Communicate, Communicate, and Communicate

As I was listening to an audio speech by Chris Weidner I became aware of a problem. Sometimes we feel that we've beat a subject to death. As leaders we feel we've stated the need, the change, the information to everyone and everywhere. Because we've stated the intention over and over again we feel it's enough. Chris Weidner stated that successful business leadership begins with communication. If I were a betting person I would bet that anyone of the workers of your organization would say that one of the biggest problems is a lack of communication.

Some leaders believe that if they send out a memo either a hardcopy or through an email that nothing else needs to happen from the leader. I've seen this recently in my own place of employment. The idea comes across as this: "Well, they were told to sign up for a committee if they didn't then I guess they don't care." I'm not suggesting that you keep saying the same thing over and over again. I am wanting you to think about how you inform your workers of the organization about your intentions.

Many times our words get lost in the translation between the leader and the workers. Leaders take time to listen not only to their organization's workers but to the usage of their own words. Sometimes what gets lost comes from the tone of the memo, voice or any other type of communication. True leaders will listen to their department heads, and others throughout the whole organization. If anyone in the links of the organization become misunderstood, then the communication ends.

Communication is what we speak, how we speak, the words we use, and the listening of our ears, eyes, hearts and minds. To communicate to all of the organization can feel daunting and overwhelming, but doesn't have to be a burden.

Lets say you've sent out a memo via email to everyone in the organization about some changes that are going to take place. The email may state that in order to save money we will be using less paper. All correspondence within the business will take place by emails. (I know oversimplified.) That email has been sent. Later in the week a meeting of all departmental leaders has been called for Friday Afte
oon. Now you intend to talk to your departmental leaders about this memo that was sent.

Friday arrives, and the department leaders are sitting around the conference table. You ask each of them if everyone in their department are using emails. One of your leaders states that not everyone in his department was using email. Then you ask appropriate questions to find out the problems in that department. Now you have successfully communicated. The idea here is to keep the lines of communication open. A closed door is just as hard to open as a closed ear.

This idea is to allow the communication to be sent in chunks. The leader speaks his intentions as a whole, along with communicating with the department leaders, Then they to their departments. That way one person communicates to two or three, and then those two or three communicate to three or more. Everyone now has the same understanding of th leader's original intentions.

Communication has one other ugly head that needs not be overlooked. Assumption, assume, or assuming. We use assumptions way too much. The old adage is true. Ass-u-me. Anyway, leaders assume that the organization hears, reads and understands the message. The organization thinks the leadership doesn't care about their input and doesn't understand what takes place in the worker-bee hives, and the message gets lost either through complacency or a thought it's just one more needless edict. The only way to clear all of the assumptions of communication is not assume anything. By creating a more direct line then the organization is successfully communicating.

Break down the communication into chunks of people instead of all the people at the same time. Communication is vital to the welfare of the organization's success. Be a leader who goes the extra mile to make certain that your intentions are being heard throughout the entire organization. Yes, you will still have lack of communication creeping around among the workers, but hopefully there will be less mis-understandings and more implementation.