Communication – Doug Dickerson on Leadership

When Things Aren’t Always Clear

Posted November 10, 2019
by admin

The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place. – George Bernard Shaw

Communication is the lifeblood of any good organization. With it, things run smoothly. Without it, it’s a constant struggle.

Consider this humorous story I came across not long ago. It was about a man who lacked tact. He was the type of person who just couldn’t say anything graciously.

He and his wife owned a poodle. They loved this dog. It was the object of their affection. The wife was to take a trip abroad, and she made it to New York on the first day. She called home and asked her husband, “How are things?”

He said, “The dog’s dead!”

She was devastated. After collecting her thoughts, she asked, “Why do you do that? Why can’t you be more tactful?”

He said, “Well, what do you want me to say? The dog died.”

She said, “Well, you can give it to me in stages. For example, you could have said, ‘The dog went out on the roof.’ And then when I travel to London the next day and call, you could tell me, ‘Honey, the dog fell and had to be taken to the vet. In fact, he’s in the hospital, not doing well.’ And finally, when I call you from Rome, ‘Honey, brace yourself. Our dog died.’ I could handle that.”

The husband paused and said, “Oh, I see.”

Then she asked, “By the way, how’s Mother?”

He said, “She’s on the roof.”

Communication. How would you rate it in your organization? Is it good? Bad? Why is that? If it’s bad, is that a reflection of the culture at large or is it more random? Regardless of your answers, one thing is for certain – good communication matters.

As a leader, you want to make sure that your communication systems are working. It needs to be C.L.E.A.R.

C – Correct.

It’s not enough that communication in your organization is taking place. The information that is flowing within and out of your organization needs to be accurate. Expediency serves no purpose if the information is wrong Click To Tweet. Make sure it’s correct. Nothing is more frustrating than inaccurate information being disseminated. It makes you look bad and frustrates the very people you are trying to serve.

L – Logical

A necessary ingredient to good communication is that it’s logical. Make sure that it serves a useful purpose and is beneficial to those who receive it. If the information you are trying to communicate is important enough to be distributed to those in your organization and beyond, then it’s important that it’s done right. Don’t put forth information that is irrelevant or hard to understand.

E – Essential

It’s one thing to communicate regularly, but how much of that communication is essential? How would a communication audit look for you and your organization? How much of what you communicate in a meeting could have been handled in an email? Click To TweetHow do you recoup that lost time in productivity? What about those unnecessary emails that clutter up the inbox? Good communication is necessary but make sure that what you are communicating is essential. Don’t waste people’s time with the trivial.

A – Accessible

Information that your people need should be accessible through good communication channels. Make sure that people who are supposed to be in the loop are in the loop. Don’t make access to information difficult or make assumptions that it’s been received. Nothing will frustrate your people more than being in the dark on matters that they should know about. Be intentional with your communication and make it accessible. Click To Tweet

R – Regular

Good communication within your organization should be regular. In other words, good communication practices should be a part of the routine of your organization. It’s dependable, it’s reliable, it’s accurate, and you’ve built a reputation upon it. Avoid the pitfalls of poor communication and poor morale by good communication a priority. Too much is at stake not to.

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Mixed Signals and the Art of Communication

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place”. – George Bernard Shaw

Every good leader knows the value and importance of good communication. Leaders succeed or fail based on it. Organizations rise and fall because of it. To say that good communication is essential to your success as a leader is clearly an understatement.

In her book, Fearless Leadership, Carey D. Lohrenz shares a story of just what can happen when communication does not take place as it should:

Failure to communicate effectively can have disastrous results. Consider this true story, not the only one of its kind: A young Navy sailor was working the flight deck at night. Needing to cross the flight deck in the few seconds available between aircraft landing, the sailor signaled the arresting gear officer by waving his flashlight vertically. After getting acknowledgment from the arresting gear officer via the waving of a green flashlight vertically, the sailor sprinted across the pitch black landing area.

