{"id":33310,"date":"2016-06-22T04:45:58","date_gmt":"2016-06-22T09:45:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/michaelhyatt.com\/?p=33310"},"modified":"2016-06-22T04:45:58","modified_gmt":"2016-06-22T09:45:58","slug":"leaders-communicate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/leaders-communicate\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Leaders Can\u2019t Over-Communicate"},"content":{"rendered":"

Leaders face a lot of problems, but poor communication is one they often create for themselves. In fact, nine in ten employees say it sabotages the success of executives, according to one study<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

The same study found the second biggest problem area for leaders was a lack of clear directions. I think this probably applies across the board\u2014everything from mission and core values down to day-to-day operations.<\/p>\n

I get it. Sometimes, as leaders, we think we\u2019ve said what needs to be said. We\u2019re actually worried about over-communicating. We don\u2019t want to sound like a broken record. <\/p>\n

Only Half Done<\/h3>\n

When I was at Thomas Nelson, I felt like I repeated myself a lot. I began to fear that I was wearing people out by repeating the same things over and over.<\/p>\n

I expressed my concern to one of my consultants who said, \u201cWhen you get tired of hearing yourself and you think that everyone is starting to get annoyed, you're about half done.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was an important insight. What\u2019s crystal clear for us is often fuzzy for others. Our job is to bring definition and clarity to those we serve.<\/p>\n\n

It reminds me of something the Apostle Paul said: \u201cIt is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.\u201d (Philippians 3:1) Repetition is part of the job.<\/p>\n

5 Reasons to Speak up and Speak Often<\/h3>\n

The truth is you can\u2019t over-communicate. It\u2019s impossible. Here are five reasons why this is true.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. People can\u2019t read your mind.<\/strong> We all know this. But most of us forget. When we force people to guess what we\u2019re after, we widen the margin for error and misunderstanding. You need to get what\u2019s in your mind into the minds of your teammates. That only comes with communication.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
  2. People forget.<\/strong> No matter how clear your strategy and tactics are to you, others will forget. My friend, Andy Stanley<\/a>, sometimes says it this way: vision leaks<\/em>. No one retains it all. Constant communication helps people hold onto what really matters.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
  3. \n

    People get distracted.<\/strong> Modern work is plagued by distraction. As leaders, we can do things to combat that\u2014and we should\u2014but we also compensate by continually communicating what\u2019s important to our teams.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  4. \n

    People haven\u2019t bought your rationale.<\/strong> Just because people work for us doesn\u2019t mean they subscribe to the mission or the values behind the individual tasks they've been hired to do. If you\u2019re serious about results, you\u2019ll either need to let those people go or bring them up to speed.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  5. \n

    People drift off course.<\/strong> Even if team members buy into your vision or the importance behind specific tasks, they can lose sight of the target and drift off course. A leader\u2019s communication is the compass of the organization. It keeps everyone oriented and moving toward the right goals.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Communication is a critical factor in team alignment<\/a>. And team alignment is a critical factor in hitting organizational goals.<\/p>\n\t\t