Summarizing the feedback I received during my consulting days, it boils down to these seven points. I didn't worry too much about being perfectly MECE, but I wrote them with a focus on real-world application, so they should be easy to put into practice.
1. Don't obsess over "starting with the conclusion"
- Many books say "start with the conclusion," but this advice is half right and half wrong. For bosses or colleagues you interact with daily, starting with the conclusion is smoother because you share the same context.
- However, if you start with a conclusion for someone with a different level of knowledge or background, they won't understand. If you suddenly tell a high-level executive you only see once a month, "Conclusion: I want to introduce Tool A," they'll just think, "Wait, what are we talking about?"
- High-level executives receive reports from dozens or hundreds of people. Your project is just 1/100th of their day. Starting abruptly with just the conclusion only confuses them.
- If you tell someone with zero IT literacy, "We should increase users for the latest Lightning Experience on Salesforce," they simply won't get it. They lack the prerequisite knowledge to understand the conclusion.
- The bottom line: Start with the conclusion for those who share the context. For those who don't, share the context first.
- By the way, using the phrase "To state the conclusion..." is uncool. Just answer the conclusion directly. When I was a new grad, a client told me, "I see you're still at the phase where you need that phrase as a crutch to speak conclusion-first. Good luck with that." It's in my top 10 most embarrassing moments.
2. Distinguish between facts and opinions
- Mixing facts and opinions makes your story incomprehensible to the listener.
- If a boss asks, "Did the client decide to buy?" and you say, "Yeah, I think it'll be fine," the boss gets frustrated because they don't know if the deal is actually closed.
- Separate what the customer reacted (fact) from how you felt (opinion). Say: "The customer said they would 'consider it internally' (fact). I believe the probability of closing is high (opinion)."
- Collecting facts is often undervalued, but it's incredibly valuable. Especially when you're young and lack experience, people might not listen to your opinions, so win them over with facts.
- Once, I consolidated survey results from 47 prefectures into a single format for a government project. The client was extremely grateful. Doing the "gritty work" like manual tabulation can build the trust needed to be entrusted with "cool, big jobs."
- However, if you don't include an opinion, executives will just ask, "So what?"
- You should present three things: whether you are for or against, how you interpreted the facts, and what action should be taken next. This is the secret to clear and convincing communication.
3. Analyze the listener's Head, Heart, and Gut beforehand
- Head: What do they know, and what don't they know?
- Heart: Are they positive or negative toward this proposal? For or against?
- Gut: What do they prioritize? What are they worried about?
- Grasping these three brings you closer to communication where the listener feels comfortable hearing what they need to hear.
4. Speak in short sentences
- In my first year, I was told: "Someone who uses long sentences is a fool who speaks without organizing their thoughts. What do you think other people's time is for?"
- Using "...so," or "...but," makes sentences long and mixes logic, making it hard to follow. Most people don't have the reading comprehension of a top-tier exam taker.
- The rule is "one conjunction per sentence." I still strictly follow this.
- Some people end sentences vaguely. Be decisive. Even if you're worried about being seen as pushy, saying "It is X" clearly prevents misunderstandings.
5. Don't force an immediate answer; take a breath
- When asked an unexpected question, people often panic and give a nonsensical answer just to respond quickly. This is a trap.
- Use the "Fast and Slow" thinking concepts. Fast thinking is intuitive (e.g., saying "Yum!" when eating). Slow thinking is logical and requires effort.
- If you can't answer, your Fast thinking is active while Slow thinking is lazy. To activate Slow thinking, ask for a moment. I've asked for "10 seconds" in meetings many times, and no one has ever been annoyed. It allows you to give a calm, logical answer.
6. Show the "Table of Contents" early
- Nothing is more stressful than a story with no end in sight. Not knowing where the conversation is going is incredibly irritating for managers.
- People who are easy to listen to are either Steve Jobs-level presenters or people who show the "overall picture/table of contents" first. Anyone can do the latter.
- Simply declare: "There are 3 points," or "I will explain the incident, cause, and solution in that order."
- Training 1: Note down "1, 2, 3" on a notepad before going to talk to someone.
- Training 2: When asked a question, try saying "There are three points" first. Think of the 2nd and 3rd points while speaking the 1st. It will be messy at first, but keep at it for three months.
7. Speak only what the listener wants to hear
- The previous six tips are all rooted in this seventh one.
- The worst thing you can do is "speak what you want to say in the order it comes to mind." That's just selfish.
- The most important principle is "Speak what the listener wants to hear, in the order they want to hear it."
- If you understand this, you'll realize the true meaning of "conclusion." It's not "what I want to convey most," but "what the listener wants to know most." Misunderstanding this definition is why communication errors happen even when you think you're starting with the conclusion.