When looking to cross back over, the sailor once again signaled to the arresting officer and received the same vertical flashlight wave-only in red. The sailor knew that the vertical waving meant it was okay to cross, but didn’t know that the color of the flashlight was a critical piece of information. On this ship, green meant “go” while red meant “stand fast.” Confusion in communication signals almost cost this sailor his life.

While the decisions you make regarding communication may not carry the same life or death consequences, it does, nevertheless, carry important implications for your team. The last thing they need from those in leadership is mixed signals. Here are some of the most common mixed signals and what to do about them.

Mixed signals occur when you say one thing and do another

This is perhaps the most common mixed signal out there. It’s when you say one thing and do another. As a result, people are not on the same page, goals and objectives become muddled, and trust is compromised.

As a leader, you must develop consistency in your communication and do what you say. If circumstances warrant a change in a previously communicated directive or course of action, clarify it in person and do it in a timely manner. As a leader, you don’t like surprises and neither do your people.

Mixed signals occur when you keep your people apart

Ineffective communication occurs when you keep your team members apart instead of bringing them together. Instead of building a unified and cohesive team, mixed signals occur in communication when your people get their information second or third hand. This is a prescription for disastrous communication and team morale.

If you want to facilitate strong communication within your organization you must bring your people together, not keep them apart. Make it your practice to be a bridge builder. Communication flourishes when people are connected.

Mixed signals occur when you fail to connect on a personal level

The secret sauce of establishing good communication within your organization is being a leader who knows how to connect with his or her people. The good news is that it can happen. The bad news is that it takes a lot of work. But until you are relationally invested in the people you lead you will always run the risk of mixed signals and poor communication.

Whether it’s communication or any number of related issues within your organization, it begins when you learn to connect with your people. it’s out of that connection and the relationships you build that communication works.

Stop with the mixed signals – keep your word, bring your people together, and connect on a personal level. It will make all the difference in the world to your leadership and to your people.

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Leadership Essentials: Communicating with Clarity

Posted July 14, 2016
by admin

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The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said. – Peter Drucker

A worker asked for a pay raise and got this note back from his supervisor: “Because of the fluctuation predisposition of your position’s productive capacity as juxtaposed to standard norms, it would be momentarily injudicious to advocate your requested increment.” The puzzled worker went to the supervisor and said, “Is this is about my pay raise I don’t get?” “That’s right,” said the supervisor.

As a leader one of the most important skills you will develop is communication. Unfortunately, it’s becoming one of the hardest skills to develop. The reasons for this vary. On the bright side, technology has increased our ability to communicate like never before. On the down side, conversational and social skills have waned because we prefer to text or send an email- thus avoiding actual human interaction.

Communicating with clarity is important for you as a leader. Those you lead don’t need to be like the man in the story above trying to figure out what you are saying. Here are a few simple guidelines to keep in mind going forward.

Keep it simple

Avoid as much as possible all the fancy corporate jargon. Keep it simple. Your goal here is not to impress people with your vocabulary but to inspire your team with your words and actions.

Keep it pithy

Don’t waste your people’s time with never ending meetings and chasing proverbial rabbits. The longer things drag out the more your people tune out. Have an objective, stick to it, and get going.

Be transparent

Nothing will endear your people to you more than to by being open and honest about where you are personally, where things are as an organization, and by reminding your people of the vision and the role they play in fulfilling it.

Be inclusive

Clarity is essential throughout your organization. As the leader you need to make sure everyone knows your heart and that you have their backs, and that they have all the knowledge and information they need to be successful.

Know when to speak, and speak on purpose

When communicating with your people it is important that you have a reason and purpose behind it. What you say and how you say it is important. What a team members “hears” and interprets may be very different from said and meant. Before you speak, think it through and put yourself in their shoes.

