The 5 Ws and an H to Communicate Virtually Anything
Posted by David Grossman on Tue, Jun 12, 2012
Ask any journalist and they can tell you about the 5 Ws and an H. Any solid news story covers those six basic ingredients. The same is true for communicating with others.
Want to ensure you don’t forget a critical detail in your communications? Think 5 Ws and an H to ensure you’re not missing an important detail, sharing the all-important context, and making it relevant for your audience.
What
What’s the decision? What does it mean? What should I know? What’s in it for me?
Why
Why is it the right decision? Why now? Why is it important?
Where
Where is this decision coming from? Where/what locations will it affect? Where can I get more information?
When
When is this happening?
How
How was the decision made? How will it be implemented? How will communications flow internally and externally? How does it impact me?
Who
Who made the decision? Who’s in charge? Who does it impact?
In communicating your message, the order is important. Adult learners want to know the “what” first and then the “why.” The rest can follow logically.
Which W or H do you most often forget to include when you communicate?
-- David Grossman
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