A true leader is one who can have effective communication with his audience clearly, impact-fully and in a manner in which the listener can prioritize his tasks. If a speaker bears these tips in mind, he will create a team of good listeners and a highly successful company.
Ineffective teams of professionals usually suffer from the same malady—indirect communication. Management guru, Peter Drucker lays great stress on “focusing on the right things,” but when leaders do not communicate these “right things” well enough, it results in inertia. It’s just like having a well-thought out plan that’s not well-executed or carrying out a plan without backing it up with proper communication is a waste of effort. When you send out a message, it needs to be understood by all levels of listeners so that the plan can be taken to the next level.
In an ideal situation, directionless organizations go through each day by completing the tasks assigned to them. When a comfort level sets in beyond which they will not exert themselves, employees will usually take up tasks that come in first. Without proper direction and effective communication, their focus is skewed.
Communication set out by the management of a company can be compared to a stone throw in to a still pond. This can cause one of two results: either ripples spread outwards or they may be focused in one area. In management communication, this kind of targeted communication separates good communicators from bad. For a leader, it’s not enough to shout orders but to ensure that the right orders are communicated. This makes for effective communication.
Tips for effective direct communication: There are three parameters for effective direct communication. They are:
Ensure that your listener understands you: You may talk as much as you want to, but the test of your talk lies in how your listeners process everything you say. It is believed that human beings interpret communication either emotionally or logically. Drucker believed that people are of two kinds: readers or listeners and it paid to know how one prefers to receive his communication. You can send your message across either face to face, or by e-mail, directly or with emotion. Here, the receiver’s preferences are not important. Effective communication results when the receiver correctly interprets and acts on the information he receives.
Follow the 80:20 rule here: A good leader will communicate the kind of behavior that produces the most impactful results. So, it is important for a leader to decide which message will impact 80% of results wanted by following a company’s mission. This alone will form for effective communication. Those who take direction from their superiors without the right context will assume that it is important in its entirety. However, when you receive any communication, it is important to be able to prioritize the important ones from the unimportant items of communication.
Make your message lucid and completely understood: Once a leader expresses his message to his staff, he should not assume that it is clearly and completely understood by the recipients. To ensure that both sender and receiver of the message are on the same page, the receiver should repeat the message received so that the best results are achieved.
Good and productive communication begins when the listener listens to a speaker. The audience decides just how it is going to perceive this communication. Besides, the future actions of the audience determines how well they have received the message and whether the format was of their choice or not. A majority of teams in successful organizations move up uniformly because leaders mold their communication so that the audience moves in the right direction.
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