Leaders, here is an important mindset shift you need to make: you are consistently under-communicating.
Differentstudies have shown that it can take anywhere between 3 and 20 times before a message resonates with the recipient. Likewise, marketing experts swear by the Rule of 7: action won’t be taken until a message has been heard at least 7 times. There is value in the repetition: a single message can’t be fully absorbed and acted upon in a way that makes an appreciable difference.
Leaders can fall into the trap of believing that their message has been heard loud and clear the first time. The carefully crafted message makes sense to you, why not them? Here’s the reality: you’ve spent way more time pondering, crafting, and internalizing the message before you’ve even considered delivering it.
Those 3 to 20 times? Done on the drive home from work.
The Rule of 7? All 7 have been consumed by you before lunch.
So when you step up to the proverbial or literal mic, YOU have done the repetition work well in advance. Your people, however, are hearing it all for the very first time. If your message lives and dies by a single delivery, most likely, your workplace struggles with communication and it’s because you are under-communicating.
You may be saying to yourself, “Well, I can’t talk AND listen: they have to do a better job of hearing me!” There may be some truth to that, but do you really want to shift the onus of communication off of your shoulders? Leaders need to ensure that they have done everything possible to allow for good communication to take place. Check out the simple, 4-questiont test to give yourself to make sure your message is clear, concise, and well-communicated:
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Is your message aligned with your organization’s core ideology?
Nearly every organization has core ideology from which they operate (if you don’t, I can help you with that!). An organization’s core ideology refers to a shared set of ideas, practices, and ethics that informs decisions and behaviors. This includes an organization’s mission, vision, and core values. If you’ve done a good job building a workplace culture around your core ideology, you’ve done most of the groundwork for strong communication. When you align your message to your core ideology, the recipients will already understand the “why” behind it.
However, if your message is not aligned with your core ideology, then you will have to do more work to deliver it. Your people will struggle to see the value, need, and purpose behind a message that runs counter to your culture, mission, vision, and values. Align your message to your core ideology, and let the full weight of your culture support your message.
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Does your message contain focused, clear next steps?
Is your message clear and actionable? How? One of the biggest issues with communication is a lack of clarity. You know what this feels like: you deliver a rousing speech, citing research, case studies, and hope for the future. Once you finish, however, there are confused looks, uncertain responses, and ultimately, little to no action. You may have had inspirational ideas sprinkled throughout your message, but it lacked a clear call to action. If listeners don’t know what the next step is after you’ve delivered a message, communication hasn’t taken place.
If you want to be heard, your recipients need to know what to do next. Make sure your message contains measurable next steps for your people.
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How will your message be communicated?
This seems like an obvious question, but leaders often neglect the necessary, hard work of actually saying what they need to say. What medium will you use to communicate your message? How will it best be received by those who need to hear it? How will I know that people have heard it and know what to do with it? By developing a communication strategy in advance, you can take a lot of the guesswork out of the process.
Don’t leave your communication to chance: make a plan!
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How will your message be reinforced?
This is where most leaders fail. Under-communication happens when leaders neglect to reinforce their message in a different way. Whether be it arrogance, forgetfulness, or a lack of planning, leaders tend to overestimate their ability to land a message on the first try. Research has proven that even world-class communicators need to utilize repetition to successfully communicate: why wouldn’t you?
As you plan out your communication strategy, plan for reinforcement. What other mediums can you use to help get your message across? How many times will your particular team need you to reinforce the message? Don’t let your message get lost in the shuffle: reinforce it until it sticks.
The ownership of communication is on you and you alone. Don’t shift responsibility elsewhere: make sure that your message is heard loud and clear. If you are under-communicating, make the necessary changes today. If you are able to utilize the simple test above, you will start to craft stronger, more purposeful messaging that connects with your people.
If you are struggling to communicate well as a leader or would like to help your team grow in their communication skills, contact me to start a conversation today on how I can help.