How often do organizations emphasize quality over quantity? At this point, everyone in America has engaged in this debate at least a thousand times just in the past year. All joking aside, it truly is a significant topic. Why? Probably because communication is more effortless and accessible than ever before. What used to take hours to write and days to deliver now takes mere minutes to compose and nanoseconds to transmit. Communication is inexpensive, simple, and swift. So we do it a lot!

This article poses the question, “How can you manage the quality of communication from your church?”

Start using Grammerly immediately.

We live in a world of digital communication. Shouldn’t you also use digital tools to check that communication? I always find it amusing when people utilize all the resources to write something quickly and efficiently. Yet, they stop and review their work the same way they did 25 years ago—going line by line, trying to recall their high school English classes to correct their grammar and spelling mistakes. Just so you know, I’m actually using Grammarly right now as I write this article. It’s amazing, and you should try it too!

Schedule your communication.

Let’s be brutally honest for a moment: most of what you want to say to others can probably wait a few days before it’s communicated. Churches fortunate enough to have a communications department can effectively manage this by scheduling specific messages to be sent on particular days. Smaller churches may need to get a bit more creative with this approach, but I believe you likely have someone on your team who is particularly organized. Identify the person with this skill and ask them to help you create a consistent communication rhythm so that everything doesn’t get crammed into one day.

Develop a standardized style.

This might seem simple (and it is!), but it will greatly enhance the quality of communication. The most common issue I notice is with email signatures. They should be simple, sleek, and uniform for everyone working at the church. The only difference should be the personalized content in the signature. Naturally, you all have different names and titles. Personally, I dislike signatures that include pictures and quotes. These are emails, not your grandma’s living room wall. Signatures should include your name, title, the church’s name (hyperlinked to the church website), and perhaps the church’s phone number. Additionally, consider a modern font in an appealing color to make the most important information stand out. Many of these principles can be applied to all types of communication, both digital and print.

Have someone else review what you wrote.

My administrative assistant has saved me numerous times by reviewing my emails and catching mistakes. If you don’t have someone like that, consider asking a colleague, friend, spouse, or AI. Copying and pasting text into ChatGPT to see if it can be expressed better takes just 30 seconds. It’s so easy, and if you use the available tools, it can spare you many headaches.

Create a culture that’s OK with critique.

This task is more challenging and will take longer to complete. Still, I see a significant difference between a culture that embraces constructive criticism and one that gets offended when you point out their lengthy run-on sentences. As a leader, you need to be the first to accept criticism and adjust your communication style. Model this behavior for your staff. It might sting a little when people start scrutinizing your communication habits and highlighting the mistakes. Unfortunately, this is how we elevate our communication quality. Think of it like going to the gym. Your muscles won’t grow if you only do easy exercises. No pain, no gain, as kids say these days. At least, I think they say that.

I hope to leave you with this truth from Scripture: Proverbs 12:18 states, “There is one who speaks rashly, like a piercing sword; but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” The term “rashly” can have several meanings. It may refer to someone who hastily makes vows or someone who speaks without thinking. We typically refer to this as “inconsiderate.” You might have all the right reasons in your mind to communicate that message, but have you considered how you are expressing it? Have you put in the effort to enhance the quality of your content and delivery methods? Take comfort in knowing that when you elevate the quality and communicate wisely, you can bring healing to the people in your care.