"Oh, by the way ... just one more thing ..."
Often, this last minute utterance at the end of a meeting, doctor's visit or other parting-of-ways signals the beginning of authentic communication, not the end.
Examples:
Boss, nearing the end of a routine meeting:
"Oh, by the way ... just one more thing ... we are closing the Akron branch and everyone is receiving a pay cut next year ..."
Patient, nearing the end of a routine physical:
"Oh, by the way ... just one more thing ... I have been coughing up blood and I can't see out of my left eye ..."
Spouse, nearing the end of a routine dinner conversation:
"Oh, by the way ... just one more thing ... I plan to adopt 20 iguanas, change my name to Lizzie and move to a deserted island ..."
Team member, nearing the end of a routine debriefing:
"Oh, by the way ... just one more thing ... the tank of ethyl-methyl death is leaking and the warehouse staff is planning a work-stoppage ..."
Unfortunately, as more and more interactions are being held quickly and virtually (Zoom, anyone?), these lingering yet revealing utterances occur less often.
Yet, effective communication has never been more important.
- According to research conducted by Smarp, 1 out of 3 employees report that poor internal communication is why projects fail.
- I'd add that project failure pales in comparison to the widespread failure of relationships.
1 out of 3 employees report that poor internal #communication is why projects #fail.
Fortunately, adept communicators can reverse this trend.
With the right guidance, they can effectively capture, understand, and act upon these nuanced "Oh, by the way ... just one more thing ..." moments.
Los Angeles homicide detective Lieutenant Columbo Columbo (played by Peter Falk) was a popular TV character on the 1970's TV show, Columbo.
His character's attentive but unassuming demeanor picked up communication cues others missed.
For example, as he was leaving an interview, he would often say "Oh, by the way ... just one more thing ..." to solicit any unguarded comments from the interviewee.
Peter Falk as Lt. Columbo
Like the fictional detective, agile organizational leaders also understand the importance of effective yet nuanced communication.
- They also understand that effectively communicating seldom comes easily.
That's one reason why I started offering a series of simple, straightforward, and impactful guide books for teams seeking to improve communication at every level for virtually any interaction.
Users of the guidebooks (individually or the whole bundle) benefit from:
- Step-by-Step Guidance in every e-book
- Real-world application (not academic theory)
- Immediately actionable strategies
- Experienced Insights and reinforcement
So, if you or someone in your network is ready to benefit from better communication, I invite you to check out the current bundle of available guides ... and start improving your communication immediately.
Click the image below to get started.
Join other emerging leaders who are taking action by becoming better communicators. Click here to see what's included in the Communication Skills Guidebook Bundle.