Nuts & Bolts
Business of Freelancing
Writers are in the business of communication. However, while some excel
at the written communications of our trade, many still struggle with
communicating with clients, partners, collaborators and other contacts.
E-mails are taken the wrong way. Partners sometimes assume that the
other person is taking care of a problem. Messages are distorted as they
are passed from one person to another. And, some people never hear what
others are really saying.
The following chapter is from Jean Otte's book Changing the Corporate
Landscape: A Woman's Guide to Cultivating Leadership Excellence .
Otte is the founder and CEO of WOMEN Unlimited Inc. (WUI), an organization
that partners with Fortune 500 companies to develop highly-successful
and effective women managers and executives. WUI's unique cross-industry
leadership programs also offer both men and women the tools to develop
talented women in their own organizations. Clients include industry-diverse
corporations such as American Express, Bridgestone, Colgate, Microsoft,
Pfizer, Prudential and Raytheon.
Through her 40+ years in Corporate America, Jean found that the same
principles used to develop gardens and understand the growth of plants
apply to the development of people. Organizations that apply those principles
flourish in the same manner that gardens thrive.
Formerly the first female corporate vice president and officer for National
Car Rental System Inc., Jean is now a sought-after speaker. She has spoken
at events such as Avon's and IBM's Women's Leadership Forums, Harvard's
Women in Business Conference, and at Professional BusinessWomen of California
(PBWC) conferences, as well as at Fortune 500 companies such as American
Express, Colgate, Catalyst, Pfizer, DuPont, and Sears Roebuck.
WIW is pleased with the opportunity to post chapter 7 of Changing
the Corporate Landscape with permission from the author.
You have to have rain to have a rainbow!
—Jean Otte
In the garden, no amount of sun, shade, soil additives, fertilizer,
mulch, pruning, or weeding will result in a successful outcome without
that most vital component that helps all gardens grow—water. Just
as water is the most essential ingredient in the process of gardening,
effective communication is the vital ingredient in the workplace. Employees
require an effective communication system in the same way plants need
water. It is essential for their survival. In Chapter 2, I discussed
the need for the leader to create a shared vision that involves others
and encourages their input and buy-in. Those same requirements apply
to the process of effective communication. It must be a two-way process
to be effective.
The level of an organization's (and its employees') success and growth
is largely determined by the clarity of vision and the ability to communicate
that vision to all levels of the organization, with a uniformly high
level of understanding and commitment—top to bottom. There are
numerous tools, techniques, and processes to assist leaders in these
efforts. There are also numerous obstacles that present challenges. The
foundation of truly effective communication within an organization is
usually determined by the quality of the one-to-one, interpersonal relationships
between individual leaders and those they lead.
Effective communication is defined as the transfer of information from
one person to another, with clarity of understanding. In this regard,
communication might seem like a very simple process. However, organization
consultants and executive coaches who spend most of their time trying
to help organizations and individuals improve performance and achieve
greater growth usually find that faulty or ineffective communication
processes are the number one issue blocking growth and success.
Communication is pervasive. We are always communicating, whether we
realize it or not. Sometimes organizations and individuals choose not
to communicate overtly and that in itself sends a huge message to others.
When asked to name one of the greatest contributors to her career, Sandy
Beach Lin, president of Alcoa Closure Systems International, named strong
communication and selling skills. "In my position," said Sandy, "I realize
the importance of communication upwards, downwards, and across the organization.
I need to be able to sell the direction of our business throughout the
company, to the top leadership, and to our employees. Honing my communication
skills early in my career has paid off time and again."
In his work as an executive consultant, Jack Yurish, founder and chairman
of the Cambridge Management Institute and former senior executive and
owner of National Car Rental Systems Inc., has identified the key components
of communication to be: the sender, the message, and the receiver. "To
be effective in the realm of interpersonal communications, the leader
must pay significant attention to each of these components," said Jack. "At
its simplest, communication is a direct transmission of information from
one person (the leader) to another (the follower). However, to ensure
understanding, as the definition of effective communication states, feedback
becomes a must." Consequently, the process becomes circular rather than
lineal. Effective communication is a balance of speaking and listening.
Resend
Sender——Message—-Receiver
Feedback
This circular and repetitive process continues until the leader is certain
that the information intended to be communicated is received by the receiver,
with the correct/desired level of understanding. At this point, let us
examine some basics regarding each of the components.
