The hidden reason your point gets lost

Last week I wrote that clear communication requires a decision - that you can't get to the point if you haven't actually chosen one. But even when we do have a point, something else often occurs. We tend to over-communicate from our dominant cognitive mode.

• Analytical thinkers provide evidence and explanation, but the idea itself can be hidden beneath the detail.
• Logistical thinkers bring structure and sequence, but often focus too much on process without sharing what the process is for.
• Conceptual thinkers find value in a compelling point but may present multiple tangential ideas, leaving the listener without a clear direction.
• Relational thinkers want to ensure understanding, so they add context, tone, and framing. But the more they try to create alignment, the longer it takes to actually say what they mean.

Cognitive awareness allows us to identify the form of thinking we default to - and when necessary, to deliberately constrain the over-expression of it. Clear communication requires saying less of what comes naturally - and more of what does not.

Over a decade ago, I developed the Cognitive Sequence Method to bring a structure to how we communicate to people who think differently than us. I've taught it to thousands of people and seen how it increased their ability to achieve influence. For the first time, I'll be sharing it next month as a free resource.

Gregor