Cantinflas, one of the greats of those years, consciously or unconsciously established the term “cantinflear,” now recognized by the RAE to describe a way of speaking that is nonsensical and difficult to understand. You may remember Cantinflas with his trousers halfway up, his builder's cap, a rag over his shoulder and an unfiltered cigarette, delivering a stream of hilarious phrases that said everything and nothing and made his speeches more confusing than reassuring.

Entire generations have enjoyed that amusing way of speaking in films. What is truly funny—or sad, depending on your perspective—is how many executives ramble like Cantinflas. They wonder, “I don’t understand why my people don’t understand me.” I immediately picture them dressed as Cantinflas: “At your service, booooss!”

The point is that communication is a competency every senior executive should develop. Instead, we assume that because people are managers or directors, they “already know.” Yet when we hear clients explain their needs, the lack of preparation in this area is clear. And no, dear reader, I do not mean only a limited ability to express ideas, plans or strategies clearly. I also mean an executive's ability to understand situations or the tendency to assume they have understood them.

Let me share an experience. This week, our consultants are training in several cities, for different clients and on different topics. Coordination can become complex: venues, meetings, schedules, equipment, materials, hotels, travel expenses, flights and more must all be checked. Yet this week, one trainer asked midway through last week, “So, nothing for the week?” Exactly as you read it. The answer: “Negative.”

What went wrong? What went right? What was missing? Being more precise in either the question or the answer: “So nothing for this SAME week?” “Correct, there is nothing else this week.” This clearly shows how haste or thinking about something else impoverishes our communication and leads us to assume things are understood. The result: arriving late for training and, with our “tail between our legs,” as they say where I come from, apologizing to the client and reviewing how to make amends.

In this particular case, it is very frustrating because we are extremely committed to ensuring our team operates punctually and efficiently; it is one of our core company values. I understand that a delayed flight (which neeeeever happens. Cc: @volaris, @aeromexico, @interjet. P.S. We have a won-der-ful time management training program if you need one), a road accident or flood, a company power outage, etc., can prevent training from starting as scheduled. But we cannot control those things; they are out of our hands. Mistakes caused by poor communication between executives, however, are human errors, my friends. They happen because people make assumptions, and those must be controlled.

How often has your partner become angry over a small, meaningless gesture? Or asked, “What are you thinking about, love?” “Nothing.” “HOW CAN IT BE NOTHING? WHO ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT?” There is also the famous saying, “Silence means consent.” Wrong! These are everyday communication errors that affect both our professional and personal lives.

As mentioned, executives within companies should master these competencies. If they do not, they need training. Here are 3 pillars to start developing more assertive communication:

1. Be clear: Do not beat around the bush. Say what you mean. You cannot control people’s reactions or responses, so make sure you are concise.

2. Be specific: do not beat around the bush. Say what you want to say directly. Talking too much can confuse the other person, who may understand a different message, or the central point may become diluted.

3. Keep it simple: Do not use fancy or pompous words; stop bluffing. The simpler the communication, the more effective it is.

One more tip: if a 10-year-old cannot understand what you say, your communication is not effective. Pay attention! If you need more support, we offer a wonderful effective communication course that I am sure will help you.

Rock’n roll people!!!