QUOTE
“Most people don’t plan to fail, but many fail to plan properly” Anon
Often we find ourselves in leadership positions, either formally appointed or informally recognized by the group. Either way it brings with it some key obligations and actions if we are to discharge that role correctly.
This week we will look at one of the core activities of a leader. i.e COMMUNICATION
It has been said that: information is power in organizations! However any organization, business unit or team requires information in order to harness the collective efforts in an orderly fashion. This means that as a manager or leader one is required to pass on the necessary information to get commitment and alignment within the team, but not to overload, distract or divert the teams efforts with unnecessary information. A manager needs to give careful consideration to two points i.e WHAT to convey and HOW best to communicate that.
Communication itself can take varied forms, the most common are of course the written and spoken word, and often a combination of the two is most effective. Each of these has some essential points to be considered:
What is the message to be communicated
Who is it aimed at
How should it be conveyed – Face2face, to a group, via letter, poster or email
When is the best time to do it
What is the desired response or result
If these points are considered (as a minimum) before any communication takes place, there will be a structure and purpose to the messaging and it is more likely to result in a successful response from the receivers. Do also remember to test that critical information has been correctly interpreted by seeking feedback and providing an opportunity for clarification.