One of the greatest inhibitors to successful communications is inconsistency. Especially in the new year, we tend to think the new, shiny objects are better, the fresher ways of doing things yield better results. But when it comes to communication, the more consistent you are, the better off you'll be.
This is one of the most common topics that comes up across my work with individual coaching clients and with leadership teams, because consistency is at the core of effective communication, and the root of making hard conversations much easier.
Why? Because communication in all contexts is ultimately about finding common ground and a mutual, shared understanding. So it’s at least as much about relationship as the words we speak.
Anything worth communicating is worth sharing because you want the other person to know, feel, or do something. Ensuring that they do, in any context, requires that they trust you, and they believe that you mean what you say and you’re as invested in them as they with you.
Consistency means both in terms of content (what you say) and style (how and when you say it). The more consistent you are, the more trust you build because people know they can rely on you. The more consistent you are, the more people will focus on what you say, rather than be distracted by the many different ways you may say it.
Consistent communication means building a trustful method of communicating that will withstand the test of time.
In your personal life: the style of your communication with the people you’re closest with (and the people you’re forging new relationships with) should be consistent. When people trust that the person you are in one scenario will be the person you are in another, you’re more than halfway to a healthy pattern of communication.
At work: the people around you should be able to rely on consistency in what they hear from you and how they hear it. This builds trust, particularly in our current, global way of doing things. Strategies, approaches, and business itself are constantly changing, but if you are constantly changing, people will spend more time trying to figure out how you’re saying something than what you’re saying.
Two pieces of good news for you as a speaker in any context:
First: when you are operating honestly and authentically, being consistent will be easy and organic. You won’t spend tons of time trying to come up with a new format or trying to be witty. When you build a pattern of doing things a certain way, your messages will break through easily.
Second: being consistent will also save you a ton of time and energy when circumstances change. You won’t be worried about reinventing the wheel all the time. You’ll simply be doing what you’re doing in a way people can expect from you.
I’d love to hear what you think. When is consistency the hardest for you? When have you found that being consistent helped navigate a communication challenge?