Newsletter - March 2008
How Great Leaders Communicate
March 13, 2008 - Harry J. Martin and Dennis F. Lekan
We often hear how important it is for leaders to communicate well with their staff. In fact, in survey after survey, poor communication is often noted as a major weakness in one’s leader. Excellent leaders have developed two very important traits in their communications skills. The first is to listen actively and the second is to communicate clearly.
Listen Actively
Good leaders have the ability to listen actively. Active listening is an acquired skill. Learning how to do it takes time, but is well worth the effort, since having this skill builds one’s effectiveness in an organization. Leaders can enhance their listening ability by:
1) Staying focused on the main points of a conversation. That is, it is more important to capture the essence of what is said rather than every detail. When you do this, you can react to the more important aspects of others’ concerns or points. You will have time later to fill in details, if necessary.
2) Verifying what the speaker said. You can clarify the speaker’s meaning by responding, “If I understand you correctly, you feel that...” “Could you describe that to me again?” or “I understand that you’re saying that...” Not only do questions and reactions like these help clear up any miscommunication while the conversation is taking place, they let others know you are listening.
3) Trying to understand the speaker’s perspective or any bias the person may be communicating. In a conversation, for example, a customer may be focused on his or her high expectations saying, “I’m right, I paid for this; you let me down.” Understand that, in many exchanges, the speaker may not necessarily be reacting rationally about a problem, so you need to listen for emotional cues. Another example is a line manager who thinks a staff person can’t understand his or her problem because they don’t share the manager’s pressures to produce or sell a product. You need to put yourself in another person’s shoes if you are to truly understand his or her perspective.
4) Being aware of non-verbal cues. These cues, such as facial expressions, posture, body language and eye contact can signal how a person is feeling when communicating. Pay attention to these cues but don’t over-read them. For example, crossed arms may communicate displeasure or resistance but could also just be a comfortable position. A red face could be sunburn rather than a sign of anger. Look for these cues and, after a while, you will gain insight into their meaning and how they support active listening.
5) Learning to understand the speaker’s intent. Is it just to vent? Does he or she have an urgent matter that needs to be resolved? Is the person trying to lobby you or look for your support in a matter? If the person is just venting, then simply listening with empathy might be enough. On the other hand, if the matter is urgent, you should determine if it is important to the organization or just the individual. Listening actively requires that you sort out the real intent of what is being communicated. Ask yourself questions like: “Should I just listen?” “Do I need to react quickly?” “Do I need more information?” “Am I being lobbied or leveraged politically?”
Communicate Clearly
Another important leadership ability is communicating clearly. Leaders can improve the clarity of their communication by:
1) Deciding on the level of the communication. A good leader describes his/her vision for the department in broad but understandable terms. A good leader will articulate the roles of individuals within the department and why and how they needed to work with the operating units. One leader we know developed a brochure that described the department, individual members’ roles and their responsibilities and gave this to everyone of concern in the organization.
2) Deciding on the most effective way to communicate. In today’s world of instant messaging, e-mail, voice mail and portable communication technology, we often rely on a form of communication that fails to get our point across. The more personal or complex the situation, the more it requires direct communication. Face-to-face communication should be used for complex situations. The next best thing is to pick up the phone and talk to someone. Don’t leave a long and complicated voice mail. Use e-mail to inform or ask questions, not as a substitute for true dialogue. Too often e-mail comes across as harsh, insensitive, or even critical, contrary to the sender’s intent. If your first reaction is to send an e-mail or text message, ask yourself, “Is this the best way to communicate what I have in mind?”
3) Learning the power of the word in both written and verbal communication. Someone who writes poorly or uses improper words or grammar does not come across convincingly. Many people today are losing their ability to use the written word, yet it remains the most powerful mode of communication. If you are to become a clear communicator, you must know the written and spoken language well. One way is to learn a new word every day, use it in context, and understand its proper usage. Another is to read well-written books, including classics, as well as periodicals. Having good communication skills is vital and they can be learned. If you aspire to be a good leader, you must acquire them.
Harry J. Martin, Ph.D., is an associate professor of management at Cleveland State University and president of Harry J. Martin & Associates. Dennis F. Lekan, Ed.D., CMF is managing partner of OI Partners - Corporate Leadership Associates LLC (Cleveland). Martin & Lekan are co-authors of The Best and The Worst of Leadership. They can be reached at 440-250-1500 or dlekan@oipartners.net.