The Sender
Interpersonal effectiveness requires some very basic competencies on
the part of the leader. WUI regional director Amy Gonzales advises: "Essentially,
leaders must demonstrate that they are capable and confident. For women,
there are a number of key behaviors that are crucial to demonstrating
competence." The following are some of the behaviors Amy points out to
WUI participants.
• Strong, still posture: Your actions do speak louder than
words. Fidgeting, head tilting, rocking, scratching, all convey lack
of confidence. Powerful people keep their bodies and hands still, use
deliberate gestures, and are great at maintaining composed facial expressions,
no matter how flustered they may feel.
• Concise wording: Stop using the qualifiers that minimize
impact. Maybe, perhaps, kind of, a little, sort of create a
message of uncertainty instead of confidence. Confident people ask for
what they want, do not overapologize, and get to the bottom line quickly.
• Direct eye contact: In American culture, direct eye contact
conveys confidence and competence.
• Clear statements using "a voice of authority:" Think James
Earl Jones! The voice of authority is slow-paced, low-pitched, with a
downward inflection at the end. Women with higher-pitched voices have
a disadvantage with sounding as strong as their male counterparts. They
can compensate by slowing down their rate of speech, using pauses (instead
of filler words like um, er, you know ), and practicing speaking
from the diaphragm. Unfortunately, when women get passionate about an
issue their voices can rise in pitch, leading to the dreaded accusation
of being "shrill." Practice breathing to slow down delivery and pitch.
Finally, make sure that your statements are delivered with a downward
inflection (rather than a rising inflection) at the end of each sentence.
Rising inflections may sound friendly, but they indicate that you are
asking for approval instead of giving direct input. To practice, mentally
put a period—a pause—at the end of each statement.
• Caring: The ability to demonstrate that you are approachable
and interested in others. There are a number of key behaviors that are
important to demonstrating caring. They include:
• Use a friendly and engaging tone of voice
• Put energy into your voice when speaking with others, instead
of having a disinterested or flat tone. Speak with a smile in your voice.
• Ask questions. If you want to be approachable, you need
to engage in conversations with others.
• Balance "report talk" with "rapport talk."
• Use names. Remembering and using people's names is a powerful
tool in conveying genuine interest.
• Appear open. People will not approach you if you do not
seem to be approachable.
• Convey a message of interest and openness by smiling, direct
eye contact, and open posture.
Communicating with confidence is not about emulating one model or trying
to be someone you are not. It is understanding clearly who you are, and
being conscious of when you are operating at your very best. We are at
our "best" when we are feeling both competent and confident, and have
the energy that makes others engage with us. A WOMEN Unlimited participant
from IBM summed it up well when she said, "I was once called a diamond
in the rough. Because of that, for a long time I was trying to be someone
else, someone who fit the 'mold' of a typical leader. I've realized that
I can be a perfectly flawed diamond and still be successful. It's about
being comfortable with me."
However, showing that you are capable and competent in speaking is only
half of the communication equation. The leader must also be responsive
to the other person(s). That requires skill in effective listening and
responding. Both of these critical skills are usually found in leaders
who possess a healthy self-concept and are able to cope with their own
emotions, particularly angry feelings and are able to express them in
constructive ways. According to Dr. Richard "Rick" K. Bommelje, associate
professor in the department of organizational communication at Rollins
College and frequent WUI presenter: "listening is a multifaceted behavior:
active versus passive. If the awareness light bulb is off, the person
can hear, see, smell, but do it in a one-dimensional way. They may miss
before the game even begins." For their book Listening Leaders: The
10 Golden Rules to Listen, Lead & Succeed, Rick and Dr. Lyman
K. Steil interviewed 110 leaders throughout the world on the importance
of listening. Many of the leaders they researched correlated listening
with leading, and were open to receiving information from different sources
and in different venues. "There was one [executive] who was riding up
seven flights on an elevator and the person that we were interviewing
was with him," said Rick. One of the executive's team members was in
the elevator, and during that ride the executive "asked such probing,
thoughtful questions, that he was able through listening to get a whole
other perspective on the project." All this in a seven-story elevator
ride! The interviews reinforced the S-I-E-R model of listening.
"The S-I-E-R model of listening is a systematic approach for helping
individuals to enhance their listening awareness and applications," said
Rick. "The listening act consists of four connected activities—sensing,
interpreting, evaluating, and responding. Listening
is not synonymous with hearing, but good listening begins at the level
of sensing the sender's message. Sensing is basic to the other three
activities involved in listening—if the listener does not sense
the message, he or she can do nothing further with it."