Know when to shut up

I’ve saved the most important for last. Clarity comes to us best not when we are speaking but when we are listening. The most powerful communication skill you have is your silence and your open mind. It is when you listen to your people that you have your greatest moments of clarity. Someone once said, “God gave you two ears and one mouth for a reason.” That’s great advice.

Communicating with clarity is essential to your success as a leader. Use these guidelines as starting points and build upon them. Your success as a leader depends upon it.

What tips would you add?

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The Four B’s of Effective Communication

Posted September 18, 2015
by admin

The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place. – George Bernard Shaw

The story is told of Broadway producer Jed Harris who once became convinced he was losing his hearing. He visited a specialist, who pulled out a gold watch and asked “Can you hear this ticking?” “Of course,” Harris replied. The specialist walked to the door and asked the question again. Harris concentrated and said, “Yes, I can hear it clearly.” Then the doctor walked into the next room and repeated the question a third time. A third time Harris said he could hear the ticking. “Mr. Harris,” the doctor concluded, “there is nothing wrong with your hearing. You just don’t listen.”

Good communication is the life-blood of your organization. It is what keeps your team healthy and cohesive. It reinforces a strong corporate culture. But when communication is floundering it can send things within your organization into a downward spiral.

A Business Performance article (http://bit.ly/1KUq6i6) stated that, “Organizations that fail to convey clear strategies and processes and engage employees in shared goals are likely to lose to companies with more effective communication practices.” The article revealed the obvious – that businesses with poor communication have higher employee turnover, increased absenteeism, poor customer service, ineffective change management, etc.

That these negative consequences are taking place in organizations is no surprise. It’s a natural consequence of poor communication. Leaders must be aware that effective communication skills will take you to the next level and poor communication skills will sink you.

Here are four tips that will help you become a more effective communicator as a leader. Take these to heart and put them into practice.

Be intentional

There must be intentionality behind your communication. Your words must convey meaning, purpose, and be delivered with clarity. This goes for written communication as well. Say what you mean, mean what you say. Be concise and as best you can leave no room for misinterpretation. Never assume anything on the part of the people with whom you communicate.

Be consistent

Your communication must be consistent. Don’t damage your credibility as a leader by saying one thing and doing another. Nothing will frustrate your people more and sink morale faster than a leader who isn’t consistent in his or her message.

Be receptive

As a leader you must remember that communication is a two-way street. It’s not always what you say that will make the difference. It’s what you hear that can be a game-changer. Simply put – don’t just be a dispenser of information – listen to your people. Hear what they are saying and create an environment where it is safe for them to talk without any fear of repercussion.

Be accountable

There is an old adage that says “the teacher hasn’t taught until the student has learned.” Apply this to your leadership and it will sound something like this, “The leader hasn’t communicated until his people understand.” This applies to the vision and mission of your organization. Do your people know it? Have they embraced it? Keep in mind – your people are the face of your organization. If they don’t know your mission or vision how well do you think they are representing it?

As a leader you are accountable for communication. It falls upon you to make sure that communication on all levels is taking place. Do you have accountability procedures in place to assess communication effectiveness and desired results? These things do not happen by accident. You need to have a plan and implement the plan.

You have too much riding on the outcome of good communication. Master these basics and you will soon see the results you desire.

What do you say?

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When Your Process Replaces Your People

Posted February 27, 2015
by admin

When people go to work, they shouldn’t have to leave their hearts at home. – Betty Bender

John Maxwell shares one of my favorite stories about a turkey chatting with a bull. “I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree,” the turkey sighs, “but I haven’t got the energy.”

“Well,” replied the bull, “why don’t you nibble on some of my droppings? They’re packed with nutrients.”

The turkey pecked at a lump of dung and found that it actually gave him enough strength to reach the lowest branch on the tree. The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch. Finally after a fourth night, there he was proudly perched at the top of the tree. But he was promptly spotted by a hunter, who shot him down out of the tree.

The moral of the story: BS might get you to the top, but it won’t keep you there.

