Leading at Light Speed is a new leadership book by Eric Douglas detailing the 10 Quantum Leaps to build trust, spark innovation, and create a high-performing organization. Workplace Communication is dealt with in Chapter 8.

First, we need to understand what are core message is. What is the message that we wish to convey to people regardless of type of audience?. A useful way of thinking about communication is the “message box.You will have one to three key messages that will contain the power and drive of you communication. If you have already dug through the beginning chapters of this book then you already know where to go; that’s right, off to find your purpose, core values, and vision.. Those speak to the impacts and outcomes you’re trying to achieve and should be the heart of your message.

For example, if you want to calm a worried customer let your message Box clearly show that the highest priority is still the “customers and employee’ safety”.If you are asked how the company will deal with financial setbacks, immediatly make it understood that the highest priority will still be the customers and employees safety.” Every communication stays within the message box. It can be hard to stay in the box, but practice makes perfect. It can sometimes be very repetitive and stifling to ones creativity. But the effort is worth it in terms of the consistency and trust building.

Remember that your message box should contain 1-3 simple messages. These are the things you would want every one of the groups listed above to hear. Your message should be able to speak to all kinds of people, not simply one target audience. Over time, people will hear different messages, and they’ll perceive you and your company as opportunistic or disingenuous. On the other hand, if all your communications are driven by your company’s purpose, core values and vision, people will sense the level of commitment and integrity.

For example, the message box for a company that specializes in analyzing key indicators of future performance of publicly traded companies might be: “Our vision is to be a world leader in helping investors to realize long-term yields on their investments. Our core values of innovation and integrity guide us in everything we do.And although it may not look that way from the start, it can be that simple.

Take this free work survey to see if your organization practices the 10 Quantum Leaps of high-performing organizations.