Transparent Communication Basics

Domain: Execution - Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

The problem with common sense is it's not so common.

This is true when it comes to the basics around transparent communication. It can be tempting to assume that we're at the point in our career where we don't need a refresher on the basics. And yet, it is these basics that many leaders fail to practice on a daily basis. Getting consistent with these foundations allows you further your communication skills as you inevitably dive into more complex and nuanced matters.

With that in mind, I've tried to make these as actionable as possible to help close the gap between knowing and doing…

Clear expectations

A lot of performance issues are a result of unclear expectations. And if we're being honest, the unclear expectations usually come from the leader.

The biggest opportunity for most leaders to be more transparent with their communication is by increasing the clarity of their expectations.

Doing this well can actually be harder than it would seem. You want to strike a balance between clarity and autonomy. If you go too far in the name of clear expectations, you can find yourself micromanaging.

I've previously mentioned "who does what by when", which is a good starting point for assigning work but it doesn't provide clarity as to the desired outcome.

To make expectations truly clear, you need to define success. After you've communicated who is responsible for which tasks and when they are due, be specific on the expected outcome. Providing the desired outcome gives clarity without dictating the "how". This ensures the individual has enough autonomy to leverage their own strengths and skillset to deliver results.

Give the “why”

This is one many leaders miss: providing the "Why". As in, "Why are we implementing this change?" or "Why is this project getting prioritized?". Why adds context which is important for helping the individual make decisions as they are completing work in service of that effort.

The work our teams do is often incredibly complicated. We can't account for every single scenario that might come up, nor do we want to. Giving them the why gives them context and understanding to help fill these gaps. When they understand the purpose of the work, they will be better equipped to address unexpected challenges without you holding their hand along the way. This is how teams grow stronger over time.

Questions and feedback

The whole point of communicating is to ensure a message is received and understood. Taking feedback and listening to questions helps you do this. You're not simply talking at someone, you are communicating with them.

The feedback they provide and the questions they ask will help to inform you which parts of your message have landed and which parts need clarified. When you do this consistently, you also become better at anticipating questions and proactively addressing them.

I recommend open-ended prompts here such a s "What can I clarify?" instead of "Are there any questions?". You'll get better engagement with open-ended questions which makes the communication more effective.

Early, often and varied

Research shows that you have to deliver a message multiple times for it to truly sink in. In marketing, this is known as the rule of 7, but even in the workplace a message needs to be sent 3-5 times to ensure it is received.

I recommend doing this through a variety of channels.

Let's say you are implementing a new strategy at work. Many leaders will announce it a town hall and then consider it communicated. That's a mistake.

Once it's announced, that strategy should be reinforced through one-on-one conversations, via email, team meetings, etc. I also recommend publishing it in a location where the team can reference it on their own. Perhaps a shared intranet site or digital workspace.

When your team gets to the point where they communicate the strategy back to you, you know it's been communicated.

Thank you for reading. My hope is always that you've found something helpful and easy to implement. If you have feedback, suggestions or questions, please reply to this email.

If you are interested in exploring one-on-one coaching to transform your leadership, email me at [email protected] and we’ll coordinate a free, one-hour discovery session.

This week’s action items:

1. Provide clear expectations by defining desired outcomes without dictating exactly how they are achieved.

2. Explain the why behind the work to drive independent decision making for your team.

3. Use open-ended questions to solicit feedback and questions.

4. Reinforce important communications through a variety of channels.