Communication is Tough

Communication is tough. The hardest thing to master in business is communication. When you do it, how you do it, where you do it. There are so many factors that go into this one thing. A good rule of thumb, when you are leading a team, is this.

If you assume, you will be misunderstood.

Teams all around the world work for leaders who “assume” people are on the same wavelength they are. They expect specific details, attitudes, and performance, but never tell their teams what those things look like to them.

This is how we see people doing their best and wondering why they don’t measure up. This is why bosses are frustrated with “poor” effort.

No one is saying what the expectation is!

If you think you have told your team something, made yourself clear, or explained something over “1,000” times, you’re not helping yourself. Just say it again.

Don’t be frustrated with overcommunicating, you probably aren’t doing it.

Your thoughts are constantly running through your head. By the time you teach someone a concept or give them important information, you need them to remember, how many times have you thought about it. More than the one time you told them.

If you want someone to perform a certain way, tell them. Then tell them again, tell them again, change the sentence but say the same thing.

Prep your candidates for an interview. Tell them what to wear, what time to arrive, and what to expect. Don’t make them guess what you’re looking for. If you do, you aren’t setting them up for success. If they come unprepared after that, you have a world of information.

There are times when an employee just doesn’t grasp something or is in the wrong spot, but that is rarer than you think. Get to know your people and give them the benefit of the doubt.

Don’t be afraid to

• Tell people many times what you need from them

• Help them along the way

• Be clear

• Ask questions for clarity

ALWAYS overcommunicate, I bet you can’t.