Useful to them or easier for you?

Make your thoughts, ideas, and work easy to digest.

When you share information with a manager or client, organize your work in a way that’s most useful to them, not just easier for you. Avoid dumping on them—sending a mountain of raw numbers or a long, messy message. Instead, do the mental heavy lifting for them: lead with the three most important takeaways and explain why they matter. This shows that you understand the big picture and respect their busy schedule.

An audience-first communication style builds your strategic thinking. As you move up, your success may depend on briefing executives who only have a few minutes to spare.

Being a great communicator also means to know when to stop typing and start showing. If you find yourself struggling to explain a complex idea in an email, then it’s time to be visual. Sometimes a 5-minute screen-share or a simple chart is more effective than a five-paragraph email. If you find yourself struggling to explain a complex workflow or a set of results, take a moment to get on a video call or meet in a room to sketch it out or use a digital whiteboard. Translate complicated data into a clear visual story to make your ideas much easier to digest. When you make it easy for people to understand your work, they’re much more likely to support your suggestions and trust your judgment.

Put these approaches into practice.

Let’s look at practical ways to do the mental heavy lifting for your audience.