Are you an effective communicator?
Communication is one of the most important aspects of leadership. Effective leaders communicate in a concise, professional manner. It seems the human attention span is getting shorter and few people have the time or patience for long drawn-out communication. That doesn’t mean all good communication is short or that you should leave out important details. Just omit what’s not important and doesn’t support your point. Everyone appreciates brevity.
Professional communication revolves around several key skills: stick to the subject at hand, say only what you know, and clearly identify statements that are speculative or for which you are unsure.
It isn’t difficult to become a more effective communicator. Here are 10 tips to help.
- Keep your thoughts ahead of your speech. Once the words leave your mouth, they cannot be called back. Make sure what you say is what you intend to say. The snappy come-back may seem to make you look smart, but can just as often be disastrous. Listen carefully and make sure you understand before you respond.
- Avoid personal attacks. Listen carefully to what the other person is saying. Pay attention to how they are saying it. Then, try to see what you’re going to say from the listener’s point of view. What may seem harmless to you might be perceived as an attack to them.
- Be positive. Instead of “Your reports are getting sloppy,” try “You’ve always given me great reports. Lately though, I have noticed they aren’t up to your normal standards.”
- Watch the use of profanity. It’s best not to use it at all. Even if the person you’re talking to has an interesting vocabulary, they may not appreciate it from you. Some will; some won’t. Yes that may seem unfair, but even worse, sometimes subordinates who are offended won’t tell you, they will just harbor resentment.
- Understand the difference between critique and criticism. Though these words are nearly synonymous, there is a difference in application. Think of a critique as a critical analysis or evaluation of something and criticism as a judgment of someone. You may critique someone’s work, but don’t criticize them.
- Project good on others and bad on yourself. “You did a great job on that project, but I was disappointed that it was not completed on time.” Likewise, when talking to others give success to your people, keep failure for yourself. “Jane did a great job on that project; unfortunately, we delivered it a little late.” (That isn’t to say you can’t discuss Jane’s lateness with her one-on-one) This is a concept many leaders fail to grasp. Just as you bask in the glow of your team’s success, you must also take responsibility for the things that go wrong.
- The age old advice to praise in public and critique in private still applies.
- Do not adopt a superior tone with subordinates. They are not children and they won’t respond well to be treated as though they are.
- Control anger and keep your voice even. Too many discussions quickly elevate to arguments or shouting matches. Even if the other person gets excited, you must stay on an even keel. Don’t let anger guide you. Seldom does anything good come from words said in anger.
- Make sure your actions match your words. Sometimes actions say more than words. If you tell someone you’re interested in what they say, but then continue reading the papers on your desk, you are sending them a very clear message.
Here’s a bonus. Notice that there is a common thread throughout these tips: listening. Successful communication is most likely when the involved parties make a conscious effort to listen and understand what the other person is saying. Remember; listen to understand, not just to reply.
Try these ten tips and watch your communication, and therefore your leadership effectiveness increase.
Bob Mason is dedicated to leadership development. He works with companies to solve problems by helping supervisors and managers become more effective leaders leading more productive teams. He is a professional speaker and author of Don’t Worry, You Can Do This: What New Supervisors and Managers Need to Know About Leadership; The Art of Not Motivating: How Leaders Can Succeed by Understanding the True Nature of Motivation; Balancing the Generations: A Leader’s Guide to the Complex, Multi-Generational, 21st Century Workplace; and Planning to Excel: Strategic Planning That Works.
A 30-year career in the U.S. Air Force exposed him to great leaders and leadership opportunities such as command of four squadrons, including the Air Force’s largest munitions squadron. He has studied leadership extensively, but more importantly has been there, working with real people, making hard decisions, and experiencing the results.
Contact Bob at Bob@BobMasonSpeaker.com or 505-453-5266