While the story is humorous the ramifications of it in the way it plays out in the workplace is not. Unfortunately, many employees feel that they are getting BS from their employers. Let me be clear: strong employee engagement is essential to your success in business. And yes, all businesses want a healthy bottom line and rightfully so. But what happens if your business places its processes over its people? Here are three consequences you will potentially face unless you change.

Fractured relationships

It’s been said that people are your most appreciable asset. But when your bottom line becomes your most coveted resource then you have issues. The most essential ingredient to the success of your organization is not having the best business model, location, marketing, or product. It’s your people. They are the life-blood of your organization and the face of your brand. If you only see your people as a means to an end (your bottom line) then you are using your people.

If relationships with your people are fractured the rhythm of your business will suffer. Don’t expect your people to buy-in to your product until you have bought-in to your people. Until you get this right nothing else will be.

Divided loyalties

Here’s the rub: Your people want to be a part of an organization and service that they believe in and have a connection with. They want to be a part of something that is meaningful and contribute in a way that makes a difference. But when their good intentions brush up against a ‘process over people’ mentality it creates division.

Now your people have divided loyalties between liking the service they render and the people they serve and those who are calling the shots. If divided loyalties are widespread among your people then your processes have failed you.

Revolving doors

It’s been said that people don’t quit organizations they quit bosses (leaders). If the execution of your leadership is grounded in policies and procedures over relationships and teamwork then expect high turnover. Simply put; rules over relationship breeds rebellion. Eventually there comes a tipping point when your best and brightest will vote with their feet and find the door.

Let me be clear – boundaries are important and there is a place for policies. But policies and procedures should complement the work of your people and their productivity, not stand in the way of it.

Your organizational culture is tied to your employee engagement. Such fallout as articulated here due to poor employee engagement does not have to define your organization. But whether it does or not is on you as the leader.

Your path forward begins by recognizing that your people are your most valuable and appreciable asset. To that end you must recognize relationships and communication for what is it is – the heartbeat of your organization. Be committed to serving your people, building relationships, and developing leaders. At the end of the day, had you rather be known as the organization with great policies or great people?

What do you say?

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Leadership Minute: Fluffy People

Posted November 2, 2014
by admin

If the person you are talking to doesn’t appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear. – A.A. Milne, Winnie the Pooh

Winnie the Pooh puts a kind spin on some of the people you will deal with as a leader. You know the type. They seemingly go through the motions of listening but deep down you know they have fluff in their ears. As a leader communication is important. What you say, how you say it, and making sure the message gets through is essential to your success. If you are like me at times, patience is not your best virtue, so you don’t like to waste time repeating yourself. There are times when it’s not the message or the recipient that’s at fault – it’s the timing. Make sure that your communication is carefully planned so as to maximize delivery and increase reception. Remember, communication is a two-way street and not everyone is be tuning you out, so don’t blame it on the fluff.

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Leadership Minute: Speak Clearly

Posted October 13, 2014
by admin

I meant what I said and I said what I meant. – Dr. Seuss

Nothing will frustrate the people in your organization any quicker than communication that’s unclear, vague, or otherwise unnecessary. Talking just to talk is not communication. It’s noise. And it’s irritating. The effectiveness of your leadership hinges on good communication skills. Knowing what to communicate, how to communicate it, and why it’s necessary are essential to your people. Answering a few simple question can help cut through the clutter of what’s necessary and what’s not. Try these on for size: What do your people need to know? Who needs to know it? For what purpose do they need to know? When do they need to know? And what is the most efficient and effective way to do communicate this information? Clear communication is essential to a smooth operation so don’t mess it up. Be clear. Be direct. Be succinct.

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The Power of Ordinary Leaders

Posted September 12, 2014
by admin

If you want a starring role, you’ll miss the miracle. If you’re willing to be an ordinary extra, God will do something extraordinary. – Mark Batterson, The Grave Robber

A story is told of a group of elderly, cultured gentlemen who met often to exchange wisdom and drink tea. Each host tried to find the finest and most costly varieties, to create exotic blends that would arouse the admiration of his guests.

