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Part I: Honing Your Communication Skills
Communicating with
a Clear Intention
The best communicators communicate with intention. They
know what they want to accomplish and they’re willing to do
what they need to do in order to achieve their goals. Before
they open their mouths they set themselves a purpose or plan,
something to aim for. Having visualised a desired outcome,
they communicate in ways that resonate with their listeners.
(Chapter 4 explores how to listen for understanding, and
Chapter 5 addresses connecting with listeners.)
When you know what you want to achieve and your message
is focused and stated so that your listener can relate to it –
rather than being confused or threatened – you can communicate
with confidence and composure. With intention you gain
control of your goals as well as your conversations. To quote
Ralph Waldo Emerson, ‘A good intention clothes itself with
power.’
Here are some possible intentions that you may have when
speaking:
✓ Establishing rapport
✓ Communicating respect
✓ Delivering value to enhance the lives of your clients,
colleagues, friends or family members
✓ Changing a conflicting atmosphere into a co-operative one
✓ Overcoming your listeners’ hesitancy to accept your ideas
✓ Offering reassurance
✓ Gaining information
✓ Selling an idea, concept or yourself
✓ Giving and receiving feedback
Your intention gives your communication direction and
determines the outcome.
In this section I share some tips on speaking assertively, getting
your meaning clear and committing to it: in other words,
saying what you mean and meaning what you say.