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Training 2008: Say What?
December 21, 2007
Posting announcements on the intranet, holding teleconferences, or scheduling half a dozen meetings is the not same as substantive communication. Here are some simple but solid strategies to make communication a reality rather than an illusion around your office.
By Dianna Booher
"There's just no communication around here!" Sound familiar?
How can there be "no" communication when you probably have a cell phone clipped to your belt or in your purse as you read this? Maybe you have the newest Blackberry, or maybe a complete mini-computer on your wristwatch, or maybe you haven't given up that old beeper.
E-mail, voice mail, text messages, document downloads—they're all available 24/7 from one source or another.
And yet people continue to complain that "there's no communication around here."
You hear this frequent complaint after foul-ups occur—whether at a start-up or a multinational corporation. Yet bosses insist they're giving explicit instructions to their employees. Coworkers think they're sharing all necessary information with their colleagues. Businesses believe they are communicating well with their customers. Companies lose employees and customers every week because they fail to teach people to communicate clearly and candidly with each other. Period. It's that simple. And that complex.
The problem? Information is not communication. Posting announcements on the intranet, holding teleconferences, or scheduling half a dozen meetings is the not same as substantive communication. Consider these simple but solid strategies to make communication a reality rather than an illusion around your office:
• Be correct. Tell it like it is—no clichés that often are expected but seldom respected. From the C-suite to the mailroom, truth telling is key to productivity. If you missed your numbers, say so. If you made a mistake, admit it. Every day we interact with bosses, customers, suppliers, coworkers, kids, spouses, or neighbors in sensitive situations with difficult questions. There are easy answers. And then there are truthful, more difficult answers. Your power as a communicator often depends on the choice between the two.
• Be complete. To make good decisions and take appropriate action, people need complete information—whether in everyday situations, in addressing employees in the midst of a takeover, or while appeasing consumers during a product recall. And the worse the news, the quicker it needs to be shared.
• Be clear. Be specific. Vague generalities create confusion. Speak and write in simple, plain English. Muddling information creates a sense of phoniness and insincerity, and in some cases, intimidation. Some people send unclear messages with the best of intentions. "How did I do on the presentation?" often elicits a response of "Great job" when "Mediocre" would have been more appropriate. Results: Poor performers never improve.
• Don't be purposefully unclear. Have you ever heard someone talk "around" an answer for fear the message will be perceived as bad news by the audience? Leaders set the communication climate of the whole team. When they fail to ask for and listen to input from others before setting all decisions, policies, and plans in stone, leaders limit their effectiveness, at best, and create a climate of paranoia at worst.
• Be consistent. A manager hears, "The company's not doing well. Freeze wages in your area." Then she sees construction crews remodeling the executive dining room. We communicate by our actions—and inaction—as well as words. Parents understand the dilemma that inconsistency presents to their children. Thus, the saying, "Do as I say—not as I do." Customers and employees experience disenchantment when they see inconsistencies in the workplace. You can't not communicate—by words, action, or silence.
• Be credible. Consider the look, the language, the likeability factor, character, and competence. People often judge your credibility by your appearance (dress, grooming, movement, gestures, facial expression, posture, walk). And when you open your mouth, they judge your ability to think on your feet and express yourself coherently. People tend to trust people they like.
• Be concerned and connected. Leaders who show they care about people as individuals—not as employees, suppliers, or customers—make a connection. Those who don't not only fail to communicate, but they also lose employees and customers over time. Concern connects people. In whatever situation—from product recall to layoffs to employee illness to stressed colleagues—there's tremendous power in communicating your concern. When logic causes a lapse in the relationship, emotion closes the gap.
• Be current. Speed is the new measure of quality. With one-hour dry-cleaning, 30-minute pizza delivery, and two-minute Lasik surgery, no one wants to wait until tomorrow to find out the latest big news. Speed of communication is essential in bringing scattered work groups up to date on new projects, diffusing rumors, and helping to maintain morale company-wide. When workers get the latest scoop about their company from the morning paper, it's proof-positive they are out of the loop on late-breaking corporate news.
• Your communication should make YOU look competent. Leaders need to know what impression the people who represent them—receptionists, salespeople, and the company spokesperson—are creating. If you have somebody else answer your phone, respond to your e-mails, or write your reports, they're creating that impression for you. Your reputation often rests on a single interaction. Part of what you do on the job stays off others' radar screens. But every day the world judges your competence by what you say and write.
• Be circular. Make it your motto to ask, "Who else needs to know?" when there's a change of plans or when a new idea surfaces. In most organizations, downward communication dominates. Upward communication needs nudging. And lateral communication is almost non-existent. Publicizing your point, encouraging feedback, facilitating compelling conversations—as a leader, these are just a few of the best ways to institute cross-functional communication.
Communication makes the "top three" on many lists today: The most important ingredient in happy marriages. The most vital skill in job-interviewing success. The most frequent complaint employees cite as their reason for leaving an organization. The most frequent reason top talent joins a new team. The biggest challenge leaders experience in times of change and upheaval. The most critical component of great customer service.
It's all about communication. And success in business is all about how well you communicate—to your coworkers and customers. Instead of complaints, cover-ups, and blame, effective communication leads to inspiration, ideas, and innovation.
Dianna Booher works with organizations to increase their productivity and effectiveness through better oral, written, interpersonal, and cross-functional communication. She's author of more than 40 books, including her latest, "The Voice of Authority: 10 Communication Strategies Every Leader Needs to Know." For more information, visit www.booher.com or call 817.318.6000.
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