation in that moment.
• Answer a similar question in the direction you think the person is asking about and then validating why they're asking that question.
• Reflect back their question and just being like, let me just make sure I understand what you're looking for.

Managing Up

• Managing up is something that is ongoing and that it shifts and evolves and looks different as you go in your career.
• The biggest one is to share your point of view.
• When you just ask your manager, "Hey manager, what should we do?" You're putting a lot of cognitive load on your manager.
• Share what you're noticing.
• You might have the most visibility into a problem. You might have the most proximity into an issue.

Giving Feedback

• Strategy, not self-expression.
• The goal is behavior change.
• Trim everything else that you were about to say that does not actually contribute to that goal and only keep the part that will make the person want to change.
• Have a space to vent and to share those frustrations is important.
• Get all that energy out before you go into the conversation with your counterpart.

Delegation

• CEDAF:
  • Comprehension: Have I given this person everything that they need to understand what it is that I want them to do?
  • Excitement: Am I explaining this in a way that is making this as exciting as it could be?
  • De-risk: Am I de-risking any obvious risks from delegating this?
  • Align: Am I giving the other person a chance to speak up and make sure we are actually aligned, that they're picking up what I'm putting down?
  • Feedback: How can you have the shortest feedback loop possible?

Swipe File

• Collecting inspiration that you can refer back to later on.
• Training you to be more alert to noticing when something is working well.

AI

• AI is really helpful for an initial draft of something to bounce off of.
• Sharing your point of view makes the output way better.

Step-by-Step Processes, Methodologies, or Frameworks Explained

1. Sales Then Logistics:

   • Identify the desired action or outcome.
   • Craft a "sales note" that explains why the action is important, beneficial, and aligned with the recipient's goals.
   • Present the "sales note" before diving into the logistical details.
   • After buy-in, clearly outline the logistics, process, and required steps.

2. Signposting:

   • Identify key sections or points in your communication.
   • Use specific words and phrases to signal the purpose and content of each section (e.g., "for example," "because," "as a next step").
   • Use formatting (bolding, bullets) sparingly to highlight key information.
   • Ensure the overall structure is clear and logical.

3. MOO (Most Obvious Objection):

   • Before presenting an idea or proposal, take a few minutes to brainstorm potential objections.
   • Consider the audience's perspective, priorities, and concerns.
   • Identify the most likely and impactful objections.
   • Prepare responses and address these objections proactively in your communication.

4. CEDAF (Delegation):

   • Comprehension: Ensure the person understands the task, desired outcome, and necessary resources.
   • Excitement: Explain the "why" behind the task and connect it to broader goals or personal interests.
   • De-risk: Identify potential risks and implement safeguards to prevent errors or wasted effort.
   • Align: Give the person a chance to ask questions and confirm their understanding.
   • Feedback: Establish a short feedback loop for regular check-ins and course correction.

5. Strategy, Not Self-Expression (Feedback):

   • Identify the specific behavior you want to change.
   • Focus on the impact of the behavior on others and the benefits of changing it.
   • Frame the feedback in a way that motivates the person to change.
   • Avoid venting frustrations or focusing on personal feelings.

Key Arguments or Perspectives Presented, with Their Supporting Evidence

• Communication is a skill that can be improved: The speaker emphasizes that communication is not an innate talent but a skill that can be developed through practice and conscious effort. This is supported by the examples of tactics and frameworks that can be learned and applied.
• Taking responsibility for communication effectiveness is crucial: The speaker argues that individuals should take ownership of their communication and not blame others for misunderstanding. This is supported by the idea that we can only control our own behavior and that improving communication skills can increase the likelihood of getting the desired outcome.
• Preparation is key to concise communication: The speaker argues that the bottleneck to being concise is often a lack of clarity about the core point. This is supported by the idea that preparation allows individuals to clarify their thinking and identify the most important points to communicate.
• Minor improvements in communication can have a significant impact: The speaker argues that small changes in communication can compound and make a big difference. This is supported by the idea that these small changes can lead to better understanding, faster decision-making, and increased buy-in.

Notable Quotes or Significant Statements with Proper Attribution

• "Communication is the job" - Boz (CTO of Meta)
• "The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place." - George Bernard Shaw
• "If you've sold them, stop talking."
• "I don't know what I think until I write it down." - Joan Didion

Technical Terms, Concepts, or Specialized Vocabulary with Brief Explanations

• Blast Radius: The negative impact or consequences of a poorly written or communicated message.
• Cognitive Load: The mental effort required to process information.
• First Principles: Fundamental truths or assumptions that form the basis for reasoning.
• Alpha: An edge or advantage that allows someone to outperform others.
• Equanimity: Mental calmness and composure, especially in a difficult situation.
• Ikigai: A Japanese concept referring to something that gives a person a sense of purpose, a reason for living.

Logical Connections Between Different Sections and Ideas

• The initial discussion on the importance of communication leads into the idea of taking responsibility for its effectiveness.
• The section on "Sales Then Logistics" builds on the idea of understanding the audience and tailoring the message to their needs.
• The section on concision is connected to the idea of respecting the audience's time and minimizing cognitive load.
• The section on "MOO" is connected to the idea of anticipating and addressing potential objections.
• The section on delegation is connected to the idea of empowering others and maintaining high standards.

Data, Research Findings, or Statistics Mentioned

• Studies that show that even seeing your phone in the corner of your eye, it's distracting.

Brief Synthesis/Conclusion of the Main Takeaways

The key takeaways from this discussion are that communication is a critical skill that can be improved through conscious effort and practice. Taking responsibility for communication effectiveness, preparing thoroughly, and focusing on the audience's needs are essential for success. By applying the tactics and frameworks discussed, individuals can become more effective communicators, build stronger relationships, and achieve their desired outcomes.