8 Rules for Communication

My list of rules for formal communication.

1. Make sure you’re communicating what you are trying to communicate.
   People are coming from different perspectives. Rethink what you’re about to say or read what you wrote once again. Try to see if one can understand your words in a different manner than what your thought is.
2. It has to be concrete and to the point.
   People lose attention fast. Often the best thing is to start with the point and then lay out the reasoning behind it.
3. Don’t start communicating if you’re lazy.
   In order to successfully communicate your idea, you need time (or rather a certain amount of words). Sometimes an idea can be really simple but the number of words that you have to use to communicate that idea is large. Don’t be drawn into communication by the simplicity of an idea you’re trying to explain. Consider the number of words needed to explain it.
4. Don’t talk in hypotheticals.
   Use concrete examples before going abstract.
5. Absolute precision is not a friend of good communication.
   Exactly zero ideas cover 100% of the real-life cases. A few exceptions do not overrule a generalization. Omitting details won’t make an idea less compelling.
6. Lay out the terminology first.
   Take into account the common ground between you and the people you’re trying to communicate with. Don’t assume that all the terms mean the same to everybody.
7. Walkthrough the logic of the idea.
   It’s important to state the idea as well as to explain your rationale. Don’t assume that the other party is aware of the steps that lead to your thought. Make sure they are aware of a step before you skip it.
8. Maintain the focus.
   People are generally terrible at maintaining focus. It’s like we have an inner child who is in a favorite candy store all the time. Don’t talk about the ringed worm because it reminds you of a tusk when the topic is elephant. This leaves a terrible impression on your listeners. Write all the topics down numbered, if you cannot keep it in your head. If somebody interrupts you with an off-topic, say that you will get back to that later (and, again, write it down if you find it hard to remember).

See also: Steven Pinker’s 13 rules for writing better.