How to Get Your Boss's Boss to Understand

Remember, if a simple model provides the insights needed for the decision, there is nothing wrong with calling it “good enough.”

Start by accepting the spelling and grammar recommendations. Microsoft is rarely wrong on these fundamentals.

I apply the 1200-word rule even when I have a 30-minute or 45-minute time slot. Keeping my formal remarks to 10 minutes allows more time for the slot to be more interactive and to focus on Q&A.

Ultimately, the question is how you will be remembered. Was your presentation clear, concise, and impactful? Or was it overwhelming and forgettable? The choice is yours.

You need more than one communication approach because there are different situational contexts.

Start with your next slide deck. Spend extra time focusing on symbols and shapes instead of colors.

Certain patterns emerged that reflect the FINESSE Fishbone Diagram®: Frame, Illustrate, Noise Reduction, Empathy, Structure, Synergy, and Ethics.

Effective communication is about listening to the decision makers’ needs and meeting them in a way they understand.

Making Microsoft PowerPoint headings more accessible makes your slides more effective for the entire audience.

Microsoft Word and PowerPoint’s built-in color and contrast checker doesn’t always perform well, especially when it comes to backgrounds involving images or gradients.

Canva makes these shortcomings worse by setting up the case of "flexibility that supports creativity" versus "structure that supports accessibility.”

The things you do to make your presentation and reports more accessible to people with impairments make your work more understandable to all

A well-timed pause isn’t a break in your speech—it’s part of your message.

Focus first on the opening. Focus next on the closing. The blind spot is that they spend too much time on time on the main body.

Simple questions feel less intimidating, making people more likely to respond truthfully.

The Fins of FINESSE provide some helpful associations. The bottom fin of FINESSE, the audience, provides us with our balance.

Career growth depends on using proven communication approaches in addition to hard skills.

Rare events can usually be identified within the seven categories of crisis.

Online editing tools such as Grammarly are invaluable for clear and effective communication.

Alt text for tables is a small step that can have a big impact.