I read a lot of personal development books. It's something I've enjoyed since my teenage years. Although I read a lot, I am not very intentional about comprehension. Maybe I should change that, or maybe it's the best ideas that truly stick. Interestingly it was the book, Made to Stick that introduced me to the idea of Commander's Intent. It's a military term for communicating the number one purpose for a mission. The Heath brothers who wrote the book describe it as communication to "provide an overall purpose to the activities of each soldier."

Here are 3 ways that can help you daily:

Work:

If you have any leadership position within your job, using the concept of Commander's Intent will help those under your charge to understand the main point of daily tasks. Example: "We will each send 10 cold emails to sales leads by the end of today."

Parenting: 

This is an area I have seen a ton of value.

My kids were always distracted by something any time we were trying to go somewhere. As they got older, I was able to distill the current goal down to something that they could understand and complete. Example: "Get your shoes on your feet, and meet me in the car... go!"

Friendships: 

This concept may raise an eyebrow when applied to friendships. But, we've all been part of a group trying to make a decision. Hopefully, at some point, someone takes charge and makes a decision. This tactic can be helpful in getting toward your goal of having a good time, or accomplishing something hard together. Example: "We are all going to make it to the top of this hike...today!"

I hope this helps in your communication today.

One last word of caution. As with any communication, tone matters. To take a military tone along with this military concept, might prove fatal. Make it fun, funny, and or engaging for the best results.