Quick recap from part 1: Our conversations are covered in grid squares. Guide your audience into the right place but don’t go deeper than you (and they) need.
Let’s keep this analogy going.
- Be deliberate about the type of grid coordinate conversation you’re going into. If you want to go into 8-or 10-digit details, carefully plan and research the right information beforehand. If you’re trying to stay broad with 4 or 6 digits, control the conversation and don’t let detailed sidebars detract from your main point.
- Sometimes, we have to step back and make sure our audience is on the same map as us. Are we both talking about the same topic? Don’t let assumptions go unspoken or unacknowledged.
- Consider your audience’s land navigation background. Do they dead reckon straight to the target? Do they prefer to use terrain association to learn information, by referring to information they already trust and understand? Activate the right reference points.
- When you must drop into 8- or 10-digit conversations, don’t forget you still need the first couple digits’ context. The details we sling out won’t do any good if the framework isn’t there. Details without purpose and context lead to miscommunication. Never skimp on “why.”
- “Pace count” is the number of steps it takes one person to walk 100 meters, and everyone’s got their own. Know your own pace count and communication tendencies, but recognize your audiences’ will be different, and adjust accordingly.
- Check your azimuth often. Confirm understanding and adjust when you’re going off course. Back the conversation up to known landmarks when you must. Slight misdirections or miscommunications early can leave you wildly off course 2,000 meters from your start point.
(Photo by Lance Cpl. Shane Manson, DVIDS)
