The 'How You Say It, Is How They'll Hear It' Effective Communication Method for the Charity Sector

Need to communicate effectively, especially in challenging situations when working in the charity sector? My 'How You Say It, Is How They'll Hear It' method is designed to help you convey your message clearly and effectively, ensuring it resonates with your desired audience.

Here’s how the Method works:

• Context: Understand Your Audience
  Before engaging in any conversation, it’s crucial to understand who you are speaking to. By considering the audience’s background, values, and motivations, you can tailor your message to their interests and concerns. This understanding sets the foundation for effective communication.
  

• Observation: Crafting Clear and Compelling Messages
  The next step involves crafting your message with precision. Focus on factual observations rather than subjective opinions. This approach minimizes misunderstandings and disagreements, allowing your audience to see the issue from an objective standpoint. Whether you’re discussing a positive outcome or addressing a challenge, clarity and objectivity are key.

• Impact: Highlighting the Effects
  Explain the impact of the situation on the charity, colleagues, and the individual involved. This includes both positive and negative consequences. By clearly articulating the impact, you help your audience understand the significance of the issue and the importance of addressing it. This step fosters empathy and a sense of responsibility.

• Next Steps: Establishing a Path Forward
  Finally, agree on clear, actionable next steps. These should be specific, measurable, and time-bound to ensure accountability. This forward-thinking approach not only focuses on solutions but also provides a roadmap for improvement and growth. Regular reviews and adjustments keep the process dynamic and effective.

Why This Method Works

You might avoid difficult conversations to prevent upsetting someone, out of uncertainty about what to say, or simply to avoid drama. However, the 'How You Say It, Is How They'll Hear It' method helps by removing emotional heat and focusing on facts and solutions. This framework is versatile and effective for board meetings, funders, partnerships, and management scenarios.

By using this method, you ensure that your communication is clear, impactful, and constructive, enabling you to engage in meaningful conversations that drive positive change.

Example: Head of Fundraising Convincing Their CEO for Additional Admin Support

• Context
  Head of Fundraising (Rachael): "Hi [CEO's Name], I’d like to discuss our current team workload and the need for additional admin support. As you know, our fundraising efforts have expanded significantly over the past year."
  

• Observation
  Rachael: "In the past six months, we’ve increased our donor base by 25%, launched three campaigns, and organised two major events. While these achievements are fantastic, they’ve also increased the administrative workload considerably. Currently, our team members are spending around 30% of their time on administrative tasks such as writing newsletters, CRM data entry, scheduling meetings, and managing donor correspondence."
  

• Impact
  Rachael: "This increased administrative burden is impacting our efficiency and effectiveness. For example, fundraisers are spending less time on relationship-building and strategic planning, which are critical for sustained growth. The delay in responding to donors has also led to missed opportunities and, in some cases, donor dissatisfaction. If this continues, it could hinder our long-term fundraising goals and overall mission."
  

• Next Steps
  Rachael: "I propose we hire a dedicated administrative assistant for the fundraising team. This role would handle the routine tasks, allowing our fundraisers to focus on high-impact activities. By reallocating these tasks, we can improve our response times, enhance donor relationships, and increase our overall productivity. I’ve already outlined a job description and identified budget reallocations that can cover this role. With your approval, I’d like to move forward with this plan and aim to have someone in place within the next two months. Can we schedule a follow-up meeting next week to discuss any questions you might have and finalise the details?"
  

Why This Approach Works
By using the 'How You Say It, Is How They'll Hear It' method, Rachael provides a clear, objective, and impactful case for additional support. She aligns her request with the organisation's goals, demonstrating how the new role will enhance efficiency and effectiveness. This approach ensures the CEO understands the necessity and benefits of the proposal, making it much more likely to gain approval. And it did! Rachael now has an admin assistant in her team meaning her experienced fundraisers can focus on building relationships with donors.