All leaders must communicate well. I suppose I could leave it at that, but I feel I must explain why. Here goes:
I am a subordinate and have been in every position in life with the exception of my latest post: I am a new father. I have often been subjected to poor directions and failed communication. I failed many times as a result. I had an office in Florida once where my supervisor/manager/whatever failed in my understanding of just exactly what my job was. She even had me write the description.
She also ignored most of my requests and only effectively communicated when she was pointing out my shortcomings as a data analyst (let it be known that I am not a statistician; I am an IT Professional.)
Before I get off on a rant, let me try to explain why it is necessary as a leader to convey your thoughts clearly to those whom you lead.
In effective communication, more than your instructions get across to the worker. The leader’s attitude toward the organization, task, and the worker himself can be told from a single sentence from the superior. We all know that attitudes can spread; someone with a recent death in the family can quiet the entire office for a whole day at times. If the boss is quite down and projects negativity about the company or his superiors, his subordinates can get to feeling the same way and lose sight of the organization’s goals. Negativity spreads regardless of position; the UPS delivery person can ruin an entire section of cubes given the perfect circumstances.
The effective communication discussed here includes several things:
- Building a trust-based relationship
- Paying attention to the subordinate
- Inviting creativeness
- Inviting camaraderie
- Welcoming promotion
A leader must build a trust-based relationship with everyone around him. This ensures that people will tell the truth and express their concerns without hesitation. In turn, problems are resolved before they begin to affect productivity. If the worker cannot feel comfortable asking for a new stapler when one is clearly needed, she won’t be inclined to speak up about things like missing deadlines either.
A leader must not ignore anyone. This involves a great deal of listening as well as multi-tasking, skills the leader should have mastered while in a lower position. If a worker is ignored or shrugged-off in any case, even the “Do you like my new tie?”-type questions, the worker will simply fall into a pattern of silence. He feels no one is listening, so he might as well save his breath.
Effective communication, having built a good say-anything relationship, should invite creativeness in that anything goes when it comes to ideas for change in the work environment. If there is a procedure that could be changed and a worker has a good idea to make it better, the leader will know because she listens. Inviting and encouraging creativity is one of the best things an organization can do to improve itself. The more efficient anyone or anything can become, the better off everyone is, even if it shaves twenty seconds off making a funnel cake.
Camaraderie is very important in a working relationship among any number of people. The simple act of meeting after work for a chat over coffee can make the greatest positive difference in someone’s life, and possibly in their career. People aren’t so reluctant to get to work if they enjoy the company they work with.
Something a leader can always use for motivating people: the possibility of promotion. This doesn’t mean that one should string people along and not come through. This motivation involves merely keeping the concerned informed about the goings-on in the organization and opportunities for advancement, especially during periods of growth. The workers should make their own decisions with what they hear and confirm, but the leader should always be in support of anyone attempting to get ahead even if it means parting company.
Above all, a leader should listen. Listening is half of the whole communication bit. Nothing is accomplished without communication. I’m sure it took more than one caveman to tackle a wildebeest for dinner, and I am willing to bet they used some form of communication. Without that, they may have starved, and it could have been the end of our species.
Yeah, it’s that important.
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