Not communicating also sends a message, the dip and personal branding - Cultivated Management newsletter
Hi,
Hope you are having a great week and all is well. It's blisteringly hot here today in the UK. The kids are going stir-crazy and I'm trying not to type too fast for fear of passing out in the heat!
Not communicating also sends a message
Some managers are not very good at communicating. Let's face it, we've all likely worked for someone like that. We ourselves will likely struggle with some element of our own communication. For example, we may not be great at presenting, or we struggle with writing, or can't listen very well.
The natural tendency when struggling with communication can be to retreat and not communicate at all, or to rely only on the channels and mediums that you are good at.
The problem with this is that the world is changing fast. People expect more communication than ever and they expect it in different sizes, shapes and cadences. They also want different mediums and channels. It makes communicating hard. It's why I always communicate information via many different channels and in different forms (redundancy is the posh word for this approach). The trouble is it means more work and more effort, and some managers just won't put in the effort.
People expect clarity and information at the right time, in the right place. They also expect transparency. Just look at the growth of sites like Glassdoor and Trip Advisor. People want to find out what is going on and hook on to narratives that are happening in the business.They want to be kept in the loop.
Potential employees want to see what a company is like before they choose to work there too. They want insights.
And as a manager, it is your job to provide your employees with the information they desire and need. The problem is most managers rely on other people to do this for them or they hide away. They don't say anything until they have to.
Improving every angle of your communication is essential for effective management. But it's also important to remember that not saying something also sends a message.
Not admitting you made a mistake sends a message.
Not responding to the poor review on Glassdoor sends a message.
Not informing people about initiatives, objectives or changes in the workplace sends a message.
Not following up on an argument, upsetting moment or request for help sends a message.
Not following up on feedback sends a message.
Letting the grapevine spread information that really should have come from management/leadership sends a message.
Not listening to staff sends a message.
Relying on out-dated channels to communicate sends a message.
In others words, not communicating is just as powerful for sending a message as actually communicating something. In a circular way, non-communication is indeed communication.
My approach is to communicate early and often. Double the communication you currently do, then double it again.
Don't be fooled into thinking that you can push communication too, such as through global announcements, webinars and the like. It takes more effort than that. Not everyone will get the message - you must try harder.
Communication is something the listener does. It happens in their head. If you "push" a message and the listener doesn't get it, you haven't communicated. If they think you haven't communicated (despite what you may think) then you haven't communicated. And not communicating can often send a more powerful message than you think, as we've just covered. If they didn't get the message - that's your fault - not theirs :) #harshbutfairandtrue
So the trick is to over communicate and put communication right at the heart of your skillset and effort levels.
If you're interested in improving your communication skills (or other management skills) then I run a fab course which I will be opening up publicly soon. I also offer coaching and mentoring.
It doesn't matter what you do or how you keep learning about communication - just remember to communicate early, often and check your listener got the message. :)
Personal Branding
Don't forget you can get your totally free, epicly awesome, blazingly simple guide to personal branding here (as mentioned in last week's newsletter).
The Dip
Read a cracking little book this week by Seth Godin. I emailed him as I was stuck on something and to my surprise he responded straight away! His response gave me some deep clarity. He suggested I also take a quick look at his book "The Dip" - self promotion is the best form of promotion :).
As it turns out it gave me some clarity. It gave me something to think about. It's a very short book and you might feel like the price is too high for the size of the book. But I think it's worth it. Especially if you feel stuck with something in your life.
In a nutshell it is a book about how to know whether you are in a dip and then what to do about it. If it is a dip but you have a strong finish line that keeps you motivated and focussed, then keep going. You're in the middle. The hard bit. When I write a book it's like this. Strong start, wonder why I bother, deep horrors and realisation this is a big under-taking, end in site, panic over clicking publish, publish, thankful I continued to the end.
Sometimes though you're stuck in a dead end. Sometimes you are in a dip where the future is more like a cliff you'll fall off. Sometimes quitting is just what you need to do. Sometimes you need to cut your losses and get out. He helps you identify the dips and understand how to make the right decisions.
Powerful little book. Enjoyed it.
Until next time..
Rob