I am a firm believer that a true sign of mastery concerning a given subject is to be able to communicate said concept in the most simple manner. Communication structures within any organization are one of the most over-complicated concepts in our society. We are surrounded by the most advanced technology known to man yet we seem to continuously fail to communicate the simplest ideas to the people that matter most. The quantity of communication has drastically increased but the quality and retention of this communication has unfortunately not kept pace. Perhaps it has even decreased.

During my time in the Marine Corps one of my commanding officers had a simple rule regarding organizational communication. It has become the basis of my belief for how to ensure the message of a team, and especially that of its leader, is heard by those who need to hear it most. He had a standing rule that every Marine under his command ask himself three questions multiple times a day. Those three questions were:

1. What do I know?

2. Who needs to know it?

3. Have I told them?

Simple yes? That’s the point. It is supposed to be about as simple as it can get. When a leader tries to make communication strategies any more complex, you add risk to the system. A lack of communication is a mistake that is made too often with teams of all sizes, shapes and missions.

Naturally we need to remain flexible to the needs of the moment and the respective organization. Creativity and innovation must be present within the mind of leadership but asking yourself these three questions can drastically improve the core efficacy of organizational communication.

Originally published as part of a series, Dave’s Daily Growth Challenge.

Dave Bradt, California-Davis ’03, served in the United States Marine Corps and was deployed to Iraq in 2005, 2006 and 2007. Upon returning from overseas, Bradt received his MBA from Boston University and later joined IBM’s Global Business Services. Since 2013, he has facilitated for SigEp’s Carlson Leadership Academy, Life After College and Ruck Leadership Institute. Bradt also serves as the chapter counselor for George Washington and is the chairman of the SigEp Military Veterans Task Force. He enjoys spending time with his wife Courtney and their son, Theron.