Leader’sEdge
Communicate better. Get results.
Tips for becoming a “results-based communicator” and cutting through the mental clutter
“I wish I could have said that another
way.”
“I wish I could take back what I
said. That wasn’t what I meant!”
“I did not catch a word you just
said!”
If you’ve ever been on the giving or
If you want others to receiving end of one of these responses,
you’ve just uncovered the biggest prob-
correctly interpret lem with communication. It involves two
(or more) people!
your message, you There is also a four-step process that’s
essential to communication. Any effec-
must think and tively delivered and understood message
must be:
communicate like a 1. Constructed in the brain of the
non-accountant! initiator.
2. Formulated and delivered in a
fashion so that the original infor-
mation makes it from thought to
physical message.
3. Heard by the recipient.
4. Interpreted so that the intended
message can be processed, and if
necessary, acted upon.
During this four-step process
there are lots of things that can go
wrong. The communicator might
not say what was intended.
(“Gee, that didn’t sound the
way I wanted.”) The recipi-
ent might tune out. (“Sorry,
I wasn’t listening — I was
checking my e-mail.”)
Here are some easy ways
to communicate better —
and get the results you want!
“Leader’s Edge” is a six-part Disclosures column by Brian Kush, CPA,
CISA, CITP, focusing on management, leadership and interpersonal
skills essential for CPAs. Brian is a featured VSCPA speaker who travels
the state offering in-house CPE courses. Want to learn more or book
Brian for your firm or company? Contact VSCPA Customized Education
Manager Lydia Sartori at lsartori@vscpa.com or (804) 612-9425.
8 Leader ’s Edge • Disclosures • March/April
By Brian Kush, CPA, CISA, CITP
Take ownership
Communication breakdowns often
occur in the fourth part of the process —
the recipient did not interpret the message
the way it was intended. (“You never told
me THAT!”)
A common response is to blame the
recipient, but if you want to be a results-
based communicator, and if you care
more about the execution of effective
communication than the blame of inef-
fective communication, you must take
ownership for ALL FOUR PARTS of the
process.
That’s right! You must ensure the
other person interprets your message cor-
rectly. This is not easy because, well, you
have no control over their brain.
This may be very difficult. It may take
patience. It may take a lot of resolve.
What it really takes is a leader. Leaders
communicate messages that get results!
Leaders realize that without step Nos. 3
and 4 in the communication process, the
first two steps mean nothing.
Be wary of accounting lingo
Accountants have an additional
challenge. We are part of a “technical”
profession. We are tasked with interpret-
ing and communicating the language of
business. We deal with a lot of numbers,
but we also deal with theories, principles,
methods and “gray areas.” We use a lot
of acronyms, abbreviations and technical
jargon. We communicate with other ac-
countants, but we also communicate with
non-accountants — lawyers, executives
and other professionals who may not be
versed in our lingo.
Many times, if you want others to
correctly interpret your message, you
must think and communicate like a non-
accountant!
Set your intentions
You must become more intentional
about planning your important messages.
What is the best medium to use? E-mail,
text message, voicemail, a live phone call
or a face-to-face meeting?
Some messages may lend themselves
better to certain media. If you are firing
someone, e-mail may not be the best way
to do it. If you are relaying to someone
a long list of instructions they’ll need to
complete a task, a voicemail is probably an
inefficient way to do that.
But the most important consideration
when deciding what medium to use in
crafting and delivering your message is
simple: Consider the recipient! What
is the best medium to use so the RE-
CIPIENT has the best chance to hear and
interpret your message? It’s all about the
receiver!
There was an old “Seinfeld” episode
in which Jerry lamented about how any
rental car company can “take a reserva-
tion.” But it’s the holding of the reserva-
tion that really matters.
Well, anyone can just send a message.
It is easy to just start talking, texting or
e-mailing. It is the delivery and correct
interpretation of your message that leads
to results.
Too many accountants get caught up
in their message, their interpretation of
an issue or their desire to demonstrate
mastery of an accounting issue — and
therefore we talk too much like “techies.”
We throw out the latest accounting jargon
and make the assumption that those listen-
ing understand it just as we do.
This problem is easy to fix. We need to
talk like the specific audience “hears.” It is
not about “dumbing” down your message.
It is quite the opposite. It is about making
it more effective! Many times, that means
simplifying your message. And all the time
it means holding an active conversation in
which you confirm their understanding!
You have probably worked with some
effective communicators. Do they thrive
in using technical jargon? No, they thrive
in simplifying their message just enough
so that you and others understand it. They
thrive based on simplicity and clarity.
Results-based communicators take
extra time to ensure recipients un-
derstand their messages:
•• They ask questions to ensure under-
standing such as: Did that make sense?
Did I say that clearly? They ask THEM-
Leader ’s Edge • Disclosures • March/April 9
SELVES a question ahead of time:
How will this person best receive my
message?
•• They use tools such as metaphors and
analogies (if needed). Does the recipi-
ent like sports? If so, maybe a sports
analogy will be useful in a certain
conversation. Was the recipient on an-
other project where something similar
occurred? If so, maybe referring back
to that situation will help that light bulb
go off in understanding the current
situation and message.
Remember this!
If there is one thing you take
away from this article, it’s this:
If you want to be a better
communicator, focus your
attention on the other person
and how they, as the unique
individual(s) they are, will
RECEIVE your message best.
Make it about them. Not you!
If you are not sure how, shock
them! Awe them! Surprise
them! How do you do that?
Make a small investment in your
relationship. Take the time to
ask them a few questions about
effective communication.
Results-based communicators in-
tentionally “design” their important
relationships by getting feedback on
their communication effectiveness:
•• Tell me about our communication
levels. How are we doing?
•• Have I been too direct and short in
my instructions? Too elaborate and
detailed? How?
•• Are there certain media you prefer? If
the matter is urgent, what should we
do?
•• Do you have any ideas on how we can
ensure we are communicating effec-
tively so we both clearly understand
our responsibilities?
Remember this!
If there is one more thing you
take away from this article, it’s
this: Effective communicators
thrive on soliciting feedback.
They use feedback to strengthen
how they deliver important
messages so the results they
want occur more often!
You aren’t telling them how they
SHOULD listen to you. You are showing
them that you want to hear how you can
best COMMUNICATE with them based
on their input. How motivating would it
be if all of the colleagues we work with
the most took this approach? How much
more efficient would our communications
be if we invested in our relationships this
way?
Soliciting feedback can hold an ad-
ditional benefit. It tells the other person
you care enough about your relationship
to make a personal investment in it. The
questions above are mostly open ended,
which means you are asking for their input
and their answers.
These types of questions don’t assume.
They don’t pre-judge. They don’t dictate
“how it should be.”
They do invite. They do seek to un-
cover. They do demonstrate a desire for
teamwork.
They communicate an important mes-
sage: The way we interact is important.
They may communicate an additional,
powerful message: YOU ARE IMPOR-
TANT. Better results will follow! 
Brian Kush, CPA,
CISA, CITP,
is a leadership coach
and president at
Moxie Partners, and
author of “Auditing
Leadership”
(Wiley, July 2009). Contact him
at brian@moxiepartners.com or
(571) 313-1735.