The Message
The clarity and construction of the message, as well as the timing and
environment in which it is transmitted, is a vital part of the process.
Leaders must determine their own objectives in regard to the end result
they wish to achieve. What goals are they striving to achieve? What actions
are required on the part of the receivers of the communication?
"After the message is sensed," said Rick, "a second activity comes into
play: accurate interpretation." This is where semantic problems are encountered. "The
sensitive listener," said Rick, "says 'I heard the words used by the
speaker, but am I assigning a comparable meaning to them?' Effective
listeners remember that 'words have no meaning—people have meaning.'
The assignment of meaning to a term is an internal process (i.e., comes
from inside us). And although our experiences, knowledge, and attitudes
differ, we often misinterpret each other's messages while under the illusion
that a common understanding has been achieved."
I advise leaders to carefully consider the goals and attitudes of those
who will receive the communication, as well as those who will be affected
by it. In this regard the leader has to consider the questions: What's
in it for them and What message/rationale would enable them to buy-in?
Having clarified both ends of the equation, the leader is now in a position
to construct an effective message. Because the communication process
involves humans on both ends of the transaction, emotions play a huge
role in a leader's ability to effectively convey a message and in the
receiver's ability to receive it. Timing is critical. It has often been
said: "The right message at the wrong time, is the wrong message." For
this reason Amy Gonzalez reminds workshop participants of former New
York Mayor Rudy Guliani. Prior to the tragic events of September 11,
2001, Guliani's reputation was that of a tough, aggressive, and not particularly
likable public figure. After September 11, 2001, Guliani became a folk
hero and leader that people rallied around. Although his compassion and
clear concern for the people of his city had not changed, the circumstances
changed the way he was being "heard" or received.
The leader must take this issue into consideration with every communication,
especially with messages of great importance or personal impact. Excellent
information delivered at the wrong time may do more harm than good. The
setting in which the communication is delivered is also important. Trying
to deliver an important message in an environment filled with distractions
(phone, noise, passersby, and so on) will interfere with getting the
job done. There are enough obstacles, some of which will be discussed
later in this section, operating between the sender and receiver(s) without
adding environmental distractions to the process.
The Receiver
As mentioned earlier, the receiver's needs are a critical consideration
in the leader's planning of a communication. In addition to their perceptual
screens, which we will cover in our discussion of feedback, there are
several factors, that can influence the receiver's readiness to receive
the message. Among these are the communicator's position and level of
authority in the organization, which can add credibility to the message
but might also be threatening, depending upon the perception, maturity,
and self-confidence of the receiver. Also important is the level of trust
that exists between the sender and the receiver. Effective leaders always
seek to understand who their audience is and what their "win" needs are.
The other issue is that of "active listening," rather than hearing. "Active
listeners go beyond sensing and interpretation to another act: evaluation," said
Rick. "Here the listener decides whether or not to agree with the speaker.
The evidence is weighed, fact is sorted from opinion, and judgment is
rendered. Poor listeners begin this activity too soon, often hearing
something they disagree with and tuning out the speaker from that point
on. When this occurs, sensing and interpretation stop—so does listening.
Speakers have the right to be heard, and the best listeners delay judgment
until the message is fully presented. Moreover, the best listeners work
hard at developing their judgmental skills and abilities."
Feedback
The next critical step for the communicator, to ensure understanding,
is the solicitation of feedback from the receiver. In this regard, it
is not sufficient for the communicator/sender to merely ask, "Did you
understand?" A "yes" response on the part of the receiver does nothing
to assure the communicator that their message was received and understood
exactly as they had intended. To get helpful feedback, it is crucial
that the communicator asks for specific information from the intended
receiver—for example, questions like "What did you hear me say?" "Can
you tell me your understanding of what I've just said?" or "How do you
intend to carry out my request?" or "How do you think this will impact
you and others?" All of these direct requests for the receiver to provide
specific information provide the sender with the ability to assess whether
or not the message has been received as intended. If it has not, the
communicator has the ability to resend with additional information and/or
greater clarity.
"Every effective leader realizes the critical importance of responding," said
Rick. "To respond requires the development of the ability to respond
plus responsibility . The response stage of listening is especially
crucial for judging the success of the listening act as a whole. This
is true because the first three stages—sensing, interpreting, and
evaluating—are internal acts. They take place inside of us—no
one can directly observe them. Until the listener makes a concrete response,
it's often difficult to determine whether the speaker has been successful
in getting the point across."
