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Imagine if you went to your doctor, and after you explain your symptoms, they simply say, “Ok, mmhmm, got it,” without saying back anything as they walk out. This would be very disrespectful, especially after you’ve invested time into trying to be thorough.
We’ve seen this the most in written form- emails, text messages, etc., where we’ll write a thoughtful, personalized message and only get an “Ok.” or “Got it.” back. It leaves you to think “What is it that you ‘got’? Are we on the same page?”
Do you know doctors mirror things back? It’s not just for your sake, to show that they listened to you and understand, but also for theirs– structuring what they’ve learned about you and ensuring a mental checklist of items for them to review, while also providing an error-checking mechanism just in case they missed something or aren’t sure they heard you– which could mean dire consequences. This is true for us, too- as we’ve seen many things go off-course due to one small miscommunication.
This doesn’t mean blindly mirroring back everything you just heard. This is tedious to both parties and will quickly become cumbersome.
You must focus on the important elements like:
- Maintain ownership of your actions. When you forego active communication, the dreaded passive voice often takes its place.
- When requested to do something, outline your next steps. EG: “Would you please plant a garden?” leads to “I will grab my tools and seed bag and get started.”
- Stay on topic, and use clear, concise language. Don’t rapidly switch to something irrelevant, as this often derails a conversation, confuses everyone, and makes you look distracted or uninterested.
You will be amazed at what knowledge you retain and connections you build once you shift into actively communicating. You will build personal connections and drive things forward– Be less mindless robot and more professional human.
Dennis Yu
Dennis Yu is co-author of the #1 best-selling book on Amazon in social media, The Definitive Guide to TikTok Ads. He has spent a billion dollars on Facebook ads across his agencies and agencies he advises. Mr. Yu is the "million jobs" guy-- on a mission to create one million jobs via hands-on social media training, partnering with universities and professional organizations.You can find him quoted in major publications and on television such as CNN, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, NPR, and LA Times. Clients have included Nike, Red Bull, the Golden State Warriors, Ashley Furniture, Quiznos-- down to local service businesses like real estate agents and dentists. He's spoken at over 750 conferences in 20 countries, having flown over 6 million miles in the last 30 years to train up young adults and business owners. He speaks for free as long as the organization believes in the job-creation mission and covers business class travel.You can find him hiking tall mountains, eating chicken wings, and taking Kaqun oxygen baths-- likely in a city near you.