What is the communication pyramid?
Paddy explains the concept of the communication pyramid and how you can use it to better manage your team.
Video transcript
A key part of your job as a manager and the leader is being able to communicate effectively with your team. We’re going to talk through one particular approach you can use to structure really complex or tricky conversations that was developed by Suncorp proper Minto. It’s called the Communications pyramid and allows you to look at four key areas that lead to structure conversation to make sure you communicate really effectively, and hopefully what you deliver is well received by the other person. So first, let’s talk about the four areas.
Firstly, the why this is really about what the goal of the conversation is. So what is it. You are trying to achieve by having a conversation in the first place? So for example, if you’re having a quarterly review of one, your team maybe to deliver some feedback to help and progress to a level where they get promoted.
That’s the goal of this meeting. Be really clear about that when you go into this conversation. Secondly, the who? So obviously, you know who you’re speaking to.
This might be an individual in your team, but what kind of person are they? Are they emotionally led or are they analytical? Are they quite data driven? Are somewhere in the middle?
This all matters because you can customize your communication style to fit that person’s personality and make it more likely they’re going to take on board your feedback and your communication as well. So really, think about the kind of person you’re speaking to, how you can adapt your communication style to fit that person. Thirdly, what is the key message this is really what you’re trying to focus on in this meeting or in this conversation you’re going to have. What’s the one thing you want this person to take from this conversation?
They absolutely need to include. Fourthly, how this is the format. So this could be something like the meeting room choose if it’s a Zoom call or a phone call or is it in a coffee shop wherever it is the kind of environment you choose to have this conversation with that person in. This can matter quite a lot because it’s really important kind of sensitive conversation with some sensitive feedback.
If what they don’t want to do that in middle of a coffee shop, you might want to choose. A meeting room is actually quite private, doesn’t have people walking past or interrupting that kind of thing. Likewise, if it’s actually a one to one, it’s quite casual. A quick casual is someone, but you want to talk about something quite important.
You might start to get out of the office, walk and talk, grab a coffee, get some privacy, but do it in a more relaxed environment to deliver that feedback as well. So what format it is might show you customize and get to the message and make sure it’s appropriate for that person to make it more likely that they won’t be distracted and will actually take on board your feedback and your communication. Now, the one thing to say is this is for different levels that you can put into this. You don’t have to use this for every single piece of communication that you use.
Use it for more complex, more challenging situations to actually structure the conversation effectively, and you cover every single angle that you need to know. That’s effective communication pyramid mobile remains, so this will help you structure your conversations more logically and make sure you get across your key points as much as possible.