As Jack Yurish stated earlier, this is why the communication process
needs to be a cyclical process of sending-receiving-testing-resending,
until there is a clear and mutual understanding between the sender and
the receiver, the leader and their followers. This cyclical/iterative
process is necessary because every person, sender and receiver, has individual
perceptual screens. An individual's perceptual screen is made up of their
total life experience (their upbringing, education, values, professional
discipline, and many other factors). These perceptual screens condition
the ways in which the individual sees, hears, and visualizes things.
One person might be making reference to a fact, truth, or reality and
present it as "A." The other person listening to that fact, truth, or
reality, because of their perceptual screen, might hear it as "a." That
is why it is critical for the communicator to solicit feedback. The communicator's
attitude and response should be "Tell me more." This will help to keep
the communication process moving until mutuality of understanding is
achieved.
Obstacles
In addition to the basic issues involved in the interaction between
sender and receiver, there are numerous other issues/obstacles that impact
the communication process.
The Meaning of Words
As mentioned above, every individual has a perceptual screen. This screen
applies not only to values but also to the different meanings that people
give to words. A simple exercise that Jack Yurish suggests to demonstrate
this point is to select a little, three-letter word like "run." Share
it with a group of people and ask them to give you a quick response as
to what image the word run prompts in their mind. In response,
you will get almost as many different words as you have people in the
group. They will say things like fast, jog, walk, computer, production,
pantyhose, and so on. Everyone views words in different ways. In
addition, most words have more than one meaning. The confusion that often
results from the different meanings that people give to words underscores
the importance of obtaining feedback in the process of communicating.
Distortion
Another obstacle resulting from our perceptual screens is distortion.
We see, hear, and visualize things through our own eyes, ears, and experiences.
Very often people see and hear only what their experiences, values, and
prejudices allow them to see and hear. This is often compounded when
a message is passed along through several links in a communication chain.
At each link in the chain, information is omitted, added, or modified
based upon the perceptions of the person observing/hearing it, interpreting
it, and passing it along.
Many of us have experienced this phenomenon when we played the communication
party game. One person whispers a short sentence in the ear of the person
sitting next to him or her. That person whispers the line in the next
person's ear and so on, down the line. The last person's message rarely
resembles the original. A great line was sent to me. I do not know who
originally said it, I just know that it sums up distortion perfectly: "I
know you believe you understand what you think I said, but I am not sure
you realize that what you heard is not what I meant." A great visual
definition of this occurs when one works with a graphic designer. What
is in your head and what is in the artist's head may be two different
things. You might ask for an illustration of a wildflower, with images
of wide-open rolling plains in your head. The flower drawn by an artist
with a different cultural background might be an exotic tropical wildflower
found in the depths of a rain forest. One verbal description may apply
to completely different visual depictions. Leaders ask for feedback to
counteract distortion.
Jumping to Conclusions
Because of a person's experiences and prejudices, if they are not patient
enough to gather all the necessary facts or to ask questions, there might
be a tendency to state inference as fact. A good example is when someone
sees a tow truck's flashing lights. It is natural for them to assume
that the truck is going to an accident, when it might be going to pick
up a stalled vehicle. Another example might be when a person of one culture
observes a person of a different culture exhibiting some behavior or
engaging in some activity. If the first person had a past negative experience
with the other culture or has a long-standing prejudice about that culture,
they might immediately jump to a conclusion and assign a negative motive
to the second person's behavior or activity without taking the time to
clarify the facts. Consequently, they might wind up reporting their inference
as fact.
During a business trip to Japan, I gave a presentation to a group of
Japanese businessmen. To my horror, almost all of them closed their eyes
during the presentation. I thought they were sleeping. It was excruciating
trying to get through the rest of my talk. However, once I finished,
their eyes opened and they had questions to ask and praise to share.
In America, closed eyes during a presentation often indicates that the
speaker is less than interesting. In Japan, it is common for businessmen
and -women to close their eyes while listening. It helps them focus on
the one voice. Based on my past experiences, I had jumped to a conclusion.
It was not until I had all the facts that I understood what was happening.
