Open and genuine conversations build stronger relationships and foster growth in an organization. These conversations promote and create a culture where trust, rapport and respect show up in every interaction. When this is present, people feel valued and understand how what they do matters, and how each person impacts the business as a whole, and the organization gets stronger.
With so many studies, surveys and articles about employee retention and the high cost of poor communication, it’s hard to imagine that organizations might not be focused on what’s really important, and what can actually help drive success.
But it’s true… Sometimes it’s hard to read the label from inside the bottle. So, what is your environment telling you?
Are there warning signs, such as: low morale, motivation and productivity? Do you have higher turnover, complaints and rework? These are some of the lagging indicators that point to improving relationships and communication just might be an opportunity…
Being effective is about “coming outside of the bottle” and redesigning your approach. Focus on these three communication skills that create clear and positive business impact:
Create Clarity, Alignment & Purpose – from vision, to strategy, to purpose, to contribution
Clearly define what you are setting out to accomplish. Start by “connecting the dots”. Ask yourself: Why do you do what you do? How do you do what you do? What does it take to get there? Every initiative, every change and every task has to have purpose. Every person in your organization should be able to answer these questions with consistency, and with relevance to their specific role.
Understand Value Premise – the power of “WHY”
Inspiration comes from outside forces, and motivation comes from within. People need both. A Value Premise exercise asks people to think about and discuss what they do, who and what they impact and what benefits arise as a result. Creating this level of conversation opens the opportunity for everyone to link the tasks they do back to the overall vision and strategies of the organization. When people really understand the WHY, WHAT and HOW they align values and become inspired and motivated!
Leverage Communication Styles & Flexing – awareness, understanding, practice and patience!
Most people have some level of understanding into how they communicate with others. But very few are given the opportunity (or take the time) to learn more about the other communication styles and how to adjust for better outcomes. Learn more about how to identify the behaviors of each style and how they prefer to be communicated with. What are the stress indicators, and how do they respond under stress? What can you do to flex your style and improve your versatility? It’s great to be aware of YOUR style, but it’s more important to understand those of others around you, and learn to flex for better outcomes and stronger relationships.
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