Here's a golden tip to help you organize your thoughts before speaking.
It comes from the world of voice acting and can be summed up in just three words:
Context.
Main idea.
Direction.
Before turning on the microphone, a speaker needs to understand the message's path.
Where does she come from?
What information needs to be highlighted?
And where should she lead the listener?
You can do the same thing before an important meeting, presentation, or conversation.
First: context.
That's the minimum the other person needs to know to understand the situation.
Next: main idea.
It is that which cannot get lost amidst the details.
And lastly: direction.
This is what you expect to happen after you speak.
For example, in a work meeting.
Context:
“"We received the data two days late, and some information still needs to be reviewed."”
Main idea:
“"The report will not be ready by the scheduled date."”
Direction:
“"My proposal is to deliver a preliminary version tomorrow and the complete version on Friday."”
Another example, in a personal conversation.
Context:
“"Yesterday you scheduled..." "I made commitments without knowing if I could."”
Main idea:
“"That messed up my plans. I had already made other arrangements."”
Direction:
“"Next time, I'd like us to decide together before confirming."”
Did you notice?
You know where to start, what needs to be clear, and where you want to go.
When thought finds this path, speech becomes much more objective and easier to follow.
Before your next important conversation, open your notepad and write just three lines:
Context.
Main idea.
Direction.