Communicating and Influencing
Concepts
Communication items reward audience-first thinking: what does this person need to know, in what form, and what do I want them to do? Know channel choice (a difficult message deserves a conversation, not an email); plain language; two-way communication (checking understanding, inviting questions); influencing through evidence and shared objectives rather than authority; stakeholder mapping (who decides, who influences, who is affected); and handling confidential or sensitive information appropriately.
Traps. Mass email used to avoid a hard conversation; jargon and length as a substitute for clarity; assuming a message sent is a message received; over-promising to keep someone happy; and 'tell a senior person to sort it out' as a substitute for influencing. In influencing questions, the credited approach is usually to understand the other party's priorities first, then frame your case in their terms, backed by evidence and a clear ask.
Rule of thumb. Before any significant communication, write one sentence stating what you want the audience to know, feel and do. If you cannot, the message is not ready. Match channel to stakes: high stakes and strong feeling means a conversation (in person or by call) with a short written follow-up.
Worked example. Another team's delays are affecting your work. Weak: email their manager listing their failures. Weak: say nothing and absorb the impact. Strong: speak to the team lead, ask what is driving their timescales, explain the impact on the shared deadline with one or two concrete examples, propose a specific adjustment, and confirm the agreement in writing.