To Get the Results You Need, Ask for Them!
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Did you know…
…that communication breakdowns are one of the top reasons for divorce and failed personal relationships?
Did you also know that communication breakdowns are a primary reason that many businesses fail or never get off the ground?
Effective communication—both internally and externally—is crucial to your success. You have no doubt read about the “soft skills” necessary to succeed, but I question if communication skills are, in fact, “SOFT.”
The case for clear external communication with clients, partners, and customers is obvious. If you and your company are not effectively communicating the benefits and details of your product or service to your targets, they are not going to buy it!
So, let’s talk about internal communication—the day-to-day communications between you and your colleagues. Remote and hybrid workplace situations have made the development of excellent communication skills even more essential.
Effective communication simply leads to much more efficient operations. If you ask every participant after an average meeting to tell you the reason for the meeting as well as what the follow-up action items are, you will get an almost comically wide range of answers. It is the responsibility of whoever called the meeting to be precise and straightforward with their intent and all requests made. And it is up to all participants to ensure they understand any follow-up actions and associated timeframes, actively listening and asking questions. If everyone is on the same page, less time is wasted on back-and-forth clarification or unnecessary work.
Trust between you and your colleagues is also built on effective communication. Communicating plainly and comprehensively sends the message that you value the other person’s time. In addition, if your team does not very clearly understand what you are asking them to do, the chances of you getting the results you need are not high! The confusion, frustration, and conflict resulting from ineffective communication quickly erodes trust, which can snowball into myriad problems.
Effective internal communication patterns—communicating clearly and actively listening—absolutely make both solving problems and making decisions faster and more successful. Can you imagine a viable solution resulting from a meeting in which not everyone clearly understands the problem? And when they do, each person needs to feel that their ideas and proposed next steps are heard. When people feel free to share their ideas, they are more likely to contribute creative solutions.
Finally, but perhaps most importantly, clear communication is essential for building a positive company culture. Employees need to understand the company’s goals as well as their specific department’s goals to feel engaged and motivated. Continuing motivation and morale are greatly enhanced when everyone understands how their roles contribute to the firm’s success.
Think about examples in your own workplace of people who communicate effectively and those less skilled. Which people do you prefer to work with? Which ones do you trust? If you would like to share some of these examples, please do!
Kind regards,
Fundamental of the Week #9: COMMUNICATE TO BE UNDERSTOOD
Communicate in the least complicated way. You are accountable for what people understand or misunderstand.
Momentum Consulting offers executive business coaching, top-level executive consulting, team training, and team off-sites to build and transform your business to the next level. Inquire about business consulting and leadership coaching today.
