Communication Complications

I’m going to make a comment involving leadership that has been made continuously since the beginning of organized business. One of the most crucial elements in becoming a successful leader is by communicating effectively. Whew I said it! That has been bothering me for some time. I really needed to write that, and now I’ve solved all leaders’ misery around the globe. Time to try and solve for world peace. I’m just kidding about that last statement. Communication is easier to discuss. The statement I made about effective communication has been rehashed so many times. Classes have been developed and taught, books have been written, and studies have all determined that communication is an important cog in the leadership wheel. If so much time has been spent trying to master communication then why is it so hard to conquer? Here are some of my thoughts;

Message-One of the things leaders struggle with is in delivering an effective message. This mental tussle between the brain and mouth doesn’t occur with the type of message needed to be sent. I think the dilemma exists with how we want to state the communication. Is the message serious or light? Is it formal or informal? Should the leader be serious looking or smile? Serious messages have been communicated with humoristic overtones and loose, informal messages have been communicated with a serious expression and tone. Both faux pas have caused confusion, awkward moments, and have cause leaders to look aloof. The final result is an ineffective message and confused subordinates.

Scripted-In today’s politically correct society the business world has developed scripting to handle all situations customers may throw at us. Leaders have scripts, dos and don’ts, and are coached to avoid saying the wrong thing. There are just too many scripts to be able to communicate properly as leaders. The message is lost in translation because it is too prepared. Employees want honest, unrehearsed dialogue with their leaders. This shows management cares enough to communicate from the heart. Being personable lets the leader be creative, warmth, and an openness that helps people better relate to leadership. If it is discovered that the message may sound inappropriate create another way to say it but make it the leaders own words not created by others.

Succinct Message-No matter what position a person holds in the organization a short but sweet mantra for communicating must be practiced. A crisp delivery helps eliminate distractions, which there is plenty of in the workplace. Remember many people are vying for each other’s time to complete personal and departmental agendas. This is reality and being able to deliver shorter messages lets people know the content is important.

Mix up communication mediums-Deliver messages at different times of the day. Effectively use verbal and nonverbal communication. Try and send e-mails, instant message people, and text if possible. Change agendas, meeting times and places. Praise and criticize equally. All of these things add variety to employee’s days. It makes leaders less predictable and these different options will keep attention spans high.

Communication is a skill that can always be improved on as a leader. It is difficult to deliver an effective message to a diverse staff. Keep developing this talent and trying to discover effective means of communication. Good luck.

Culture and Change

Every week my group presents its weekly intraday reports to the leadership team. This includes supervisors, managers, and directors, so there is quite a variety of people that can establish culture and change it when necessary. The reason I present that combination is because leaders can fall into a culture rut. Each week the leaders get critical about the work presented to them, take an hour to decide a plan of action, and decide on putting several confusing action items together to solve departmental issues. This of course should be completed usually within a half hour. Usually what comes out of this is a rushed group trying to complete multiple items, with the problems not completely solved and the fingers of blame pointing in several directions.

This scenario, to me, is an example of culture and one that is in need of change. Culture can be defined as processes taken to complete daily tasks, how they are communicated, how consensus is reached, conflict management, and items learned to be able to complete tasks more efficiently. Instead the department has many opinionated, agenda driven speakers vying for their agenda to be heard. I think as a group we all need to decide that its time for a culture change.

Some ways to do this is limit the number of participants perhaps on a rotational basis so different leaders can be heard and can communicate with their respective teams. Another thought in changing the culture is to present a solution to any problem presented as a team. This removes blame and inserts constructive steps. Another thing is to have weekly forums involving the entire group. This can be a great place to communicate expectations and goals. Finally I think it is imperative to communicate lessons learned and talk about better ways to organize tasks, run meetings, and communicate with one another. It will be beneficial for production, group confidence, and cohesiveness.