As we worked together, the team shared a success they had experienced. They had reworked a part of their communication with their clients by integrating the question: “why this communication?”

They had noticed that this question had not occurred to them before and yet had been useful in our work until then. What they shared described two areas in which this question had helped them.

One was to gain clarity on what that communication was for. They were much more aware of what it was supposed to help them achieve in the relationship with their clients. It had shifted their perception from a single step in the process to a step that was moving the process forward.

This question also helped them reflect on why they were communicating as they did. It highlighted the how in their communication. We had worked together on the many details in their individual communication that they were adding on top of the communication. That is little sentences to soothe the recipient, pushes to incite their action, or details to protect themselves and feel better about their requests.

By gaining clarity on what they were trying to achieve they had clarified the message for themselves. And by reviewing how they were describing it, they had been able to simplify the message to what it was they wanted to be shared.

Having reworked their documents, they experienced that their clients were stepping into the process without further need to persuade them.