Every leader knows that communication is key. But not all communication produces the desired result.
A common mistake leaders make is they don’t cover all the bases. To get results, you need to start with the why, but don’t stop there.
Communicate the ‘why’
Before you go into anything else, make sure that you’re clear on the ‘why’ behind what you are proposing. If you jump straight into the details of what you want people to do or how you want them to do it, you’ll lose people. They need to be inspired, motivated and encouraged to want to hear what you have to say.
It’s not good enough to say, “Do it because I say so.” When someone joins your team or gets involved with your cause, they do it partly for their own payoff. Yes, they care about the company. But you need to make sure you are offering everyone on your team something—whether it is a sense of significance, greater knowledge, personal reward, a career or friendship.
Communicate ‘what’ and ‘how’
Although the ‘why’ needs to come first, don’t neglect the ‘what’ and ‘how.’ Be clear when allocating responsibilities and determining accountability.
Clearly communicate not only what to do, but how to do it. Make sure you’ve equipped your team to successfully complete their responsibilities. Then, with patience and a commitment to building up your team members, hold them accountable for producing results.
Communicate if the plan changes
If you need to make a change to your plan down the road, make sure you communicate it to your team. It’s important to communicate goals, objectives and modifications along the way. If you make changes to the system, tell the people involved. Change is difficult for most people and organizations; communication can help make it easier.
That being said, even if you communicate the change well it won’t be well received by everyone. If the decision has been made, you may need to close the feedback loop at some point. Too much communication may prolong the transition phase and create an impression that the change is not positive.
Be decisive in your communications. Let others know you hear their concerns and tackle legitimate issues, but understand that you do not have to take every person’s opinion under advisement.
Make sure you’re specific with all of your communications. You don’t have to cover everything at once. If you try to say too many things, you end up saying nothing at all.
It’s better to communicate simply and more often than try to cram everything you want to say in one training session or one long email.
Leon Fontaine is internationally renowned for his ability to equip leaders with skills for success. He is the CEO of Miracle Channel and senior pastor of Springs, a contemporary church for family and career coaching with six campuses across two provinces in Western Canada. Email your comments to [email protected].