The best communication style is the one that works.

People love to talk about the importance of communication – me included. There are a lot of tips and tricks you’ll see online about how to communicate most effectively, like:

• only go to meetings with a set agenda,

• save the status updates for email/Slack, and use meetings for collaborating instead, and

• have async pre-work before meetings so that you just spend the meeting time discussing.

And this is all good advice! But nothing trumps the ultimate communication trick: you should communicate in way that works the best for the other person.

It sounds incredibly stupid, but many don’t do it! What it means is:

1. Consider who you need to work with and how they like to give and receive information, then

2. give them information in the format that they like the best.

It doesn’t matter how well-written your email is if you’re sending it to someone who doesn’t read their emails. It doesn’t matter how well-designed your async workshop is if your participants never do homework. And it doesn’t matter how well-articulated your argument is if you need to convince someone who needs time to read and process things in their own time.

How do you figure out which communication methods work? Well, you could:

1. Ask them, or

2. observe them.

Some people are really self-aware and will be able to tell you quickly which communication styles work the best for them. (But, in my experience, people who can do this are also usually not the problem.)

For most people you work with, you’ll need time working with them to notice what works and what doesn’t. When you notice something doesn’t work, try switching up how you communicate with them.

And if you can’t totally change the way you communicate (eg. you need an email trail), you can add a supplementary communication method to make sure they get what they need.

Psst… did you notice the brand new “listen online” link at the top of this email? It turns each post into a mini-podcast for those of you who prefer it!