Mastering the Message

Whether you are writing the advertising copy of your brand or that email to explain to your team why it is important to complete the project on time or telling all employees that tough times are approaching and there may be cutbacks, it’s the quality and clarity of message that can make or break the motivation.

It’s the same when you are talking, which is in many way, more difficult to control because the words have reached the listeners ears with no opportunity to delete and rephrase. One wrong word and you will probably never live it down. Like what happened to the late Tony Greig, the England captain against the West Indies when they came to tour England in 1976.

In a TV interview he, in an apparent attempt to say that his team would give their fearsome pace attack and batting line up a tough time, said he would “make them grovel”. That was what the white men made the slaves do in the coal mines up to the 19th Century and the West Indian cricketers took it as a slight.

The English team, especially Greig, were bombarded with short balls and brutal hitting through that summer and lost the series 0-3. One wrong word and it motivated the West Indians to unleash a fury that was never seen till then on cricket fields in England.

Then take what happened in April 2010. An underwater well owned and operated by the British Petroleum leaked in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of the United States, resulting in an explosion on the oil rig, killing 11 people. It was the biggest oil spill in history and took some six months to seal the crack. Other than the billions it cost in terms of lost oil, BP had to pay over $20 billion in fines and settlements.

But what really cost BP early into the disaster was what its chief executive officer said as he was hounded by the media. After several days and nights of fighting the crisis as it unfolded, he gave a statement to the media: “I am sorry. We are sorry for the massive disruption it caused their lives. There is no one who wants this over more than I do. I’d like my life back.”

That last sentence caused an uproar, especially as it had become clear that there had been management and operational carelessness by BP over the years. One statement that was never intended to hurt anyone but to explain the mental and physical pressure he was under had sent an unwanted message to the world that he was more concerned about himself than those who had lost their lives.

So yes, it is crucial that you get the words right, especially under pressure and where so many aspects of so many lives are involved. Every word has to be well-thought out, even though the normal adversity faced by the organisations are far removed from the BP disaster. But to the employee, even the smallest misfortune can be significant for him in some way. The more you craft the message with an eye for empathy, understanding and most of all clarity, the more you can mitigate any negative impact.

So, what is it that you must do to put forth a message that has clarity and is effective in achieving whatever objectives you have set yourself through that message?

It must be consistent

You will definitely be communicating on more than one platform. There can be an email and there can be that informal conversation in the corridor with a couple of those impacted or involved.

Find a key word or phrase that best encapsulates what you say and use it everywhere whether formal or informal. You see in good advertising strategies that there is a single line or phrase that is used in every medium, whether television, print or radio and now especially in the social media.

When the message is consistent it builds trust among those the message is intended for which leads to credibility and believability.

Be concise and clear

Be as brief as possible. Do not overstretch it no matter how much you believe that you need to explain everything. The people have short attention and reading spans. It has become even shorter today due to social media apps where you need to say or read a lot.

Also, avoid any jargon or beat about the bush. Use simple words that everyone at every level can understand. Do not use metaphors or jargons. Speak or write as you would explain to a six-year-old. That does not mean you are denigrating the senses of the adults you are communicating to; just that you are keeping it simple. Remember just because someone can be a graduate does not mean s/he has superior comprehending skills.

Here it’s important to note that you must be aware if the profile of the people you are sending the message to, from what language do they comprehend better to their mindsets (for instance are they suspicious of management).

Be honest

In fact that is the first thing you should adopt when you are composing a message or talking to someone about it. Sure you can be less brutal about the bad news but you must give the reason why it is happening to the extent you can without transcending legal or confidential limits.

Above all, start with being honest to yourself on why you want to write or say whatever it is you want to communicate. If you are selfish and ant to hide some facts that can be harmful to you personally, believe me you will be found out sooner or later.

So, if you want the message to be well-received be selfless. For instance, if you want to communicate that an important project that would have benefitted some employees has to be shelved and you want to give a reason, be very sure you are not protecting your own faults here. That does not mean you mention your faults, in particular, but do not put the blame on your team even if they were at fault in some way.

Then be honest with the adverse impact if you do not take the decision and explain what those can be. Be sure that even if you talk to a different audience later on that the same reasons are given, as they are sure to reach your team through the grapevine.

Refer to data

There is always some statistic or calculation or a rough calculation or assumption related to the message you are imparting. Give that in your talk or email. It introduces a sense of reality into the message and makes it more believable and reliable.

For instance, if you are the spokesperson for a public utility and giving a media release on why service was disrupted, give data on how many households were affected, how long it lasted and what has been the statistical history over a period of time. That will make the message more believable and accurate, as long as you have been truthful with the stats.

To conclude, always keep in mind that once a message goes out is there for eternity. So, make sure whatever you say or write stands the test of time.

(The writer is a corporate consultant and coach and former CEO with over 35 years of experience in leadership, building brands and organisational strategy. He now advises on business strategy, marketing, HR and media management)