Leadership Communication: How Do You Rate?

THE MOST COMMON ISSUE: When we conduct leadership and management sessions, the most common challenge mentioned is “communication”: communicating with employees, communicating with bosses, communicating with suppliers, and on and on.

WHO TAUGHT YOU? Most of us model the communication skills we learned in our families, our workplace culture, or (gasp!) the media. None of these may be good models.

HOW TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION: The good news is that skillful communication can be learned and improved, just like a new computer program or a new engineering technique. What you need is three things: 1) valuing good communication; 2) taking the time to learn; and 3) practice, practice, practice.

What Should You Do?  

I’ve written many Monday Memos and other articles about improving communication. Check out:

A Surefire Way to Get People to Listen

How to Motivate Employees With Gratitude

Workplace Gossip: Should You or Shouldn’t You? A Surprising NEW Study May Have Some Answers

Here’s a quick review on leadership communication:

1)  Remember filters. We all hear things through our own filters that can include or assumptions, biases, our own history, experience, and so on.	1)  Assume that others hear the same thing as you.
2)  Listen well. Consider how you would listen is you were called as an objective witness in court.	2)  Use debate, rather than dialogue.
3)  Clarify. Make sure that you understand what the other person is saying. Ask open-ended questions (who, what, where, when) until you do.	3)  Launch into a response when you’re not sure you understand.
4)  Summarize. At the end of the conversation, summarize what you think they said.	4)  Skip this step.
5)  Assume responsibility for the communication. As a leader, you need to model appropriate communication.	5)  Blame others for their lack of skill.
6)  Check out misunderstandings. Assume miscommunication.	6)  Assume someone was trying to attack or undermine you.
7)  Use what, how or and.	7)  Avoid “buts”.
8)  Avoid condescending or demeaning comments.	8)  Talk down or use belittling language.
9)  Use “I” statements.	9)  Use blaming “you” or “you always”.
10)  Use requests.	10)  Use complaints.