by D.J. Vanas
The magical, mystical glue that holds teams together is trust. With it, we see people follow their leaders through the fires of change, challenge, doubt and fear. Without it, people won’t follow their leader to the bathroom. But how do we build that trust and strengthen our relationships, our connections and ultimately influence how well we lead others?
Through communication.
We are all like human radio stations, transmitting information to those around us at all times. We communicate through e-mail, texting and speaking, but also through our body language and most importantly, through the example we set with our actions. In the end, our goal as leaders is to communicate in a way that strengthens the bond of trust and enables us to have more influence and impact with those we lead. Whether they are teammates, co-workers, fellow community member or our own families, good communication is a must.
In the extreme, miscommunication can cause injuries or even death in arenas such as the military, operating heavy machinery or medicine. However, if we don’t continually work to prevent miscommunications in our own lives, we can create disruptions that can break down trust, waste energy, time and money and cause confusion or chaos. To prevent this, three elements of great communication require us to be:
Clear – Before we communicate, we must ask ourselves Am I trying to communicate clearly or am I trying to impress others? Sometimes when egos get the best of us instead of trying to communicate clearly, we try to impress those around us with flowery speech and a stunning vocabulary. Speak and write in the simplest terms you can get away with, not to “dumb down” the message, but to make sure it’s being transmitted in a way that all will receive. The goal here is clear communication – not showing off.
Concise – Why write something in three pages that could be communicated in three paragraphs? Why say something in ten minutes that should take two? Bigger is not better, especially in communication. We live in an era where information overload is the new normal. The longer and more complex we make our messages, the less impact they have on the intended audience. Instead, be concise in your communication with your people; trim the fat and the fluff until what you have left is a message worth their time – and attention.
Consistent – The first time water flows over a prairie, it spreads everywhere. The second time, it starts to follow a pattern of flow. By the thousandth time, it’s cut a deep channel. Communication works the same way. If we say positive, encouraging and clarifying statements to our people over and over again and they accuse us of being like a “broken record” we can just smile. We’ll know that our communication is working. And when your people are confused or stressed, what messages will cut through the clutter? You got it, the broken record messages that you’ve provided will keep them resilient and on track. Provide a safety net of good ideas and consistently affirming communication to your people and you’ll see how easy it is to keep the team headed in the right direction.
Follow the 3 Cs of great communication and you’ll become a more effective leader, see how much better your teams respond and perform, and how much easier life and work are when everyone is on the same sheet of music!
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