When I transitioned into my first leadership position, one of my biggest “ah-ha’s” was the importance of effective communication. 

And, believe me, I learned the hard way!

I remember getting in trouble because I shared too much information.

And then I got in trouble for not sharing enough information.

There was also that time when the WAY I communicated ended badly.

I could go on, but I think you get the picture. Finding the right balance and approach to communication when you’re in a leadership role can be tricky.

So, let me share a few tips from my experiences that have served me well.

Know Your Audience

It’s critical to understand your different audiences so you can communicate effectively. Your senior leadership team has different needs, motivations, concerns, and attitudes than your subordinates…or your boss…or your peers…or your customers. So, you’ll need to adjust the content and approach to your communication differently for each audience. When you’re busy, it may be convenient to send out an email blast to everyone. But in the long run, you’ll likely spend more time dealing with the ramifications of that approach than if you customize your approach to each audience.

Your Communication Channel Matters

Email is quick and easy and can be a very effective method of communication, except when it’s not. Evaluate whether a one-way communication channel is appropriate for the situation. Here are a few situations where you should have a two-way conversation instead of sending an email:

• Difficult relationships: It might be more comfortable to avoid conversations with people with whom you have a strained relationship. But you will never develop that relationship without two-way communication. So, muster up your courage to engage in a conversation and gain alignment by finding shared goals.
• Difficult messages: People don’t like change, so it’s never a good idea to send an email to announce a change. The only exception is if you’re using an email announcement to allow people time to process the change and formulate their questions before meeting with them to discuss it in more depth.

Actively Listen

Pay attention to what’s going on around you. What can you learn from informal conversations and nonverbal cues? Ask questions to help you understand what your team is thinking and how they are doing. Invite people to give you feedback and thank them when they share it with you. And listen without judgment, doing your best to understand others. Doing all this will help you with your leadership communications and the actions you choose to take to empower and engage your team and strengthen trust. 

Learn from Your Experiences

It’s ok to make mistakes. I still make mistakes after all these years of practice! Mistakes are valuable learning experiences, so don’t beat yourself up. Learn. Adapt. Do better next time.

These are only a few tips for a deep topic. Let me know if you want me to share more about this topic in a future newsletter.

Wishing you the best!