Choose Words Carefully

Choose your words carefully because everyone, particularly the people looking up to you as leadership, are going to hang on every word. They are going to listen, remember, and take notes on everything you say.

Let's not forget that we are in a world where recorders, both video and audio, are all over the place, and most people carry them in their pocket. All of these people are going to remember exactly what you said even if you don’t. If you think you said something one way and you meant it another they are going to have it recorded to look back.

We also have to be cognizant of the fact that some people are going to take your words differently than what you had imagined. You may say certain words or phrases that you believe mean certain things, but based on other people's experiences, knowledge, and education they are going to take your words in a completely different direction than what you might have meant.  You have to be incredibly aware of how you said it.

One great way of doing this is making sure that people understood you. Ask them for clarification. Ask them to repeat what you said. Ask them what they think you meant. Getting this feedback is going to help ensure that you got the message across. It is also going to give you great feedback to know how you're speaking to them, how they are listening to you, and whether or not you need to begin to adjust your messaging.