Not everything good is out there on the internet. I was looking up articles about public speaking in the EBSCOhost databases via my local public library, which are available in the Libraries Linking Idaho (LiLI) Databases. I found an excellent four-page article by Robert D. Ramsey in the May 2022 issue of Supervision magazine (on pages 10 to 13) titled Achieving results with communication. Then I saw that was the third time it had been reprinted by them. It initially had appeared back in their March 2006 issue, and also was reprinted in the March 2018 and May 2019 issues. It has the following list of 20 Ways to communicate more effectively:
Say what needs to be said as plainly as possible
and as soon as you can possibly say it.
Be prepared.
Remember who you are talking to.
Stick to the truth.
Remember half-truths are also half-lies.
Check for understanding.
Don’t communicate when you are angry.
Be yourself.
Use examples.
Don’t be afraid to repeat yourself.
Remember Goldilocks.
Be consistent.
Don’t take cheap shots.
If you don’t know, say so.
Remember, shorter is better.
Give reasons for actions, not just policy references.
Know when to shut up.
Write like you talk.
Dare to be passionate.
Listen to yourself.
Dr. Ramsey has written a bunch of books, including How to Say the Right Thing Every Time (which you can find both at Amazon and Google Books). In that book he has an opposite list, titled The twenty biggest communication mistakes school leaders make and how to avoid them:
Overreliance on jargon
Walking on eggs
Bending over backward to be politically correct
Too much formality
Overgeneralization
Sermonizing
Obsfucation
Practicing dogmatism
Patronizing
Making empty threats
Whining
Grammatical or spelling errors
Lying and denying
Communication overload
Overuse of slanguage
Showing off
Being Cute
Using profanity
Overfamiliarization
Using sexual innuendos
The image was adapted from one at Wikimedia Commons
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