On the Job by Anita Bruzzese Why Some Leaders are Terrible Communicators

On the Job by Anita Bruzzese Why Some Leaders are Terrible Communicators If youre a leader and your team complains about being overwhelmed, youre not alone. We often blame technology whether its the telephone 50 years ago or social media today for much of our ills at work. But the real problem may not be your team tweeting too much but rather your poor communication skills as a leader. Think about it: How many times have you sent an email to a team member who is sitting in the same room? How many times have you avoided picking up the phone in favor of sending a text or an email? How many times have you sent emails that require more than three follow-up emails because the team seems to be confused? If youre guilty of any or all of these offenses, then its time you listened toPhil Simon, author of Message Not Received: Why Business Communication is Broken and How to Fix It. He says that while poor communication has always existed, the world is moving so fast these days that poor skills in this area will have bottom-line consequences and only grow worse unless leaders make a commitment tochange their ways. While theres no shortage of bad examples of emails out there, Simon says the real problem is not email itself, but the people misusing it and often peppering it with jargon that no one clearly understands. He provides some examples: The next generation of cloud is about people. Their WaaS technology is the middleware to match the right person to the right work at the right time. By plugging into the information ecosystem and participating through the creation and curation of information, organizations can augment existing information channels. Part of the problem, Simon explains, is that people like sending emails because it clears their plate of a task. By firing off an email with lots of jargon, a leader may feel like she is showing the team that she is supporting the company strategy. But as Peter Drucker notes, Culture eats strategy for breakfast. So the leader who piles jargon-riddled emails onto her team may feel like shes communicating, but the reality is shes undermining the culture that is needed to keep teams focused and engaged. Without their buy-in, any business strategy will falter. Ultimately,poor communicationfrom a leader can lead to a team that feels overwhelmed, under-appreciated, confused and possibly looking for another job. The problem isnt email, Simon says. Its how we use it. So if leaders truly want to amend their bad habits and help their teams function at their best, Simon suggests they need to: Give up the 50 cent words.You may think it makes (read more here)