Yesterday we held a discussion at the intersection of communication and leadership. Here are the key takeaways:
Easy to blame and hard to pin down
We’ve heard communication get the blame before:
“That was communicated badly….”
“It was a miscommunication.”
“This is a communication problem.”
But how come “communicating better” doesn’t always fix the issue? That’s because there might be more to the story. Beneath the surface:
A key party might not know what they actually want.
Someone pushes an idea that sounds good on paper, but then they can’t back down when it falls apart.
Since becoming a leader sometimes happens before we’re ready, we could be missing key skills, like:
Noticing that communication is required.
Making sure to take people’s needs into account.
Facing difficult topics with care, instead of avoiding them altogether.
The takeaway:
When “communication” is to blame, look for a deeper issue.
Avoiding discomfort creates fragility
Treating peers and colleagues too much like children, “protecting” them by hiding information, lessens their resilience. It trains them to doubt your account of the situation, and it makes even small movements or uncertainties feel more catastrophic than they are.
The takeaway:
Use hard situations as an opportunity to teach yourself how to have the courage to rise to the occasion. Then, guide others to do the same. Don’t wait until a major crisis; do it now, while it’s safe by comparison.
What’s smart often loses to what’s immediate
For most orgs, effective communication is far down the list of priorities compared to increasing revenue, decreasing costs, and growing in the market. If there’s a deadline, it gets focus. If it’s just good hygiene (as communication is), it gets neglected.
The takeaway:
Create space for your own effectiveness! Reserve time on your calendar for reflection on what’s beyond the haze of the short-term, with special attention to what must be shared and what must be said.
The good news
If you’re reading this, you have the chance to make a difference.
Ask yourself, “What would I already be doing today, if I were an ideal communicator?” Then, with your answers in hand, consider, “What ‘first steps’ could I take?”
Special thanks to Aleix Morgadas (whose org is hiring) for his helpful contributions, and the same thanks to Leon McCabe, who described some fascinating possibilities around decision simulation to accelerate executive training (put a pin in that for now… we would like to explore this further, in particular to aid in compressing learning cycles on long timespans).
Go forth and communicate,
Ben and David
StrategyTeaming.com