In a status review meeting the other day, the was a comment  to “Keep the presentation simple” and “Only talk to the variances.” Both of these statements had the intent of driving people to present as effectively and efficiently as possible.  How can the ideas behind these statements be applied to our personal lives?

Keeping our presentation simple has to do with why, what and how we communicate to others in our lives.  First we have to understand why we communicate with others.  Communication is about the exchange of thoughts and ideas.  Our thoughts and ideas reflect our mental energy.  When we talk to others we share our energy.  The purpose of this sharing varies depending on what’s being communicated.  To add value to others as well as ourselves when we communicate knowing the purpose driving the interchange is critical.  When we know what the purpose is and how the information may be used in the future, we can look at our communication in a different light.  Once we have our purpose in mind, we can select what we communicate to elicit the response we seek or provide the exchange of information needed.  With our purpose and information selected, we can then choose an appropriate method to convey the purpose, meaning and energy being exchanged.

Only talking to the variances has to do with understanding, tracking and sharing what changes.  When others need status or when we keep track of our own status, it is our responsibility to pay attention to the changes.  Facilitating, understanding and adapting to change is a critical component of managing ourselves.  Change happens whether we want it to or not.  When we plan for and align with the changes in our lives, we enable ourselves to take advantage of the opportunities that arise provided we keep our purpose and vision in mind.

Having purpose can keep our interactions simple.  Being aware of change helps us adapt to achieve our purpose.