The Craft Of Communication

BY TONYA VINAS

Ionce had a boss bite my head off in front of all of my co-workers. The “crime” I committed turned out to be her mistake, and she later skulked into my office to offer a private apology for a very public flogging. Unfortunately, rather than opening the lines of communication, asking questions, and listening to the answers, she assumed she knew all the facts. Her knee-jerk reaction created tension (always praise in public and reprimand co-workers in private) and lessened my faith in her leadership abilities.

In her defense, trouble rolls downhill and she was merely responding to a knee-jerk reaction from her boss. Had he effectively communicated his dissatisfaction with the project and described what caused his blood pressure to rise, only one of us would have had to lick our wounds. Instead, he waved a piece of paper in her face and stormed out of her office.

Unfortunately, this chain of events happens more often than it should because people assume they work with mind readers.

As leaders, it is your job to shun that notion and practice effective communication. The best way to practice effective communication is to learn from others’ mistakes. Fortunately for you, I have witnessed (and at times committed) my share of communication fiascos.

Among the most significant blunders is the practice of not communicating - at all, especially when a company-changing event is underway. Sometimes the powers that be feel that such information is on a needto-know basis and only for a select few. While employees certainly don’t need to know every detail of mergers, acquisitions, financial results and downsizing before said events, some communication is necessary at the very least to stop the rumor mill.

Imaginations run wild when the grapevine drips tidbits of information. Employees will piece together cryptic knowledge to form their own picture of what is going on. If they are left without official notice for too long, and you will be managing more than you bargained for.

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Imaginations run wild when the grapevine drips tidbits of information. Employees will piece together cryptic knowledge to form their own picture of what is going on. If they are left without official notice for too long, you will be managing more than you bargained for.

The best way to handle change is to communicate often. Let employees know that you respect their position in the company enough to explain to them what is going on. If you don’t want to commit your communiqué to paper, call a meeting. In fact, meetings are often more effective—they lend themselves well to an open discussion that can put to rest any nasty rumors that may have surfaced. Meetings also are a way for you to really listen to your employees. Why is listening critical? Listening forms the basis of trust that builds the foundation for effective communications.

Another mistake managers make is not enough one-on-one communication. Many times the only structured message an employee receives regarding performance happens when it’s too late to matter. Good leaders set the course for employees to follow. Great leaders make sure employees understand where they and the company are headed, have all the tools needed to reach their destination, and aren’t averse to changing course if needed. The only way great leaders can assess the situation is by talking to employees. And the only way employees will understand and execute goals is if communication is open and often.

In a recent Interact/Harris Poll, communicating well is the one critical skill that 91% of 1,000 employees said their leaders lack.

The survey results, drilling down further, indicate a much deeper issue: a lack of emotional intelligence (EQ) in how business leaders and managers communicate, leading to many dysfunctions.

Respondents said the communication issues that impair effective leadership are as follows: • Not recognizing employee achievements — reported by 63% of respondents. • Not giving clear directions — 57%. • Not having time to meet with employees — 52%. • Refusing to talk to subordinates — 51%. • Taking credit for others’ ideas — 47%. • Not offering constructive criticism — 39%. • Not knowing employees’ names — 36%. • Refusing to talk to people on the phone/in-person — 34%. • Not asking about employees’ lives outside of work — 23%.

According to another study, if given a chance, employees would like to sit down with the boss to discuss the competitive environment, the company’s long-term vision, the company’s strategy and industry trends.

The study summarized the action plan that business owners and CEOs must take to be better communicators: “If you are the owner or CEO, you need to step out of the corner office and get more face time with the people who work for you.”

Indeed, engaging employees in conversation may help you better run your busi-

ness. After all, these are the folks that are closest to your market. They are the ones who interact with customers and witness trends firsthand. Dismissing their contributions and keeping them out of the loop is poor business practice.

I’ve worked for many bosses and I’ve observed their varied communication styles. Obviously, the ones who took the time to publicize their thoughts and listen to employees garnered the best results for the bottom line. On the other hand, those who sat in their ivory towers hoping their message would eventually make it to the masses failed miserably at reaching their goals. And it doesn’t take a mind reader to know when things are going south. u

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The study summarized the action plan that business owners and CEOs must take to be better communicators: “If you are the owner or CEO, you need to step out of the corner office and get more face time with the people who work for you.”

Tonya Vinas is a former editor of HVACR Business who specializes in B2B topics.