When the most venerable and respected of the group entertained, he served his tea with unprecedented ceremony, measuring the leaves from a golden box. The assembled epicures praised this exquisite tea. The host smiled and said, “The tea you have found so delightful is the same tea our peasants drink. I hope it will be a reminder to all that the good things in life are not necessarily the rarest or the most costly.”

In recent years there has been an explosion of books and material on the topic of leadership. I am not only a contributor to the topic of leadership but I am also a consumer as it’s in my interest both personally and professionally to grow and develop. A recent Google search of leadership books netted more than 67,300,000 hits. Talk about your reading list!

With the availability of such quantities of leadership material out there perhaps it’s time to think through our expectations of leadership and what constitutes being a good leader in today’s world. Too often we look at those who have a large spotlight and are seen as the “superstars” in the world of leadership and think we can never measure up. We’ve read all about going from “good to great” but how do we simply become good or better- much less “great”?

I’d like to offer up some practical tips and words of encouragement for all current and aspiring “ordinary extra” leaders who daily work to make a difference. Here are four tips to help you become better.

Stay the course

My friend Dr. Greg Morris (on Twitter @LdshpDynamics) uses this phrase frequently and it has stuck with me – stay the course. I think on many levels this is part of the secret of being a good leader. There’s nothing really glamourous about it. It’s just a simple reminder that being a good leader and becoming a better leader is a matter of commitment. When times are tough – stay the course. When critics attack – stay the course. In times of success – stay the course. Leaders who last are committed and committed leaders stay the course.

Stay curious

Leaders who grow and improve their leadership skills over time have an insatiable desire to learn and grow. Curiosity is the gift that keeps on giving and good leaders ask the questions that one no else is asking, and as my friend Dan Rockwell suggests, will ask the second questions (http://bit.ly/1pWVyeG). Curious leaders want to know what his or her people are saying and thinking so that the culture of the organization remains healthy and strong. Curious leaders want to know what the customers are thinking in order to better serve them and to improve the bottom line. Curiosity will keep your thinking fresh and your skills sharp. What are you curious about?

Stay connected

It’s similar in nature to curiosity so being connected is central to your growth as a leader. Being connected is about relationships and communication. These are the basic tenants of your leadership development. Good leaders value and build relationships. Communication works best when relationships are strong. Being connected is an intentional act of your leadership. There are no shortcuts when it comes to being connected and there’s no better person to do it than you. If you want your people to connect with you then you have to take the first steps and connect with them.

Stay confident

Confidence is a key component to your success. You have achieved the measure of success that you enjoy, in part, because of confidence in your abilities and using them wisely. But this encouragement is dispensed also with a dose of warning. Be careful not to become arrogant and believe it’s all about you. It’s not. But confidence is needed in order to grow and become a better leader. In as much as low morale is devastating to the culture of your organization, so too, will low self-esteem hinder your personal growth. Stay confident in your abilities and keep your ego to yourself.

When you are willing to be an “ordinary extra” type of a leader you can make a significant difference. Your name may not be in the limelight but your contributions are just as valuable. Stay the course!

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Leadership Minute: What Does It All Mean?

There is a profound difference between information and meaning. – Warren G. Bennis

We live in a world of abundant information and instant communication. It’s at our fingertips 24/7 when we need it. Your ability to create, collate, and dispense information does not make you a great communicator. Leaders need to learn this. The measure of your success is not in how much information you can present but whether it has meaning or value to those receiving it. So the next time you are preparing to deliver information you should be less concerned with quantity and more concerned with the quality. Put yourself in the shoes of the recipients. How does it help? What does it mean? What does it change? What does it improve? Why me? Why now? When you focus on giving meaning and purpose you will not waste your time or theirs with things that are meaningless. Make sense?

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