10.4 Style

Although the style of communication increases in formality from the first to the third type of routine communication, all of these communications should largely be informal and, except for perhaps the focused communication about a small technical issue, jargon should be avoided. Because the primary purpose of routine communication is to get feedback, your communication style should encourage discussion. Some approaches to encourage discussion include stating up front that you would like the bulk of the meeting to include active discussion and that you welcome questions during your presentation rather than asking the audience to hold them until the end of your presentation. If an audience member provides commentary, asking what others in the audience think will also promote discussion. In essence, to get the best feedback you want to hear what your audience members are thinking, and this is most likely accomplished by setting an informal tone and actively encouraging discussion.