THERE IS A big difference between talking and communicating. At The Program, we don’t try to change the way anyone talks. When you are spending time with friends, teammates, or co-workers, talk how you talk. Based on numerous factors, we all may talk differently; we may have different accents or use different slang. However, when we are “communicating” information, whether during a staff meeting, a time out, or a mission brief, there are very specific ways in which we do so.

CLAPP is how we communicate effectively. It stands for Clear, Loud, with Authority, Pauses, and good Posture.

• Clear: We can say all the right things, but if it isn’t received by our intended audience, it does us no good. Speaking clearly is paramount to ensuring that all our information is received. Many people mumble. Don’t. Annunciate your words. What may seem an appropriate tempo in our heads often is spoken much too quickly for our audience to understand, especially if speaking with a microphone. Speak more slowly than you think you should.
• Loud: Speak at the appropriate volume. For most people, this means, speak loudly. Not only will this ensure that everyone hears what you are saying, but it displays confidence in your messaging as well. Of course, “loud” is relative. Speaking loudly in a small conference room may mean that your volume is barely above that of your normal voice. Speaking loudly on the goal line in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska, with 90,000 screaming fans, may require every bit of volume and energy you can muster.
• Furthermore, always be aware of your body position and its relation to the audience. If facing your audience, you may be using an appropriate volume. However, if you turn to face another side of the room, you will need to communicate louder.
• Finally, be aware of the entire audience. Often, someone in the front of a room asks a question, and although the leader’s volume while responding may be appropriate for the individual who asked the question, no one else in the room is able to hear the answer. Use the appropriate volume for the member of the audience furthest away from you.
• Authority: In stressful, chaotic, adverse environments, we don’t have time for “fluff.” Tell people what you need them to do. We don’t need to preface our statements with “If it’s not too much trouble,” or “If you don’t mind.” These modifiers waste time and make you appear less confident in your messaging. If you have proven yourself to be a good teammate and leader through your words and actions, telling your teammates authoritatively what you need them to do will not be received negatively. Speaking with authority does not mean yelling orders; it means that we should speak as if we are a subject matter expert.
• Pause: Although it may feel awkward, inserting pauses into your speaking cadence allows your audience to keep up. It will also allow you to properly formulate your next thought before speaking. It is important that these be actual pauses and not just fillers. Using “like,” “umm,” or “know what I’m saying?” after every other sentence is distracting to the audience and will ruin the clarity of your messaging. Pausing will also automatically slow us down and help us communicate more clearly.
• Posture: Much of our communication is nonverbal. Weak body language and poor posture can ruin confidence. You can say all the right things and yet be betrayed by your body language. We are visual beings. If you think that you are “doing great,” but visually the audience feels that your body language is telling a different story, then as far as the audience is concerned, you are not doing great. There are many intricacies of body language, but the easiest one to address is posture. Before you communicate, make a conscious effort to stand tall and pull your shoulders back. If you are not a naturally confident speaker, keep your chin up, and your shoulders back. Uncross your arms. Like magic, you will become more confident.

For most of us, it may not be realistic to be great at all these things right away. Pick one to improve upon. For example, focus on being loud if that is your weakest area of communicating. Once you can communicate louder, work on your clarity or authority.

Similarly, when you are trying to improve the communication of your teammates and subordinates, do not expect them to improve all the facets of CLAPP simultaneously. If a teammate needs to be louder, focus on that alone. Do not also try to fix their clarity or posture simultaneously with their volume; just focus on getting them to communicate louder. A way to develop this would be to force them to deliver any messaging from ten, fifteen, or even twenty feet away from their audience.

Mac learned the true importance of effective communication during the initial invasion of Iraq while in charge of a light armored reconnaissance platoon. Each vehicle commander wears a helmet that can send and receive radio traffic. It allows them to communicate internally with the crew; tell the driver where to go, and the gunner where and what to shoot. They also have two radio channels they can use. Typically, one channel is used to communicate with the vehicles in their unit, while the second channel is used to communicate with other forces. The vehicle commander can choose with whom to communicate; however, he needs to listen to all the channels simultaneously. In the span of thirty seconds, he may need to tell his gunner to engage a target over the intercom, issue commands to his other vehicles on one channel, and give a situation report to his boss on another.

When the invasion kicked off, the radios were a constant flood of voices. In addition, every time anyone in the area received any type of incoming enemy rocket or mortar rounds, everyone had to don their gas masks, sometimes for hours at a time. This meant that any communication over the radio was like trying to talk on the phone with a pillow over your face. This was the most challenging environment Mac had ever had to communicate in. Effective communication wasn’t a luxury, but an absolute life-or-death necessity.

The stakes in Iraq may have been different, but the principles are the same for all of us. Effective communication is the hallmark of a successful leader and organization. Focusing on CLAPP and communicating Clearly, Loudly, with Authority, Pauses, and good Posture helps all of us to accomplish the mission, regardless of the battlefield.