I would like to share a vivid and real example of great communication. All managers and entrepreneurs, listen up! You can learn something valuable from this example about how repetition and variety lead to clarity and performance.

This Monday I started a new fitness program called Adventure Boot Camp. The exercise classes run from Monday through Friday from 5:30-6:30am for four weeks at a nearby parking lot. About 75 women are participating in my class.

I signed up a couple of weeks prior to the start of camp, and immediately the communication began. I received several emails telling me what to expect, how to prepare, goals to set and communicate and what to bring. Each email also included encouragement and offers of support. I also attended a free teleconference prior to the session on nutrition where some of the same prep information was shared and questions were answered. I was directed to several handouts on their website.

On the first day of class, I noticed something interesting. Everyone was there, in place, on time, with the right equipment (proper shoes, exercise mat, three sets of weights, water, etc) and seemed to know what to do. The exercises got started right at 5:30 and no pre-exercise talk was needed. Throughout the first session, my fitness instructor reinforced the key messages, what to expect in terms of pain, suggestions to ensuring we did not injure ourselves and encouragement to stick with the program.

Right after the first class, I got another email from the instructor – information, motivation, and an invitation to participate in a free weightlifting techniques workshop that evening. Later in the afternoon, I got a call from one of the bootcamp team members to see how I was feeling after day one and an offer to answer any questions.

After day two, I got another email, with a link to more information on their website. Some information repeated itself, some was new.

Today was day three and I have received yet another communication aimed at preparing me for the one-mile fitness test on Friday. I have no doubt we will all be ready (and his supportive communication will have reduced some of our anxieties about being tested).

Note: I paid for the program upfront, so none of these communications were designed to create additional revenue for the instructor - they were designed to ready us and to improve retention.

Lessons to learn:

  1. People want to do the right things – overcommunicate to create clarity and prepare people for performance.
  2. Communicate often and use many modalities.
  3. Repeat important information. Don’t assume that people got it the first time.
  4. Have some connective/relationship building messages in there, too. Encourage people!
  5. Never stop communicating, even if you think you have communicated enough. Never stop.
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