Leadership Pillar– Communication

Posted by on October 5, 2009 · Leave a Comment 

By Craig Melton

Great Leadership is knowing how and when to communicate with your team. It is very important to get your point across and make sure it is understood by the team. Too many people today over communicate or under communicate. The best leaders can get their points across with the fewest words possible and the entire team will always have a clear understanding of what the leader is expecting. Here are five main areas that can strengthen this important leadership Pillar:

Five Steps to clear Communication

1) Be Specific

The best way to get your point across is to be specific. Become clear and concise in your communication. Many leaders today wonder why their teams do not listen to them. Many times the players do not understand exactly what the coach is looking for. When you are not specific in your communication, then your team will not respond. If they are confused about task then they cannot give 100% to accomplish it.

2) Be Understood

Make your communication easy to understand. A great leader knows how to communicate in a way that every player on the team understands their roles and the task. The way to talk to your team is important because many people will understand things differently. To treat each player the same, you need to treat them differently. Example: You have someone that is very articulate and creative and the other person is just great in sales. You may need to talk and treat them differently in your communication to be understood.

3) Give specific examples

To make sure you are specific and understood, give specific examples of what you want accomplished after your communication. You can bring up accomplishments or corrections from the past. This is a great way to get your point across to your team. When your team can get a clear picture of the task they can attack it.

4) Make it retainable

Now that you have been specific, understood, and have given examples, you need to make your communication retainable so your team can follow the plan while you are not around. Great leaders have teams accomplishing many tasks while these leaders are not around. When your team understands what you need them to do, they will get the job done. Your team should not bother you with questions if the communication was retained and understood.

5) Be positive

The best leaders and coaches know how to communicate with their team while simultaneously staying positive. If you have to correct an employee, use the good-bad-good approach. Example: An employee fails to achieve a task because they were confused and consequently, you must correct them. First, mention something positive concerning their prior achievements and then correct them on the current task. Finally, finish the conversation on another task that they successfully completed so they are aware that you remember their great work.

This approach works best when correcting anyone. People want to impress their boss or coach. They also want to learn and do better. A great leader will always get the best out of their team when the players respond to constructive criticism.

In closing, please remember that when your communication is specific and understood, your team will absorb what you really need and want accomplished. Give clear examples so your team can retain what you are asking. Finally, once you are recognized as a positive leader you will achieve team players giving their best 100% of the time.

Filed under Management & Leadership