Same facts, different message: a simple communication framework

There are people that like to talk because they have a lot of useful knowledge to share. There are people that like to talk because they want to sound smart or important. There are people that like to talk to hear themselves talk, or at least it seems.

But what’s the actual goal of talking? Is it to impress, to confuse, to fill an uncomfortable silence? Ideally, it should be to communicate a message or influence behavior.

For communication to be most effective, the message has to be about the audience (even if it’s an audience of one). So, it’s actually in your best interest to understand your audience. Is it a person (or group) that cares about details? Do they just need to have enough information to make a good decision? Do they need relevant data or reports to backup high-level claims?

Say you host a dinner party and someone asks what's in the dish. Most guests want: fresh ingredients, a regional recipe you found online. The aspiring chef in the group wants exact measurements and cook temps. Same question, different answer, because the goal isn't to describe the dish. It's to give each person what they need to feel satisfied.

Something similar shows up at work. Say a project is 3 weeks behind schedule. To update the CFO you might say: revised go-live date, budget impact, and what you need from leadership to get back on track. To update the frontline team doing the work and you'd say: which tasks shift, what changes for them this week, and why the new deadline is realistic.

It’s the same situation, same delay, and same facts. But the message is different because each audience needs something different to make their next move.

Here’s a super simple framework you can follow at work (or at home): What > So What > Now What. What are you saying? Why does it matter for the audience? What are you asking of them?

Next time you’re delivering an important message, ask yourself what your audience actually needs. Sometimes it's the meal. Sometimes it's the recipe. The framework just helps you figure out which one to serve.