8/14/2019 Communicate Better. Get Results

1/28 Leaders Edge Disclosures March/April

I wish I could have said that anotherway.

I wish I could take back what Isaid. That wasnt what I meant!

I did not catch a word you justsaid!

I youve ever been on the giving orreceiving end o one o these responses,youve just uncovered the biggest prob-lem with communication. It involves two(or more) people!

There is also a our-step process thatsessential to communication. Any eec-tively delivered and understood messagemust be:

Constructed in the brain o the1.initiator.Formulated and delivered in a2.ashion so that the original inor-mation makes it rom thought tophysical message.Heard by the recipient.3.Interpreted so that the intended4.

message can be processed, and inecessary, acted upon.

During this our-step processthere are lots o things that can go

wrong. The communicator mightnot say what was intended.(Gee, that didnt sound theway I wanted.) The recipi-ent might tune out. (Sorry,I wasnt listening I waschecking my e-mail.)

Here are some easy ways

to communicate better and get the results you want!

Take ownershipCommunication breakdowns oten

occur in the ourth part o the process the recipient did not interpret the messagethe way it was intended. (You never toldme THAT!)

A common response is to blame therecipient, but i you want to be a results-

based communicator, and i you caremore about the execution o eectivecommunication than the blame o ine-

ective communication, you must takeownership or ALL FOUR PARTS o theprocess.

Thats right! You must ensure theother person interprets your message cor-rectly. This is not easy because, well, youhave no control over their brain.

This may be very difcult. It may takepatience. It may take a lot o resolve.What it really takes is a leader. Leaderscommunicate messages that get results!Leaders realize that without step Nos. 3

and 4 in the communication process, therst two steps mean nothing.

Be wary of accounting lingoAccountants have an additional

challenge. We are part o a technicalproession. We are tasked with interpret-ing and communicating the language o

business. We deal with a lot o numbers,but we also deal with theories, principles,methods and gray areas. We use a loto acronyms, abbreviations and technical

jargon. We communicate with other ac-

countants, but we also communicate withnon-accountants lawyers, executivesand other proessionals who may not beversed in our lingo.

Many times, i you want others tocorrectly interpret your message, youmust think and communicate like a non-accountant!

Set your intentionsYou must become more intentional

about planning your important messages.

LeadersEdge

Communicate better. Get results.

By Brian Kush, CPA, CISA, CITP

Tips for becoming a results-based communicator and cutting through the mental clutter

Leaders Edge is a six-part Disclosures column by Brian Kush, CPA,

CISA, CITP, focusing on management, leadership and interpersonal

skills essential for CPAs. Brian is a featured VSCPA speaker who travels

the state offering in-house CPE courses. Want to learn more or book

Brian for your rm or company? Contact VSCPA Customized Education

Manager Lydia Sartori at lsartori@vscpa.com or (804) 612-9425.

If you want others to

correctly interpret

your message, youmust think and

communicate like a

non-accountant!

8/14/2019 Communicate Better. Get Results

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What is the best medium to use? E-mail,text message, voicemail, a live phone callor a ace-to-ace meeting?

Some messages may lend themselvesbetter to certain media. I you are ringsomeone, e-mail may not be the best wayto do it. I you are relaying to someonea long list o instructions theyll need to

complete a task, a voicemail is probably aninefcient way to do that.But the most important consideration

when deciding what medium to use incrating and delivering your message issimple: Consider the recipient! Whatis the best medium to use so the RE-CIPIENT has the best chance to hear andinterpret your message? Its all about thereceiver!

There was an old Seineld episodein which Jerry lamented about how anyrental car company can take a reserva-

tion. But its the holding o the reserva-tion that really matters.

Well, anyone can just send a message.It is easy to just start talking, texting ore-mailing. It is the delivery and correctinterpretation o your message that leadsto results.

Too many accountants get caught upin their message, their interpretation oan issue or their desire to demonstratemastery o an accounting issue andthereore we talk too much like techies.

We throw out the latest accounting jargonand make the assumption that those listen-ing understand it just as we do.

This problem is easy to x. We need totalk like the specic audience hears. It isnot about dumbing down your message.It is quite the opposite. It is about makingit more eective! Many times, that meanssimpliying your message. And all the timeit means holding an active conversation inwhich you conrm their understanding!

You have probably worked with someeective communicators. Do they thrive

in using technical jargon? No, they thrivein simpliying their message just enoughso that you and others understand it. Theythrive based on simplicity and clarity.

Results-based communicators takeextra time to ensure recipients un-derstand their messages:

They ask questions to ensure under-standing such as: Did that make sense?Did I say that clearly? They ask THEM-

SELVES a question ahead o time:How will this person best receive mymessage?

They use tools such as metaphors andanalogies (i needed). Does the recipi-ent like sports? I so, maybe a sportsanalogy will be useul in a certain

conversation. Was the recipient on an-other project where something similaroccurred? I so, maybe reerring backto that situation will help that light bulbgo o in understanding the currentsituation and message.

Results-based communicators in-tentionally design their importantrelationships by getting feedback ontheir communication effectiveness:

Tell me about our communicationlevels. How are we doing?

Have I been too direct and short inmy instructions? Too elaborate anddetailed? How?

Are there certain media you preer? Ithe matter is urgent, what should wedo?

Do you have any ideas on how we canensure we are communicating eec-tively so we both clearly understandour responsibilities?

You arent telling them how theySHOULD listen to you. You are showingthem that you want to hear how you can

best COMMUNICATE with them basedon their input. How motivating would it

be i all o the colleagues we work withthe most took this approach? How muchmore efcient would our communications

be i we invested in our relationships thisway?

Soliciting eedback can hold an ad-ditional benet. It tells the other personyou care enough about your relationshipto make a personal investment in it. Thequestions above are mostly open ended,which means you are asking or their inputand their answers.

These types o questions dont assume.They dont pre-judge. They dont dictatehow it should be.

They do invite. They do seek to un-cover. They do demonstrate a desire orteamwork.

They communicate an important mes-sage: The way we interact is important.They may communicate an additional,powerul message: YOU ARE IMPOR-TANT. Better results will ollow!

Leaders Edge Disclosures March/April 9

RemembeR this!

If there is one thing you take

away from this article, its this:

If you want to be a bettercommunicator, focus your

attention on the other person

and how they, as the unique

individual(s) they are, will

RECEIVE your message best.

Make it about them. Not you!

If you are not sure how, shock

them! Awe them! Surprise

them! How do you do that?

Make a small investment in your

relationship. Take the time to

ask them a few questions abouteffective communication.

RemembeR this!

If there is one more thing you

take away from this article, its

this: Effective communicators

thrive on soliciting feedback.

They use feedback to strengthen

how they deliver importantmessages so the results they

want occur more often!

Brian Kush, CPA,

CISA, CITP,

is a leadership coachand president at

Moxie Partners, and

author of Auditing

Leadership

(Wiley, July 2009). Contact him

at brian@moxiepartners.com or

(571) 313-1735.