This is going to be a two part series on communications. Part one will discuss communication “up” the chain of command, and part two will focus on communication “down”.
One of the key ways in which humans are different than animals is in our ability to communicate large amounts of information. Animals and even plants communicate, but no other creatures on Earth can come close to the sheer amount and complexity of human communications.
As such, we can be forgiven for thinking we are naturally good at it. Not true. As anyone in a relationship knows, good communication is a learned skill that takes hard work and practice.
Excellent leaders are good communicators. That doesn’t mean they all communicate in the same way, or with the same style. In fact, choosing to follow a style that is alien to your personality is not a recipe for success. It’s more like one destined for failure.
In working on my own communication discipline, I have decided to concentrate on what I call C3: Communication that is Clear, Complete, and Consistent. These three areas are critical in achieving effective communication.
Clear communication starts with not mumbling or having impossible to read handwriting and expands greatly from there. It means you must use language that is clearly understood.
I have often been told I use “five dollar words” when simpler ones would be better. I have made big advances in this area, but it is still a work in progress.
The best way to improve clarity, and to make sure that you are all on the same wave length, is by asking your listener, or listeners, to give you feedback on what you just said. This may sound redundant, but it works and reduces future problems.
The easiest communication is when you are communicating with someone at your level or a level below. When you communicate with your boss, the power differential makes things more complicated. And that’s why communicating “Up” the chain of command is such an important skill to learn.
One of the first things you need to discover is how your boss likes to communicate.
This is harder than you might think. Like most people, most bosses do not know their own communication styles. Maybe yours likes everything in email, with lots of attachments. Or, maybe the best response comes from a face-to-face meeting. Does your boss expect you to bring written materials? Even in today’s increasingly paperless world some bosses like old fashion written memos.
How your boss tells you to communicate might be different than what is actually his or her preferred style. I have had a boss say, “Send it to me as an email, I don’t want to waste paper,” then had me print everything when we met face to face about the topic. I learned to come to meetings with two sets of the emailed documents for us to review.
Another boss needed a statement as short as possible with the documentation in back, but rarely did we ever review it. It is good to ask yourself how your boss has responded in the past to actual communications. If you are new, ask others about their experiences.
Most people I have worked for have said, “Don’t bring me a problem without a solution.” That is a clear message. Make sure you know what the expectations are for you.
Another key part of communication is not in what or how you say something, but what how what is said fundamentally affects the person you communicate with. Learn what values your boss will never surrender and use those as your boundaries.
Next time, we will switch it up, and talk about being the boss.
Part II Can be Found Here
Bryan G. Stephens is an executive on a mission to transform the workplace. He is the founder and CEO of TalkForward, a consulting and training company, utilizing Bryan’s clinical and management expertise to develop managers and teams in a corporate environment. As a licensed therapist with strong understanding of developing human potential, he is dedicated to the development of Human Capital to meet the needs of leaders, managers, and employees in the 21st Century workplace.
Bryan has an Executive MBA from Kennesaw State University, Coles School of Business, and both a Master’s and Bachelor’s degree in Psychology.
