Kellen Wilkes offered this simple definition of communication: “Communication is the effective transfer of information between individuals that results in a commonly shared understanding of the issues at hand.”

Simple enough.

Easier said than done.

Alan Greenspan, former Federal Reserve chairman, at age 62 before speaking on the economy to the 323rd meeting of the Economic Club of New York said: “I guess I should warn you, if I turn out to be particularly clear, you’ve probably misunderstood what I’ve said.”

Effective communication is complicated. In its simplest form, there are three answers I need to answer:

What Do I Want People to Know?

Leaders must be crystal clear on the information they deliver and never leave information, directions, or expectations up for interpretation.

My wife and I recently returned from vacation on a late-night flight. Our son-in-law agreed to bring our car to the airport and leave it in the parking ramp.

Josh sent me a text with pictures and explicit directions to the car. His directions simply read: take the walkway that’s the farthest down (north most) into the parking garage. On the 3rd level in the garage, take a right and walk toward the spiral exit (to the north). Your car is then just a few spots west of the spiral exit.

Unfortunately, his intent and my interpretation were not the same and I wandered aimlessly in the parking garage looking for our vehicle. Side note: it was 5 degrees above zero with 30-mile-an-hour wind. Cold!

I learned that delivering clear, succinct directions is sometimes much easier than interpreting them. Always remember this valuable insight: A message sent is only as good as the receiver’s perception of it.

Secondly, What Do I Want People to Feel? We often forget to appeal to people’s emotions. To appeal to their heart.

Do I want people to feel challenged, encouraged, inspired, or just informed?

What is the best way to touch those emotions?

Finally, What Do I Want People to Do? Just because you said it, doesn’t mean they heard it, comprehended it, believe it, or plan to do anything with it.

Several years ago, a seasoned plumber wrote to the U.S. Bureau of Standards promoting a few acceptable procedures for cleaning pipes. The bureau replied: “The efficiency of the recommended solution is completely undisputed. However, there is an inherent incompatibility between the aforementioned solution and the basic chemical structures of the commonly used materials in current household and commercial pipeworks.”

The plumber immediately wrote back saying, “Thanks, I really liked it, too.”

Within a few days, the bureau responded with another letter: “Don’t use hydrochloride acid! It eats holes in pipes!”

Know. Feel. Do. Be Clear!

Questions to Ponder:

Set up an agenda for your next team meeting. Ask:

What Do I Want People to Know?

What Do I Want People to Feel?

What Do I Want People to Do?

Organize the conversation around this information.