Use of Abstractions
Another obstacle to effective communication is the use of abstract words
or jargon. Too often people get into the habit of using terms or abbreviations
to convey information. This can work if everyone involved has had the
same experiences or has used the same terminology. This often happens
within professional disciplines or organizations. Have you ever been
overwhelmed at a new job when the "old hands" carry on a conversation
in your presence without recognizing your newness to the situation? You
wind up asking a lot of questions, most of them being, "What does that
mean?"
Failure to Listen
If silence is golden, being able to listen during your own silence is
priceless. There is a distinct difference between hearing and listening.
About seventeen years ago, Rick Bommelje realized there were costs that
were occurring repeatedly, both professionally and personally, and could
not figure out why. "I had a team of 14 at the time and was in a management
position here at [Rollins College]. We were a good team—an awesome
team—and I was unfortunately blaming other people in my mind, when
it wasn't them, but it was me. As I did more reflecting, I realized it
was a real listening gap and I had no formal education in listening." In
speaking about this experience, Rick reminded me that there are two outcomes
to listening: either adding value or incurring a cost. By hearing and
not listening, costs are incurred.
E-mail
The topic of e-mail is a source of many discussions in the WUI program.
Using e-mail has become the preferred method of communicating for most
people in today's business world. However, e-mails are the cause of many
communications disconnects in business today. They do not rely on the
traditional speaking-and-listening model of communication. And, unlike
letters, they are often "shot out" without a second thought. They incorporate
many of the obstacles previously listed: the meaning of words, distortion,
jumping to conclusions.
When used incorrectly, e-mail has been the root of many problems. My
personal caveat is that e-mail is an excellent tool for conveying information
quickly and efficiently and for responding to questions requiring very
little explanation. It is not, however, and should not be, a tool used
as a sole source for detailed explanations. It should be accompanied
by a phone call or face-to-face meeting to ensure that the reader comprehends
the sender's intended message. It certainly should not be used to have "a
conversation" that could be misinterpreted by the receiver.
In face-to-face communication, we read body language. In e-mails, colors
and fonts take on special meaning. Words in caps may indicate anger to
some, but may be a mode of differentiation for others. Red may show irritation,
but might be a way to make one sentence stand out from another. Depending
upon the mood of the receiver, an e-mail about a controversial subject
may be read in an "annoyed" tone in the reader's head, even though it
was jotted down by a levelheaded sender.
If you don't have something nice to say, don't write it in an e-mail.
Remember, it is so much easier to circulate an e-mail than it is a hard
copy. Within seconds, a poorly thought out or misunderstood e-mail can
be in the hands of hundreds. I am personally appalled at e-mails that
clearly reflect a person's dissatisfaction or ones that sound accusatory.
I encourage effective communication involving speaking and active listening—neither
of which is possible via e-mail.
I am also concerned about e-mails of this nature that are copied to
others. This type of communication process is, to say the least, a passive-aggressive
behavior that does not lend itself to effective communication. When I
have received this type of e-mail I immediately respond by asking to
speak with the individual.
I know of countless occasions when I and others have been angered or
insulted by an e-mail, and in many instances it was not the intent of
the sender. Nothing can truly replace the process of being able to hear
another person and have the opportunity to respond through talking and
listening.
I want to talk briefly about the subject of business etiquette. In this
day and age, when we are so reliant on technology, voice mail, email,
etc., I would highly recommend taking the time to do some things that
may be old-fashioned but are still very highly valued. For example, don't
send an e-mail to say thank-you for something that someone has done for
you—send a handwritten note. It is far more personal and has far
more impact today than receiving an e-mail among the 500 other e-mails
that a person has to look through. Send a personal, handwritten note
saying thank-you; a letter sent out to a team or a group of individuals
that you've worked with, just acknowledging how much you appreciate what
they've done, copying that to their boss. If you see that someone is
being promoted or given an opportunity for a new assignment, anything
of that nature, send that person a note, circle the announcement, whatever
it takes—do something very personal to congratulate them and tell
them that you wish them the very best and ask if there is anything you
can do to be helpful. Or if you see that there is an article in a magazine
or newspaper, send it along to people that you think might have an interest
and put your comments on it. If there is something about your company
that highlights it in a positive manner, anything of that nature—just
taking the time to do those small but very significant things are the
types of savvy moments that you need to take and make the time for.
The Virtual Office
With more people working out of home offices or working in offices separated
by thousands of miles, we do not always have the opportunity to work
face-to-face with colleagues. Part of communication is body language.
