George Bernard Shaw Said;

The greatest problem with communication is the illusion that it has been accomplished

An organization’s goal can only be achieved if it is clearly communicated. However, communication, as George Shaw pointed out, can be tricky. It goes beyond simply typing out a memo and distributing it among employees or hammering it out on your computer early in the morning, sending emails to inform your employees of a new agenda or plan for the business.

This is what most often passes as communication. But there is a lot more to the act than simply dispensing information. While it is true that communication begins with the sharing of information, the quality of the information should equally be considered.

Steve Jobs was an astounding Tech entrepreneur. But his fame wasn’t from his amazing tech skills. Wozniak, who co-founded Apple alongside Jobs, noted that Jobs wasn’t so good at the engineering aspects of things, so he had to find other areas to make himself “important” in the company.

Jobs eventually settled on becoming a great marketer and went on to polish his communication skills. Here is what Wozniak had to say about that;

Being the main communicator and main business decider of things. He was very good at [that]. [Jobs’s] skills as a communicator and salesperson helped Apple successfully market products like the iPhone......Steve Wozniak

Many entrepreneurs and founders would downplay the relevance of communication while chasing other aspects of leadership. However, if you are to lead effectively, you must start by learning how to communicate. This is as simple as ABC.

• A - Accuracy
• B - Brevity
• C - Clarity

Accuracy -

‍The first step to great communication is ensuring the message is free of errors. Do a fact-check, like the saying goes, the devil is in the details. How you fact-check information will depend on the source as well as the type of information to be communicated. Highly technical information may require an expert to spot the errors. Aside from technical errors, there could also be typographical errors which are common in emails.

Brevity -

When you have confirmed that there are no errors, then it’s time to eliminate fluffs. Keep it Simple, Stupid, a principle often applied to designs, can also be applied in communication. If it is not relevant to the point you are trying to make, then it doesn’t need to be said.

Clarity -

Excess words may make for good oratory but could complicate communication by making it seem more ambiguous than it is. Ambiguity can result in misinterpretation or difficulty understanding what was communicated. This will also lead to all sorts of errors and mistakes. A leader’s priority, then, should be to ensure the message is as clear as possible.

Case Study

“As one of the first to enter the field of office automation, Sagatec Software, Inc. had built a reputation for designing high-quality and user-friendly database and accounting programs for business and industry. When they decided to enter the word-processing market, their engineers designed an effective, versatile, and powerful program that Sagatec felt sure would outperform any competitor.

To be sure that their new word-processing program was accurately documented, Sagatec asked the senior program designer to supervise writing the instruction manual. The result was a thorough, accurate and precise description of every detail of the program’s operation.

When Sagatec began marketing its new word processor, cries for help flooded in from office workers who were so confused by the massive manual that they couldn’t even find out how to get started. Then several business journals reviewed the program and judged it “too complicated” and “difficult to learn.” After an impressive start, sales of the new word processing program plummeted.

Sagatec eventually put out a new, clearly written training guide that led new users step by step through introductory exercises and told them how to find commands quickly. But the rewrite cost Sagatec $350,000, a year’s lead in the market, and its reputation for producing easy-to-use business software.”

(Source)

Conclusion

Communicating effectively is as simple as ABC. The value of good communication is tenfold. Communication helps in building team spirit and confidence among employees, as well as minimizing errors due to miscommunication. It also helps in building the reputation of the business through transparency and customer satisfaction. For this reason. Learning to communicate is among the topmost skills required of any business owner or founder.

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