A Simple Rule for Better Communication

Great communication isn't just about choosing the right words to say.

It's also about choosing the right approach to deliver the message.

Communication is situational.

Different moments require different approaches.

Read the need, then match the moment.

That's the rule.

Sometimes you need to scan the environment like a radar to figure out the landscape.

Sometimes you need to collaborate like architects designing a building together.

Sometimes you need to instruct like a teacher, so others know what to do to move forward.

Many communication problems happen when the approach doesn’t match the need.

This Speaking Spectrum provides a simple way to match your communication approach to the situation.

Explore -- Engage -- Explain

Explore

• Listening Focus
• Understand before responding.
• Ask, observe, absorb.
• Like a good doctor diagnosing before prescribing.

Engage

• Balanced interaction is the focus
• Exchange perspectives
• Clarify, align, and co-create understanding
• Like a couple planning a vacation together before booking the trip

Explain

• Speaking is the focus
• Provide direction
• Share insight, guidance, or decisions
• Like a pilot announcing the flight path

This Speaking Spectrum helps you:

• Lead conversations with clarity
• Adapt to people and context
• Respond instead of react
• Guide progress without skipping steps
• Communicate with precision

The breakdown in many conversations isn’t always disagreement…

It’s often a mismatch in modes.

Here are a few ways I see this mismatch play out:

• Explaining when someone needs to be heard.
• Exploring when action is needed.
• Engaging when directives are needed.

Strong communicators don’t stay in one mode.

They read the situation and shift modes intentionally.

The right words in the wrong mode can often create problems.

Even if your message is important, it might get missed because of how you delivered it.

Communication isn’t just about getting your own points across.

It’s also about navigating the situations and adapting as needed.

Choose the communication mode that fits the moment.

Follow the simple rule.

Which communication mode is your default (Explore, Engage, or Explain), and do you adjust as needed?