As discussed earlier, a lot is expressed by a shrug of the shoulders,
a smile, the raising of the eyebrows. In her book Virtual Leadership ,
executive coach Val Williams offers several strategies for how to be
a strong leader in a virtual world. For example, during conference calls
a leader's voice becomes the chief tool for influencing others.
Val's "6 Tips for an Effective Virtual Oral Presentation":
- Tone and Inflection of Voice: tone should fluctuate and not be monotone.
Does your tone communicate strong leadership? On your next conference
call, set up a portable audiotape in the background to evaluate your
own tone for yourself.
- Volume of Voice: strong leaders have good volume to their voice.
Check with the audience on how well you are being heard.
- Speed of Voice: hesitations in speaking make a leader sound tentative.
Speaking too slow loses the audience. Speaking too fast makes it sound
like you cannot wait to get "leading" over with.
- Confidence: your voice should communicate confidence. In the virtual
world this means your voice should project energy. Energy in your voice
can be felt and influences people.
- Check for Understanding: when speaking on a teleconference, be sure
to check in with the audience frequently, since you cannot see them.
For example, ask: "Does what I just said make sense?"
- Laser It: speak concisely. Get to the point. Busy senior executives
do
not have a lot of time for endless detail. Stick to overall strategy.
Actions Speak Louder than Words
Take the time to communicate. Leaders who take the initiative to recognize
others for their contributions make a strong nonverbal communication.
Their actions speak volumes. Not only do their words have a message,
but their actions say, "I care."
In her book Work Would Be Great if It Weren't for the People ,
author Ronna Lichtenberg offers a tongue-in-cheek look at those managers
who would far rather "just do their jobs" than have to interact with
the people they work with. In reality, a successful leader knows the
way to get the job done is with commitment and through others. If a leader
does not pay attention to the people-side of the business and focuses
almost continuously on task, it can and will result in a negative outcome.
The leader's ability to communicate appreciation is a make-it-or-break-it
point in the success of many organizations. It is essential that each
individual, whether a newly hired employee or senior employee, feels
valued and recognized for their contributions. When they do not, they
often leave the organization.
Recognition for employee contributions is the key to high-performing
teams. There are so many ways in which that can be done and it does not
have to be time-consuming or costly. Years ago I learned from a wonderful
manager at McDonald's how important it is to make employees feel valued
and saw for myself how that contributes to employees wanting to be great
team players. Every morning that he was in town, he held a five-minute
stand-up meeting with everyone in his department. He asked how everyone
was doing, recognized special days such as birthdays and anniversaries,
and thanked everyone for their efforts from the day before. He shared
business "news of the day," making all the employees feel included and
valued. We had weekly project report meetings and monthly team meetings
at which we were encouraged to discuss anything we felt needed to be
addressed.
In the WUI programs, one of the most important aspects of the success
of the learning experience is the environment created by the program
facilitators and the participants and mentors. Everyone is encouraged
to express their opinions and share their successes or concerns. One
of the highlights of the program each month is what we call sharing "noteworthy
news," or as I like to describe it, "refrigerator moments." I explain
that we need to remember how excited many of us were as children when
we ran home to show our parents the picture we had painted or the report
card we were proud of, and our mum or dad would post it on the refrigerator
for all to see and admire. I still have many of my two sons' early "refrigerator
masterpieces," which I love to look at to recall their early achievements
and how proud we were!
When the women stand up and share their "noteworthy news" and the group
applauds and congratulates them, it is like watching flowers turn from
buds into beautiful blooms. Many of the participants have said this is
one of the most positive aspects of the program. We also encourage the
participants to remember to create those moments in their individual
workplaces for others with whom they work. Long after the women have
graduated from the program, many continue to meet either in person or
virtually. One of their agenda items is to share their noteworthy news.
Recognition is as necessary to people as sunlight and water is to plants,
and so often leaders go about the business of business without recognizing
the importance of this key aspect of their role. I can remember when
my NCR team had to work many long hours and sometimes weekends as we
rolled out a new program for customers nationwide. Taking the time to
recognize those employees was essential to keeping them motivated and
making sure that, no matter what, they were encouraged to "down tools" and
go home and relax and reenergize whenever possible.
In business we all know there are times when we are asked to work longer
hours, and an employee who knows that he or she will be given recognition
for those efforts will almost always be willing to do so.
