“I’ve made a huge tiny mistake” – Gob, Arrested Development

Lets talk a little bit more about communication and what the business world could learn from the military. I specifically want to talk about CLARITY.

I want to talk about two tools that the military uses (and of course some other organizations too) to make sure everyone is clear.

The first tool is the “back brief”….you may have heard it said, “tell me what I just told you”…maybe you have said this to your kids. Normalize this in your organization when giving direction, it is amazing how many times what you wanted to convey was not understood by your team…this will help you start to communicate better, and also give you and opportunity to address any misunderstandings before they go any further.

The second tool is the rehearsal…when groups need to be coordinated this is a terrific tool. I can feel a little silly at first, but uncovers a lot of issues and helps everyone when it is time. You wouldn’t want to see a band play who had never rehearsed, or attend a wedding that was just “winging” it…when this tool is appropriate make sure your performance is spot on as well…Rehearse.