Land Records Leadership Series: 8 Steps Toward Effective Communication

This article outlines eight ways fellow WLIA members effectively communicate.  These strategies and tactics can help you build strong professional relationships, avoid miscommunication, and ensure your message is both heard and understood.

1.     Preparation

Being well prepared allows you to manage whatever direction a conversation or meeting might take.  "Be prepared," said Jon Schwichtenberg "...gather enough information to basically overload the conversation with data and analytics. Also do scenario planning for the conversation, consider every possible way that the conversation may go in relation to the topic."

2.     Tailoring Your Message

Now that you are prepared it is important your message connects with the specific needs and interests of your audience.

"Relate land records to what they do. If they are a farmer, discuss the topics that relate to them, i.e. parcels, drainage, right of way, GPS, section corners, etc. and apply it to how they might use it or need the information. Again, relate the topic to them. This requires some up front work to determine who they are and what they do for a living." - Jon Schwichtenberg

"When I know someone's background, I like using analogies referencing their personal interests or profession.   If I understand the topic well, the analogy helps them understand my point.  If my analogy doesn't work, they teach me what I got wrong.  Either way it helps build our relationship and our understanding of each other." -  Adam Dorn

3.     Communication To Different Types of Learners

Once you’ve tailored your message to your audience, deliver it using methods that align with their learning styles.

"People process information and learn differently. I’m a visual l

earner and I gravitate to maps, charts, and graphs. My audience, however, might be better reading or auditory learners.  When I can present the same information in multiple formats, I know I’m increasing the chances of my communication being effective." -  Eric Damkot

"Most elected officials are very cost-conscious and will need a very detailed analysis of what they get by spending the dollars. They also seem to relate better to graphics."  - Jon Schwichtenberg

4.     The Right Method of Communication

With so many communication methods available, picking the right one is often just as important as the message itself.

"It can be very frustrating to try to explain something that makes sense to you, but the other person is not comprehending what you are trying to convey." Communication can break down "… over a very small thing, but the lack of understanding created a stumbling block that made things difficult and tense. Many times it was something sent in email or messaging that was not conveyed well and through multiple messages just became more confusing and frustrating, when talking on the phone or in person would have rectified the situation much more quickly." - Kelly Felton

"Email is effective because you can give very explicit direction and ask very pointed questions. Refrain from texting, as texting or messaging is typically quick and generally not descriptive enough, and those quick communications can be misread and misinterpreted. Calling is effective but does not give you the documentation." -  Jon Schwichtenberg

 5.     Avoiding Jargon

"Avoiding acronyms and jargon sounds like an easy enough rule to follow, but is it?" said Eric Damkot.  "I was recently called out for using LIDAR in a report but is Light Detecting and Ranging really any better? Some might argue it is worse. Elevation data, surface model, or invoking a derivative product like contours are probably all better choices for many audiences."

6.     Relationships and Trust Building

With the fundamental communication strategies in place, let's focus on building strong relationships and trust for long term success.  Andy Faust said, "My most significant successes, I believe, stem from the approach of "Collaborative Leadership." I concentrated on initiatives that fostered robust relationships and partnerships, ultimately propelling substantial projects forward."

Mike Koutnik said building relationships with key influencers was a significant part of some of his biggest wins.

7.     Proactive Communication

With a foundation of trust built, it’s crucial to keep that trust with proactive communication, something Mike Koutnik attributes to some big wins.  Specifically, "1) Carefully and thoroughly develop an implementation plan, in close consultation with colleagues, that is explicitly tuned to the customer's needs--and situation. 2) Proactively reaching out to and communicating with the customer team and discussing the plan, and making necessary adjustments."

Eric Damkot put it this way, "The best piece of advice I can give is to make sure [your] supervisor first hears things from you and not someone else. This was advice given to me a long time ago and something I try to live by. I have the opportunity to work with many areas of county government. If I’m working on a new project, my supervisor should hear about it from me first and not the other department head. It puts the supervisor in an awkward position if they are asked about something their staff is working on that the supervisor knows nothing about. Sometimes it's as simple as an email cc. Other times I might bring it up at one of our standing 1:1 meetings. I don’t go into every last detail, but enough to get the general idea of the project. I’ve found that being proactive has helped avoid communication challenges."

8.     Addressing Miscommunication

Despite your best efforts, miscommunication can still happen.  Andy Faust suggests "… not taking things too personally. Additionally, when responding to something that has provoked frustration, consider allowing a day to pass before revisiting and revising your letter or email before sending it."

"If someone is angry at you, yelling, screaming, don’t interrupt them or return volley as it will escalate the situation. My best professional advice is to let people blow if they need to. Let them get that anger out and remain calm and then take things from there. Most of the time they will then hear you out if you let them get their thoughts and feelings out of the way. Don’t be disrespectful, but there will still be that one guy or gal…just remember you can’t keep everyone happy. To paraphrase one of my favorite Far Side cartoons, the world has jerks to keep things interesting!" -  Jeremiah Erickson

Contributors to this article include:

• Andy Faust - Senior GIS Analyst at North Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission

• Eric Damkot – IS Manager/LIO at Washington County

• Jeremiah Erickson – GIS Coordinator/ Land Information Officer with the Monroe County Land Information Office

• Jon Schwichtenberg - Minneapolis Office Manager at GRAEF

• Kelly Felton - Cartographer/GIS Specialist at Sauk County

• Mike Koutnik - Owner at Michael A. Koutnik Consulting

Image credits:

• preparation by Ninis from Noun Project (CC BY 3.0)
• visual by Suharsono from Noun Project (CC BY 3.0)
• auditory by Adrien Coquet from Noun Project (CC BY 3.0)
• sms question exclamation by Michelle Lukezic from Noun Project (CC BY 3.0)