Encouraging and supporting employees to continue their professional
development is one way leaders demonstrate their interest in employees
and is one of the key factors in creating an environment of value. Listening
to employees and giving them opportunities to contribute their ideas
and, above all, letting them take responsibility for their role is also
essential to their growth.
When offering recognition and setting requirements during performance
reviews, it is especially important for leaders to communicate effectively.
Leaders must be clear about their message and listen to employees to
ensure that the message is received correctly.
If, for example, the leader sets requirements regarding expectations,
timelines, or costs of a particular project, it is essential that the
employee be given the opportunity to question those requirements. It
is also essential that he or she be asked probing, open-ended questions
that will allow the leader to determine if what is being asked is fully
understood. If that employee is then required to convey those requirements
to others, the leader needs to have the employee demonstrate how he or
she intends to deliver the message.
During a performance review, when the leader gives an employee feedback
on a performance issue, it is important for the leader to listen to the
employee to determine what the employee believes has contributed to this
issue. The leader should then ask the employee how he or she plans to
improve before giving advice on what the employee can do. It is also
very effective when requesting an employee to make improvements in certain
areas to give the employee a list of resources they could utilize to
improve in those areas. If the employee needs to be more effective in
making presentations or in financial expertise, give them a list of books,
materials, workshops, and seminars available through the company.
Summary
You might be wondering, "How does anything ever get accomplished?" or
thinking "With all of the things that can get in the way of communication,
it's amazing that anything ever gets done." Certainly, there is a lot
to think about when it comes to communicating effectively, and the reality
is that in this treatment of the subject, we have only scratched the
surface, so to speak. When it comes to effective interpersonal communication,
the leader has to remember that it is a one-to-one process. If you focus
on the basic key components and make them a fundamental part of your
skill set, you will effectively cover the important steps in communicating.
So let us summarize the key components:
The sender —Know your objective for the communication. Express
yourself clearly. Be flexible and responsive to the other person(s).
The receiver —Know your audience. Be aware of the receiver's attitude
and "win" needs. Work to build trust.
The message —Ensure the clarity of the message. Avoid abstract
words and jargon. Consider proper timing and setting for the communication.
Feedback —Never assume. Test for understanding. Ask specific questions.
Seek specific answers. Remember that everyone has a perceptual screen.
Re-send —Create a cyclical/iterative process until mutuality of
understanding is achieved.
I'd like to add one last word about recognition. Winston Churchill said: "Courage
is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes
to sit down and listen." Communication plays a role in every aspect of
leadership. If told that I could use it only in one manner, it would
be to give recognition to others. It does take a lot of courage to speak
and to listen—especially when the communication is delivering an
unwanted message. By recognizing your employees and colleagues, you are
acknowledging and rewarding this courage. They had to stand up and speak,
and sit down and listen, in order to achieve success.
If you cover the basics well, you will be able to establish a highly
effective two-way communication process that benefits you, the others
with whom you interact, and the organization. In the next chapter we
will look at how to sustain the growth and development of individuals
and the organization
Leadership Inventory
1. Do you recognize and value the importance of creating an environment
that fosters open, honest, two-way communication?
What actions have you taken that contributed to your success
in this area?
What actions have you taken that contributed to others' successes?
What actions have you taken that contributed to the organization's success?
What resources/activities helped you in pursuit of this goal?
When was the last time you used these resources/activities in pursuit
of this goal?
2a. Do you recognize and value the importance of the "sender" having
primary responsibility in an effective communication process?
What actions have you taken that contributed to your success in this
area?
What actions have you taken that contributed to others' successes?
What actions have you taken that contributed the organization's success?
What resources or activities helped you assess how well you were achieving
this goal?
When was the last time you used these resources in pursuit of this
goal?
2b. Do you recognize and value the importance of listening and receiving
feedback?
What actions have you taken that contributed to your success in this
area?
What actions have you taken that contributed to others' successes?
What actions have you taken that contributed the organization's success?
What resources or activities helped you in pursuit of this goal?
When was the last time you used these resources/activities in pursuit
of this goal?
3. Do you recognize and value the importance of providing appropriate
recognition in the development of others?
What actions have you taken that contributed to your success in this
area?
What actions have you taken that contributed to others' successes?
What actions have you taken that contributed the organization's success?
What resources/activities help you in pursuit of this goal?
When was the last time you used these resources/activities in pursuit
of this goal?
Call to Action
Based upon your response to the questions above,
identify three (3) actions
to further your continuing development and success as a leader.
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