One reason your team is confused...
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One of my clients, a brilliant deep tech founder, was frustrated. He had been out of the office for a conference and when he got back, he was hearing that the team was confused and treading water, not sure what the priorities were. Can you relate? It’s a perennial issue I see with founders. “What were the ‘top three’ for this week?” I asked him. As soon as he started to tell me, I understood the issue. He spoke in winding sentences, thinking out loud, without much emphasis. I tried to take notes but it was 4 pm, my ability to process information was slowing down and, even though it wasn’t particularly technical, I got lost trying to follow. Here's something the best leaders do:They minimize the cognitive strain of communication.Your team is taking in information — trying to separate noise from signal — all day. And long, run-on sentences are hard to understand. They’re mentally draining and demand more concentration. One quick way to create stronger signal? Short, punchy sentences. So if someone tunes out and misses what you said, they can jump back in and find another handhold. There'll be a new punchy sentence starting soon. BEFORE "The second thing is linear product progress on the demo for our delivery. Well, I guess it's the delivery, delivery to the trade show in mid-September. And so the design and fabrication...design done and fabrication plans done for that demo." AFTER “Priority #2: Trade show in September! This week's goal: finalize design and fabrication plans for the demo.” Of course, clear communication is not just about sentence length. It's also about:
Which starts with clear, objective thinking on your part. Which of these do you wish I talked about more? Love, Renita p.s. These are the types of leadership challenges I workshop with my founder clients. If you want to accelerate your progress in Q3, schedule a call here and let's see if we're a good fit. |
Renita Kalhorn | The High-EQ Founder
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