The power of communication as an effective leadership tool cannot be overstated! In study after study, research has validated the fact that employees feel more empowered and engaged when they are kept in the loop about company information. Employees will talk … and our informal research tells us that in the absence of adequate or accurate information, people will make it up! So why not be sure the information being shared will improve productivity and teamwork?
Here’s a Key Principle every leader, manager, and supervisor should know:
When people know what is going on and how they fit into the overall picture, they are more motivated and engaged, and they will contribute more effectively to the bottom line.
Take Action
Here are three quick tips to help you build clear, consistent, accurate communication into the way you do business:
Make clear and honest communication one of your primary objectives!
You might be interested in evaluating yourself by using our Communication Competence Quiz (click to download). After you’ve evaluated yourself, be brave and ask your employees to evaluate you. Then compare the results — and take actions as necessary to become a better communicator!
It’s more fun to talk with someone who doesn’t use long, difficult words, but rather short, easy words like “What about lunch?”
(Communication Competence Quiz used with permission from The Manager’s Short Course to a Long Career, by Bil & Cher Holton.)
