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Talk is Cheap.
By Dr. Rick Johnson
Wednesday, 1st October 2014
 

Why? Because talking is easy, we like to hear our own voices â€" express our own opinions and its instinctive that we just open our mouths;

We have this deep seeded psychological need to answer questions â€" questions that are often not even asked, it is a powerful force. This force can block opportunity for constructive feedback, new ideas or the chance to learn.

Great leaders understand that what comes out of their mouths is far less valuable than what goes into their ears. Talk is cheap and doing too much of it is a critical constraint to effective leadership.

Communication and Trust

Next to employees, communication is the most critical element to success, whether the company is in a growth mode or facing challenges to maintain market share.

Failure to communicate is like a virus that can lead to total failure. Communication is essential to developing trust.

Trust is necessary to get people to reach down deep inside and give everything they have under the most difficult circumstances. Trust will allow people to give their discretionary energy to meet objectives. Trust is critical for employees to maximize their power of profitability.

The reason people follow any leader, especially in the business world, is due to trust. The only way to develop trust is through communication - talking to people with respect to gain their respect. Respect is a key ingredient in developing trust.

Trust is gained when people think their employer cares about their welfare and recognizes the role each plays in creating a profit. People have to think that the company not only cares about their problems, but that the company will make every effort to solve them.

Effective communication is one of the most difficult skills to learn. This is especially true because the majority of us have abandoned the old fashion person to person, face to face communication that we all had to use in the 70’s and 80’s. Today, most of us have a tendency to use e-mail as our primary communication channel. Yes, it is extremely efficient. It’s easy.

But, there are sharks swimming in our pool of e-mails. It is often extremely difficult to really express our true feelings in an e-mail. They are often misinterpreted. It is difficult to be convincing and express our passion. But, e-mail and other forms of written communication are here to stay. So…. It would behoove us to create and develop better writing skills. Follow these guidelines.

Seal your lips â€" literally. Do anything to stop yourself from talking. Let the other person speak freely without encumbrance. And understand that even when you think they’re done, they’re probably not! Wait for them to finish. Or, ask a probing question. There is power in the pause â€" learn to master that moment of silence. Chances are, you haven’t heard everything yet. If you listen well, eventually you will understand exactly what the person is trying to communicate.

Empower: Don’t let your workers off easy by feeding them all the answers. Why answer when you can get your employees to answer it themselves? Instead, ask them, “Well, what do you think we should do?” and guide them as they figure out the answers themselves.

Don’t hijack meetings: Let everyone else get their ideas and thoughts out first before you inject your own. When you speak first, it’s too easy to push your team into going along with your ideas. This is especially true the higher up you are in the chain of command. The best ideas may come from someone besides you.

E-Mails: Before you type one word, ask yourself why the person you are communicating to should even want to read it. What will it do for them? Why do they need this information?

Be conscious of there needs: Express your thoughts based on their needs and not yours. Avoid using the “I” word.

Your first sentence: Grab their attention but don’t make stuff up or try to be over dramatic. Be honest and truthful. Refer to common goals or common truths. Try to create an understanding.

The Bold Key: Be careful of using the “Bold” key and capital letters. The reader may view words that are all caps like you are yelling at them.

Be Simplistic: Do not use words that try to show how smart you are. Write in the reader’s language. Try to write at a level no higher than high school. Nobody cares that you know what disingenuous means.

Be Positive: Keep your message as positive as possible. If you have to deliver a negative or extremely disappointing message, pick up the telephone and call the person. Most telephones still work.

Language: Oh it can be so difficult. Use crisp clear words. Don’t use words that can be ambiguous or easily misinterpreted.

Ask for action: Close your message with a call to action. Let your reader know exactly what you would like them to do. For example….. Go to my website and purchase my Leadership CD & Workbook. You’ll be glad you did.

Leadership and communication are intertwined. Together, they help create solidarity. Solidarity implies a unity within a group that enables it to manifest its strength and exert its influence. This is particularly true when a business is facing challenges from the competition, the external environment, changing market conditions, or economic pressures.

Unity describes an oneness of diverse, individual parts making up the whole. It is an achievement that occurs only with appropriate and precise action and leadership.

Create an intentional communication strategy. Employees must understand and support a common vision. This requires clarity. Clarity begins with effective communication. Make sure communication from your Management team reaches all employees.

Rick Johnson, expert speaker, wholesale distribution’s “Leadership Strategist”, founder of CEO Strategist, LLC a firm that helps clients create and maintain competitive advantage. Need a speaker for your next event, E-mail rick@ceostrategist.com. Don’t forget to check out the Lead Wolf Series that can help you put more profit into your business.

www.ceostrategist.com

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