take control of the conversation

During a call with my manager she wasn't giving any direction, so I helped. Instead of letting my boss continue fumbling around the conversation and slowly telling me she didn't know what direction to give, I broke in and suggested my next steps. The conversation ended at least ten minutes ahead of schedule. By having a plan for myself and taking initiative I set my direction and made a potentially long, difficult call short and easy. Also, don’t underestimate the unnecessary work I prevented for myself in the future by setting my own direction.

ask the necessary question

I asked a question about a point that was unclear. The resulting conversation realigned the focus of the team and increased my understanding of my responsibilities. It also gave me insight into how I might address the subject going forward. Sometimes you don’t understand, not because you’re less capable, but rather communication has not been sufficient.

communicate clearly to move faster

While working on a project I had many things to do. I told a colleague about a meeting I was invited to and she took my place on it. I saved 45 minutes on a call by delegating to someone else. Good communication will accelerate answers and remove obstacles.