Communication

Communication is the act of transferring information and ideas from person to person. It comes in many forms. Face-to-face conversations. E-mails. Phone. Voice-mail. Non-verbal communication (i.e. rolling of eyes). Pictures painted on the walls of caves. Even chalk marks on park benches-I watch a lot of spy movies. There are many, many forms of communication. Each one has benefits and drawbacks.

Numerous classes and training programs exist on how to communicate more effectively, how to read body language, how to use your own body language to enhance your message, how to write more effectively-the list goes on and one. The point? Communication is so important that people spend small fortunes learning how to do it better.

Communication can be one-way, such as when a CEO sends out a memorandum. To a degree, email and voicemail is one-way, especially when there is no opportunity for an immediate response. One-way communication, especially in written form, can be carefully scripted. But it has the drawback that if it is misinterpreted, there is no opportunity to clarify. Have you ever received a voicemail where someone said something that lit your fuse? Without a chance to ask questions to follow up, that fuse keeps burning.

Two-way communication can be more effective-ideas can be explained and agreements can be reached. Unfortunately, it takes more time, and is not very efficient when the communication is one-to-many. There are also many more subtle clues that can be misinterpreted, and personal biases can creep in. Some people do carry prejudice about races, religion, gender and the like that can hamstring an organization, but other factors play a role. Have you ever tried to take someone seriously when they had spinach stuck in their teeth, or were dressed inappropriately for a particular meeting? Communication takes many forms.

Why is communication so important? Because people like to know what’s going on. They do not like being blindsided by events that they should have, or could have known about in advance.

In some cases, they understand the need for secrecy, if it is warranted. But they don’t appreciate being in the dark if it is not. A good example is when a group is going to be part of a kaizen. If a leader talks to the team about the need for a change well before a project starts, the team can have some input into what is going to happen. They tend to handle the challenges of the kaizen much better when they feel like a part of it. If they feel like they are suddenly surprised by outsiders coming in and changing their workspace, they feel resentful.

Make sure you include people in communication channels as early as possible. In the kaizen example, leaders should make sure that teams know what the operational goals are. With clear expectations, they understand what will happen if the goals are not met.

This means that teams must know where they stand in relation to goals. And this communication is not only the leader’s responsibility. If a team doesn’t know something, they have an obligation to ask.

Keep in mind that communication does not equate to doing what people say. This is where it starts to get tricky. If leaders do not use ideas, they should at least give an explanation about why not. If people don’t feel that their boss is at least considering what they are presenting, they will be reluctant to keep open channels in the future.

If you have already made a decision, make it clear from the beginning that you are not looking for feedback. It helps people make a quicker adjustment to a change. Some leaders have a hard time being direct. They avoid the hard, one-way conversations about unpopular decisions. Instead, they leave the door opened a crack. The problem is that it is much more painful for a team to stew about a change and then go through the experience of that door slamming shut down the road. If you have already made a decision, make it clear that you are not soliciting ideas.

One big No-No. Do not lie to people. It may make things easier in the moment, but it erodes trust, and damages relationships. Be direct, and say that you can’t discuss something. If the moral problems of lying don’t dissuade you, remember that there are very few true secrets in business. Things seem to always come out eventually. When they do, you will be held accountable for everything you told your team.

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