“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” — George Bernard Shaw

In his bestselling book, The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive, Patrick Lencioni highlights the four disciplines of great leaders.  He says the third discipline, over-communicate, is “the simplest,” but it’s also “the one most under-achieved.”  He adds, “To effectively communicate, a simple message must be repeatedly delivered in a cascading manner through multiple channels.”

It is essential to convey the message verbally and in writing to account for the different ways people receive information.  Peter Drucker points out: “There are readers and listeners…and people are rarely both.”

The Bottom Line: Leaders repeatedly communicate a simple message through multiple channels — both verbally and in writing to make sure communication is achieved.