It is said that communication is not a medium, but rather a skill. In our modern world rich in communication mediums, effective communication is still the No. 1 problem reported to us by employers. Communication is therefore a skill, not a channel.
Some Commonly Overlooked Communication Issues
- Lack of attention: When employees do not hear from their leaders on a regular basis, they are essentially on an island, simply doing the best they can without the reinforcement to drive them forward. While this may be acceptable for the employee who is highly self-motivated, it does not work for most employees.
- Information overload: As a leader, it’s critical that you realize how much an employee cognitively processes during a workday. Mistakes, miscommunication and low morale can be a result of information overload.
- Misaligned expectations: When leaders are not precisely clear on expectations, employees may experience confusion leading to productivity problems and, over the course of time, become actively disengaged.
Some Methods to Combat Communication Issues
- Diligently make communication a core leadership function. The first goal of any leader is the growth of their direct reports. How can a leader ever really grow his or her direct reports without ongoing dialogue? By doing so, you establish trust and know your employees as individuals, and it is through this steadfast relationship development that your employees shine.
- Avoid assumptions. Believing your employees have clarity is a falsity. Be intentional with your communication, seek clarity and know that your robust, extensive experience can become a liability if you neglect to provide all details for a given process. When the steps of a process have become rote for you, it’s easier to omit critical steps an employee needs to know.
- Adopt a 360-degree lens. A common pitfall in communication is not including all parties who are affected. Think carefully when creating any kind of communication so that you consistently operate using a 360-degree lens and watch communication issues immediately reduce.
Some Reflection Prompts
- Are you communicating in a way that is supremely clear and provides feedback channels for questions and clarity?
- Is there too much communication occurring that is causing stress for employees who are trying to process long or complicated directives?
- What communication can be eliminated without mitigating efficiency, effectiveness or goal achievement?
Success Story
In a recent intake meeting at one of our clients for whom we are developing a customized corporate training program for a certain job role, it became evident that each stakeholder and subject-matter expert was viewing the process and the critical tasks of the job role entirely differently. Further, they were communicating downline in the production environment using different channels. Taken together, the root cause of the client’s inability to upskill individuals in the job role was evident: current employees were receiving mixed messaging and lacked clarity about their job expectations.
The solution: We mapped the communication process between all stakeholders and subject-matter experts. This eliminated extraneous communication channels by selecting the one that would be most consistent for those in the job role. The stakeholders and subject matter experts also attended a training program to increase their abilities in intentional communication.
The result: Increased productivity and engagement for team members, along with improved relationships between leaders and their direct reports.
The Takeaway
Examining our capabilities on an ongoing basis is a lifeblood of a leader. Constantly transforming our ability to meaningfully, intentionally, consistently and effectively communicate to an ever-evolving workforce is a non-negotiable endeavor.
