Communication Compass

Focus and practise

My focus

This is the default focus. Complete the assessment and it will rebuild around your development priority.

Pace · Focus

Choose one real moment this week where you can try the behaviour.

A single planned moment is easier to keep than a general intention.

01 · What matters now

Week 1 · Notice

Notice the current behaviour and the situations that trigger it.

Point first

Small behaviour
Start every update with one sentence that says the headline.
Practise at work
Rewrite the top of three work messages so the ask is in the first line.
Reflection prompt
Which message needed the most editing, and why?
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02 · The pathway

30 days to sharper, clearer messages

A four-week development cycle: notice, try, ask and adjust.

Week 1 · Notice

Current

Point first

Notice the current behaviour and the situations that trigger it.

Small behaviour
Start every update with one sentence that says the headline.
Practise at work
Rewrite the top of three work messages so the ask is in the first line.
Reflection prompt
Which message needed the most editing, and why?

Week 2 · Try

Cut the jargon

Try one small behaviour in a real workplace situation.

Small behaviour
Replace one acronym or internal term per message with plain words.
Practise at work
Read one message aloud before sending and remove anything you would not say out loud.
Reflection prompt
Where did simpler language change how people responded?

Week 3 · Ask

Close the loop

Ask a colleague how the behaviour landed.

Small behaviour
End every thread with owner, action and date.
Practise at work
Run one meeting where the last two minutes are only next steps.
Reflection prompt
Did fewer follow-up questions come back to you?

Week 4 · Adjust

Say it in 60 seconds

Repeat the behaviour, adjust it and record what changed.

Small behaviour
Prepare a one-minute version of anything you present.
Practise at work
Give a 60-second verbal update in a team meeting with no slides.
Reflection prompt
What did you drop, and did anyone miss it?

03 · Reflect

Your weekly check-in

Short honest notes are more useful than long ones.

Your check-in log

No check-ins yet. Your first one will appear here.

04 · Supporting detail

If you want more practice ideas

Optional support. The weekly behaviour above is the main thing.

One micro-practice for each dimension. Each takes under ten minutes and fits inside a normal working day.

Clarity

5 min

The one-line headline

  1. Take your next update and write it in one sentence.
  2. Put the ask in that sentence.
  3. Everything else becomes optional detail below.

Listening

3 min

Summarise before you speak

  1. In your next conversation, wait until the other person finishes.
  2. Say 'so what I heard is...' and repeat their point.
  3. Only then give your view.

Audience awareness

8 min

Two versions

  1. Pick one message you sent this week.
  2. Rewrite it for a senior leader in three lines.
  3. Note what you removed and why.

Constructive challenge

4 min

The shared-goal opener

  1. Write down the goal you and the other person share.
  2. Write your concern as a risk to that goal.
  3. Add one alternative you would support.

Feedback

5 min

Behaviour, impact, ask

  1. Name the specific behaviour you observed.
  2. Describe the impact it had on the work.
  3. Ask one question, then agree a next step.

Influence

5 min

Stakeholder map in five minutes

  1. List the three people who affect your decision.
  2. Write one sentence on what each of them cares about.
  3. Pick one to speak to before the meeting.

Next: Improve

When you have practised and reflected over about 30 days, reassess and compare against your baseline.

See my progress