3 things I forbid my teammates to say
"The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place." George Bernard Shaw
I come from a place where lives are at stake. Miscommunication or misunderstanding of the boss's intent means the mission fails and people get killed. My military training and my combat tours instilled in me a clear, concise, and confident communication style. While I would ask for clarification when I needed it, never did I want to let my boss think I was unable to get the mission accomplished. Moreover, my boss had a lot on his or her plate and it was important that I not add to it. Too extreme for a private organization where lives are not at stake you say? While that is fair, clear, concise, and confident communication has its place in today's complex, fast-paced business environment.
I'm the leader of a small business and it is my duty to develop my people into great communicators. It is also my duty to empower them and encourage them to problem-solve and think about how they communicate with me. This will serve them well wherever their journey leads. Long before any demands however, I set the foundation and the environment, investing in each of them, ensuring they feel like they belong, have a voice, and that I have their personal and professional goals in mind. I work hard to create a healthy work environment, building trust and making families feel welcomed. It is only then that I can forbid them to say these things. Here they are.
1. "I don't know." "I don't know," is incomplete. It must be followed by some assurance such as, "I'm going to find out," or "let me find out and get back to you." I will definitely offer suggestions or solutions but I want my people to do the work. The more I become the solution, the less they are growing. I don't ever want them to be comfortable with, "I don't know."
2. "What do you want to do?" This places the analysis and problem-solving square on my lap. "What do you want to do?" is easy. Encounter a problem and toss it to the boss. I always answer this with, "What do you recommend and why?" I want them to do the analysis and problem-solving instead of me. Again, I'm available to share my experience and help them but I'm doing them a disservice if I don't push back on, "what do you want to do?"
3. "I emailed/texted/called them." This statement is usually in response to my asking about something or someone and, without any commitment to take the next step, does not equal task completion. It leaves me wondering, "is that as far as they are going?" "I emailed/texted/called them," must be followed with an "and." I'm looking for two things here. First, that they have exhausted all means to contact someone on their path to task completion. Second, that they understand the task is not complete and they may need to go back to the drawing board.
This takes time. You cannot issue this as a policy or mention this in a meeting once and think you have it fixed. It is human nature to communicate as I have described above. It is a leader's job to reverse that human nature through investing in his or her people. While lives may not be at stake, the need for better communication is paramount.
Make it Personal!
Rob
Rob Campbell