In a recent episode of The Leadership Habit podcast, Jenn DeWall sat down with communication expert Davina Stanley to discuss how leaders can elevate their communication skills. 

For 25+ years, Davina has advised thousands of executives from some of the world’s largest companies, including Meta, KPMG, and Mercer. She has helped clients from nearly all industries for clients in Australia, Asia-Pacific, the US, and the UK to communicate complex ideas extremely clearly and quickly, ideally within 30 seconds.

She is the Founder of Clarity First Program, which helps C-suite executives and their teams to better engage senior leaders and Boards in complex ideas.

Davina began her career at McKinsey & Company, working in the Hong Kong and Melbourne offices as well as Firm Learning, where she helped executives use the Minto Pyramid Principle(R) to communicate better. She was ranked as one of the top performers of her era.

Barbara Minto approved her to teach the Pyramid Principle in 2009, and she is also the author of The So What Strategy and has recently released two new books: Elevate and Engage.

Elevate will be released during September and helps leaders lift the quality of thinking in their team’s board papers without needing to rewrite them.

Engage will be released soon after that and helps executives write papers that their leaders don’t need to rework.

The Importance of Effective Communication

Effective communication is an essential leadership skill. Jenn DeWall opened the conversation by emphasizing how many conflicts, confusions, and even burnout can be traced back to poor communication. As she rightly pointed out, “We need to stop making things harder because we’re not communicating better.” This set the stage for Davina Stanley to share her expertise on how to simplify complex ideas and ensure that the right messages are conveyed.

Cultural Nuances in Communication

One of the interesting points Davina shared was the impact of cultural differences on communication styles. Having lived in various parts of the world, including Australia, Hong Kong, and the United States, Davina noted that while it might seem like communication would be similar across Western cultures, subtle differences can create significant challenges. For example, the directness often expected in American communication can be perceived as brashness by those from other cultures.

The Vicious Cycle of Poor Communication

Davina introduced the concept of the “chain of pain,” a cycle where unclear or poorly structured communication leads to a cascade of issues. Leaders often fall into the trap of providing input too late in the communication process, creating a situation where teams spend more time rewriting and clarifying rather than moving projects forward. This vicious cycle not only wastes time but also leads to frustration and burnout among team members.

Davina stressed the importance of thinking deeply about the outcomes you want from any communication. “Leaders want their people to write better, but they’ll often wait to provide input into a communication until after it’s drafted because it’s easier. And actually, what they’re doing is creating a really vicious cycle,” she explained.

A Five-Step Process to Elevate Communication

To break this cycle, Davina outlined a five-step process to help leaders and teams improve their written communication:

1. 
   
2. Flush Out the Strategy: Consider who the communication is for, why they need it, and what outcome you want from it. This step is crucial for setting the direction and ensuring that the communication aligns with the intended goals.
   
3. Frame the Message: Structure your message using clear, concise patterns. Davina offers 10 patterns to help teams organize their thoughts and communicate effectively.
   
4. Firm Up the Messaging: Once the message structure is clear, refine it into a one-pager that captures the essence of the communication. This ensures that the key points are crystal clear.
   
5. Flip It Into a Document: After the messaging is firm, turn it into a full document, ensuring that the structure and clarity are maintained.
   
6. Feedback: After delivering the communication, reflect on what worked and what didn’t. Use this feedback to improve future communications.
   

Simplifying Complex Ideas

One of the standout points Davina made was the importance of simplifying complex ideas. She mentioned that business communication should be at a grade six or seven reading level, ensuring that it is accessible and easy to understand. Tools like Hemingway can help writers refine their language to meet this standard. “If you can’t say it in a sentence, you don’t know it,” Davina noted, highlighting the value of clarity and brevity.

Where to Find more from Davina Stanley

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• Connect with Davina Stanley on LinkedIn
  
• Visit her website: clarityfirstprogram.com
  
• Check out her latest books: Elevate and Engage
  

Crestcom’s Role in Leadership Development

As the conversation wrapped up, Jenn DeWall reminded listeners of Crestcom’s commitment to leadership development. Crestcom offers a robust curriculum covering 24 topics essential for effective leadership, from communication to building trust. Jenn also extended an invitation to experience Crestcom’s Complimentary Leadership Skills Workshop—a fun, interactive team-building activity designed to enhance communication and collaboration within teams.

For leaders and teams looking to take their communication to the next level, Davina Stanley’s insights provide a practical roadmap. By following her five-step process and focusing on clarity, leaders can break the cycle of poor communication and drive better results.

If you’re interested in learning more about how to elevate your communication or want to explore Crestcom’s leadership development programs, visit crestcom.com/freeworkshop to request a complimentary workshop and discover more resources to help you and your team thrive.

 

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