Tailor the Message

2 weeks back I had a catch-up with a team member. We discussed a host of things & then the conversation treaded towards future opportunities for the individual. While I had a perspective & a way forward in my mind, I hadn’t clearly articulated it for myself, & more importantly hadn’t refined the messaging in a way that would resonate with the individual. While the cucumbers, tomatoes & lettuce was there, the dressing was missing from the salad. Both felt something was amiss from the growth path conversation & agreed to defer it by a week so we were better prepared.

Last week I had a chat with someone quite senior, and I ended up discussing what was top of my mind. The conversation was well intended, aimed at providing an update of where we were & possible options to solve for it. After the impromptu discussion I come away feeling that it wasn’t impactful.

Sometimes, we are so eager to communicate what’s on our mind that we don’t wait to prepare for the conversation or get drawn into it. Irrespective of how experienced we maybe, every conversation requires mindful preparation. 2 things can help
- Define what you want to achieve from it- status update, instructions, brainstorming, etc.
- Tailor your messaging style to what resonates well with your audience