Many communication problems begin before anyone says a word.
They begin with an assumption.
We assume people know what we know.
We assume they care about what we care about.
We assume they understand why a decision was made.
We assume they know what we expect them to do next.
And sometimes, we assume that because nobody objected, everybody agreed.
Those assumptions can create confusion, resistance, and misalignment, even when our intentions are good.
One of the simplest ways to communicate more effectively is to ask before you assume.
The Curse of Knowing Too Much
The more familiar you are with a topic, the easier it is to forget what it feels like not to know what you know.
You may have been working on an initiative for six months. Your audience may be hearing about it for the first time.
You may understand all the background behind a decision. They may only see the decision itself.
You may know why the change is necessary. They may be wondering, Why are we doing this? Why now? And what does this mean for me?
When we skip over those questions because the answers seem obvious to us, we create gaps in understanding.
And those gaps often get filled with assumptions of someone else’s making.
Ask Before You Explain
Before an important presentation, meeting, announcement, or change initiative, ask a few questions.
For example:
What concerns you most?
What do you think people might misunderstand?
What questions are you already hearing?
What does this audience already know?
What matters most to them?
The answers may change what you emphasize, how you explain it, or how much detail you provide.
Sometimes the most important communication work happens before the communication itself.
Silence Is Not the Same as Agreement
One of the easiest assumptions to make is that no objection means agreement.
It may not.
People may be confused.
They may disagree but not feel comfortable saying so.
They may think the decision has already been made and their input does not matter.
Or they may simply be waiting to see what happens next.
That is why asking for questions is often not enough.
“How does this land with you?”
“What concerns do you still have?”
“What would make this difficult to implement?”
Those questions invite a more useful response than, “Any questions?”
Curiosity Improves Clarity
Leaders often think of communication as a delivery skill.
It is partly that.
But effective communication begins with curiosity.
Curiosity about what people know.
Curiosity about what they need.
Curiosity about what they may be worried about.
Curiosity about what they heard, not just what you intended to say.
The goal is not to predict every reaction. The goal is to avoid communicating from a set of untested assumptions.
The Easiest Assumption to Correct
The easiest assumption to correct is the one you discover before you communicate.
A few questions upfront can save hours of clarification later.
They can also help you make your message more relevant, more concise, and more likely to lead to action.
Because communication is not complete when you have said what you wanted to say.
It is complete when people understand what it means and know what happens next.
I recently discussed Ask Before You Assume, along with four other strategies for keeping stakeholders aligned, heard, and engaged, in my Masters of Communication interview with Authority Magazine.
Before your next important communication, ask yourself one question:
What am I assuming about this audience that might be worth checking?