Ok, so I know I have harped on the necessity for leaders to communicate and, more importantly, to know how best to communicate. Communication is a critically important activity involving all of the senses and in today’s economic environment, communication takes on an even more important role. Employees are not sure if their jobs are secure, partners are not sure if companies are viable, and what once was unthinkable has become commonplace. In times like these, communication can provide some sense of security, assurance and comfort. As Suzanne Bates suggests, think of Captain Sullenberger’s communications to both the air traffic control and to passengers during the recent plane ditching:
“We’re gonna be in the Hudson,” he says to controllers. He never wasted words, but he told people exactly what would happen. “Brace for impact,” he told the passengers, a signal that also prepared the flight crew to fall back on their training, remain calm, and get passengers safely off the plane.
What’s also worth noting is that in today’s world, communication can take place in so many different ways and from nearly anywhere on the planet. No longer are we constrained by geography. Proximity has been redefined by technological innovations. And timing is no longer an issue either. Often times I have heard colleagues say they haven’t had a chance to reach out or are simply “too busy to communicate.” It’s hard to imagine any one of us, despite how very busy we all are, not being able to find the mere moments it takes to communicate to those that want to hear from us. Imagine going to a doctor for a biopsy and not hearing back from them because they are “too busy” to let you know the results. Where do you think your imagination would go after just a couple of days of not hearing back about the results of your test? All it takes is a brief, to the point communication.
Hand write a letter recently? Yeah right. Oh, and just forget email, that’s passe. What about cell phones? Come on now, or should I say “can you hear me now?” Well, they’re alright for text messaging. Sure keeps the communications pithy. Instant messaging is nice, if you have all those you want to communicate to on your buddy list (and they’re online). You could always distribute your message via Facebook or MySpace, assuming you don’t mind the public nature of it. Oh, and let’s not forget about Twitter. In just a mere 140 characters, we can communicate a great amount. You’d be surprised. And to an enormous number of people … simultaneously.
Nina Nets It Out: There are plenty of ways to get the word out – whether it means picking up the phone, writing an email, a text message or using online technology. But, regardless of your communication weapon of choice, be sure to communicate. For, as they say, enquiring minds want to know.
I’ve Said it Before, I’ll Say it Again … Communication is Critical!…
In these difficult times, leaders must be sure to communicate openly so as to ease the worries of employees, partners, etc….
Provocative post. No one would disagree with the criticality of communication. Technology provides increasing variety in the ways in which we communicate — and we should leverage every means appropriate.
I worry however about the quality of communications and whether we are really connecting. Current studies show teenagers prefer text messaging to voice conversations. Twitter “discussions” are 140 chaaracters (discounting url links).
Scientists say 70% of communication is non-verbal. Where people rely on technology to communicate, how do we get the 70%?
Email, messaging, twitter, even blogs enable people do act in ways they never would in a face to face or voice to voice disucssion.
Communication is critical, but connecting is where real meaning is and how relationships are built. We would be foolish not to leverage all means available to us, but we have to be certain not to lose the connection.
(I got on a rampage about this a number of months ago and wrote this post: http://partnersinexcellence.blogspot.com/2008/10/connecting-verus-relating-disappearance.html)
Hey Dave,
Thanks for your great comments. While I agree that connection is critical to building relationships, there are some times when communicating in and of itself is sufficient. Imagine if you will that you are sitting on a plane and all of a sudden there is some worse-than-normal turbulence that occurs and continues for an uncomfortably long time. I for one don’t need the captain to come out of the cockpit to connect with me and demonstrate his non-verbal cues to me. I simply want to hear some re-assurance that he is aware and letting us know what is happening.
This said, the quality of the communication is highly important as you note. However, I don’t believe that quality is necessarily determined by quantity. Twitter with its 140 characters is used in tremendously productive, meaningful ways by more and more companies and people.
And lastly, your blog entry on Connecting vs. Relating is excellent. However, one point that I would challenge is that “These tools also create a shield that enables us to do things that are unthinkable in a real relationship–we can start shading the truth–which gives way to outright lying.” In my experience, people seem to be able to be even more open and truthful in their communications when using these tools. In fact, I would suggest that it is for the very fact that they are not looking those they are communicating to in their eyes and are thus able to deliver the news, be it bad or good, in a more realistic, raw manner.
Anyway, great points and great insights about communication. We simply must continue to realize the importance of communicating and adopt new and [potentially] improved methods to do so. And, we must heed your advice about not losing the connection in the process!
Yep, I agree. Even when it comes to friendships, if it’s strictly the facts and details, I text it or Facebook it. If it’s something where I’m not sure how my statements will be received and I need to hear the person’s voice to react accordingly, I definitely call. Or if it requires longer than 140 chars.
Hi Hayli,
The interesting thing is that there truly are so many ways nowadays to communicate. And, as you note, the best method varies, depending on the circumstances.
I would to your post that “effective communication is critical”. Everybody can communicate, but not everybody can have always an effective communication. And in today’s times an effective communication is even more critical. We all feel the pressure of the deadlines, budget constraints, teams downsizing and an effective communication can make a big difference between “being on time and within budget” and the project failure. It is sad but I see too many situations around me when directors and VPs cannot just adjust their “speeches” to the current economical challenges. Instead of being the leaders that are driving the motivation and trust within the team members their communication efforts have the opposite effect.
In good times an average to good manager can survive as everybody is on the growth wave, but in current economical hardships only great managers know how to make a difference – it’s too sad to see just a few of them, but at least we see the difference (good managers play checkers, great managers play chess – the difference between the two games is astronomical).
Hi Marius,
Thanks for your comments. I agree that adding “effective” is worthwhile. Ineffective communication clearly doesn’t help at all. Teaching people to effectively communicate is so tremendously important, especially since so few people truly can do so with consistency. Also, as you note, being able to adjust one’s communication or choice of wording to best reflect the specific circumstances, is a big part of communication being “effective”. In these difficult times, it will be noteworthy to see how great managers not only survive themselves, but also make differences in their respective companies.
Hey, Nina. Great post! I happen to agree: be brief, be compelling, be done.
Hi Laurie,
Thanks for your very concise version of my entry!! How short & sweet!! I might use that…with royalties to you, of course!
Dear Nina:
Another great reminder to me that long rambling emails (like the ones I used to write employees, sometimes 5 paragraphs worth) can lose the reader, and that shorter is sweeter! A great entry…thanks again!
Hey Allen,
As Laurie Reuttimann stated in her comment: “be brief, be compelling, be done”. In some sense, this notion is the entire reason for my “Nina Nets It Out” section of each blog entry! If you only have time to read a sentence or two, I am hoping that this section gives you a take away all by itself!