Broken and Unreadable: Communicating ideas in the age of telework
By Mikko Cain
In the Marine Corps, a radio operator will communicate the phrase “You’re coming in broken and unreadable” in the event that the unit broadcasting a transmission to the operator is having issues with their communications gear or “user error” that results in them not being understood over the radio net. In a non-tactical environment, the phrase has also been used to say “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” and the onus of the communication failure is almost always on the individual trying to communicate their idea. There’s almost countless ways to detail how an idea is improperly communicated, but I’ll recount a principle to properly frame a problem so that it is not lost on anyone.
In the current age of telework, I have sat in on too many poorly ran meetings that felt like they were going in circles due to the fact that the meeting organizer could not adequately explain the reason he called the meeting and what he was looking to achieve. One particular instance was so poorly executed that a follow-up meeting on the same topic with the same participants had to be conducted the next day. This “Groundhog Day” re-enactment could have been prevented if the meeting organizer had a clear “Commander’s Intent” to communicate to the team. In a military operations order, the Commander’s Intent is only trumped in importance by the mission statement itself. The Commander’s Intent is a statement delivered in three parts: the purpose, the method, and the desired end state. These three parts provide invaluable context to an operations order and give the commander’s subordinates a deeper understanding of what is to be done and why it matters.
This approach to problem framing is best suited for when a meeting is called for the express purpose of identifying a problem and subsequently issuing an order to take care of said problem. But all too often does the meeting organizer improperly frame the issue at hand, which results in those attending the meeting unsure of how they can positively contribute. The meeting organizer owes it to their attendees to make clear the “purpose” of the meeting, so those invited are aware of what they need to prepare to speak on. The “method” should be realized as how the meeting organizer thinks the problem at hand needs to be dealt with. The “desired end state” is what the meeting organizer hopes to achieve through the solving of the problem that the meeting is based on, which are often realized as deliverables or services rendered. Through the clear statement of a purpose, method, and desired end state, you can prevent your meetings from becoming “broken and unreadable,” and saving precious time from follow-up emails or, God help you, a meeting about the meeting you just had.
