Ten Steps to Better Communication with the People You Coach

Once you’ve determined what to say, deciding how to deliver it is the logical next step. You’ll need to consider what will work best, and how to ensure it has the correct impact.

To aid the process, here’s ten things to consider prior to the moment:

1. Connect with your audience
2. Praise publicly and challenge privately
3. Don’t shout, it doesn’t help get your message across
4. Use ‘your’ kind of language: being authentic and ‘you’ is very important
5. Be specific in what you’re saying rather than speaking generally, as it ensures clarity
6. Talk about change if it is needed
7. Check for understanding: don’t leave this to the end or ask, ‘do you understand?’
8. Build from a positive message and perspective
9. Say what you want to see, not what you don’t want to see!
10. Finish with the point you want them to remember