RULE #5 – Be a good communicator and listen to your team
“Be a good communicator” is another one of those “duh” items on the list—it’s obvious to anyone with even a modicum of management experience. In fact, I’m guessing that communication skills are at the top of every management expert’s list of essential leadership skills. James Humes gets right to the point: “The art of communication is the language of leadership.” Entrepreneur Richard Branson, the founder of the visionary Virgin organization, agrees: “Communication is the most important skill any leader can possess.”
What is interesting to me is what Google recommends, beyond the obvious generality of “good communication.” Google puts it this way:
Communication is two-way; you both listen and share information.
This is probably one of the most helpful suggestions on the list! Interestingly, effective listening has recently become much more valued in leadership and executive circles. The image of the “telling” or “order-giving” boss is giving way to the “listening” and “collaborating” leader. Financier and philanthropist Bernard Baruch observed, “Most of the successful people I’ve known are the ones who do more listening than talking.” More and more leadership experts agree! Google explains further:
Encourage open dialogue and listen to the issues and concerns of your employees.
No surprise: I have written about this before. You will find lots of practical help with one of my newsletters and its companion issue of The Personal Trainer. You can access them here:
Issue #14 – The Listening Leader and The Personal Trainer – Issue #14
And be sure to check out my blog entry for June 4th of this year, “Can We Talk?” and the added resources I provide that give expanded detail and practical tools.
I also recommend an article I wrote for the journal of a professional association of managers and executives. I reprinted it as an issue of my own LeadershipTracks newsletter. You can access it here:
Issue #11 – Why Should Anyone Listen to YOU?
And you’ll find more details and practical tips in the companion issue of The Personal Trainer. You can access it here:
The Personal Trainer – Issue #11
Keep in mind: Good communication is a team-based exercise, centered on results. Google puts it this way:
Hold all-hands meetings and be straightforward about the messages and goals of the Team. Help the team connect the dots.
“All hands” meetings are how a good leader involves the whole team, not just a select few. It’s the perfect medium for sharing information and keeping the team in touch with what’s going on. It’s also the easiest way for the leader to stay in touch with what the team is doing. This kind of two-way communication is vital for the central functions of leadership: planning, evaluation, problem-solving, and decision-making.
“Connecting the dots” is about helping your team understand how their work contributes to the success of the organization; why it is important for them to do a good job; and why it is important for them to do their job in a timely way. Most employees spend their workdays inside a mental box, without any understanding of how or why their work is connected to the overall success of the organization. It is the leader’s job to change that—to help the team see the value of what they do, as integral to the organization and as integrated with the work of other teams and departments.
Team leadership is one of the most important applications of leadership. If you would like some help with this, call us! We have experience working with teams and team leaders, helping them to work together more effectively. And we can help you, too!
Until next time… Yours for better leaders and better organizations,
Dr. Jim Dyke – “The Boss Doctor” ™
