How athletic directors can deliver clearer, stronger messages

During a session dealing with effective communication at a professional conference, an older gentleman in the audience was overheard commenting to his friend: “I don’t know what I am doing in this presentation. After all, I’ve been talking since around the age of 2 or 3. I think I have it pretty well mastered by now.”

While he may have been speaking for many years, it doesn’t mean he was automatically or actually effective. There is no correlation between the number or years of speaking and effectiveness.

The process of communication is actually fairly simple because it involves only four elements: a sender, a receiver, a message and feedback. 

Challenges can occur with each element. For example, the message may be poorly constructed and fraught with mistakes, or the receiver might be distracted and not focused. Also, your delivery or tone may be a major problem as the sender.

To be effective, you must control what you can, including your message and delivery. While it is helpful to understand the background, possible biases and limitations of your audience, this is one element you can’t completely control.

However, recognize that in your position, you will communicate with a number of constituents — student-athletes, coaches, parents, teachers, administrators and colleagues. While the message might essentially be the same, they are all unique groups with different needs.

Regardless of who you are trying to communicate with, consider the following:

• Use the three C’s of effective communication: clear, concise and correct. While this advice and approach likely emanated from the corporate world, these three words should ensure you are more effective. More recently, “consistent,” “considerate” and others have been added for a total of seven or eight cues starting with the letter “C.” Try to use all of them and you should see positive results.
• Utilize the journalistic cues of who, what, when, where, why, which and how. These prompts have long been used by reporters because the resulting answers are what audiences need to understand the content. With improved understanding, there is better comprehension and then application of the material.
• Choose your words carefully, whether in a written or verbal message. Each one has power; they can help, enhance or encourage or they can also degrade and create barriers.  The expression “Think before you speak” (or write) is a maxim to live by. 
• Always plan and organize your message and avoid off-the-cuff remarks or comments. There should be a natural, logical flow to your delivery, whether with written material or with a presentation. Remember, time is often limited as a professional, and this also refers back to being concise and to the point.
• Be careful using humor. While it can be helpful to engage your audience and to maintain their attention, it can also be tricky. Since humor is not universal, what is funny or amusing to some might not be for others. When in doubt, it is best to avoid it. Also, sarcasm is rarely well-received.
• Read your audience in meetings or with large presentations. If there appears to be some confusion, adjust and use a different word or provide another example. You might also want to decrease the pace of your delivery to allow for an easier reception of your message.
• Allow four or five minutes for questions at the end of a presentation and provide a link to any pertinent references and where they might find more information. Also, provide your email address for attendees to contact you with any questions that may arise days later.
• Always thank your audience for their attention, focus and energies. Even if the content is required, acknowledging their time and efforts is a good way to enhance your working relationship.
• Actively and attentively listen to any feedback or reactions to your message. This is a vital step to determine what should be possibly changed or improved upon in the future.  
• Lastly, use as many platforms as possible — memos, meetings, websites, social media, newsletters, email and text messages — to reach a variety of constituents. Some approaches work better than others. Therefore, your effectiveness increases if you use multiple, varied approaches.

Within your leadership role and handling the management process which consists of four aspects — planning, organizing, leading, and controlling — communication is absolutely essential. It ties everything together. Good, sound communication is the ultimate, essential, key ability for athletic administrators. It is that important.

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