Everything I’ve written about so far is the prelude to actually communicating about sticky issues with more clarity and purpose. Go back to Tip #1 on this Substack if the topic interest you, but in brief, here’s what we’ve covered to date:
Tip #1 - be brave and decide to have the difficult conversation.
Tip #2 - communicate to solve the problem.
Tip #3 - say as much as you can upfront and get it behind you.
Tip #4 - don't say everything! Leave out the unhelpful bits.
Tip #5 - use words we all understand. Be inclusive.
Tip #6 - people will make up their own facts if you don’t start talking. Get in the fray.
Tip #7 - think of the “evergreen” questions people will ask. Start there.
Tip #8 - give your “dreaded question” some thought too. That builds confidence.
Tip #9 - it won’t be perfect but folks are likely to cut you slack if you try to fix it.
TIP # 10 | Every time you have a tough talk, you need a messaging plan.
This isn't going to be a lengthy post. That's all I really want to say. But I’ll repeat myself a couple more times to make sure you take me seriously.
Don't be bullied into starting the conversation until you've decided what you want to say. That's crucial.
Here’s why; it’s not just a conversation. It’s an opportunity to deliver messages that solve a problem and achieve a desired outcome.
“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail,” Benjamin Franklin.
Whether you're addressing your employees about a weighty matter at work, presenting to your board about some difficult news, giving a media interview about a sticky issue, or simply calling your neighbor about the sagging fence between your properties, you need a plan so that you’ll say what you want to say no matter what happens.
Arriving at what to say is done by developing messages, which we'll get to next, but for now I just want to make the point that you must have a plan.
Raise your right hand and repeat the words, “I promise to have a messaging plan before I have a Tough Talk.”
Know which problem you need to solve, what outcome you want and then design your messaging to support those goals.
Did I already mention that you need a plan? Don't start talking until you have one.
See, I told you this would be a short post.
Now you’re ready for Tip #11 - click here for a link. Every word should be carefully chosen based on how well it solves the problem you face and gets it behind you. Make it simple but strategic.
Great advice. Sometimes I feel like I might be overthinking it if I script out my response exactly, but on the other hand I don't want to show up unprepared or leave out key points. It sounds like a good approach might be to have the messaging plan in the form of key bullet points.