Communicate to be Understood

Today I want to focus on your communication, not those of others.  We want to be understood in the way we expect to be, but this does not always happen.  Why?  Because we may not be clear in our words, use words that could have different meanings to different people, or even have visual signals that show something different.

If you want to be understood, be sure you are being clear.  This means that when we are going to be in the 5km race I discussed in an earlier post, we are clear on what our participation means.  I am not a runner, so I am there as a vendor to raise money for the charity.  If we take an example of a manager asking an employee to complete a task, we may say I need this done for tomorrow.  What we really mean is I need it done by lunch tomorrow for a meeting in the afternoon, but we were rushing to give the employee instructions.  We will be disappointed in our employee tomorrow when it is not done on time, but this could be entirely our fault, not our employees.  If we are not clear in the timeline expectation, our employee may prioritize their work to ensure yours is done by end of day tomorrow.  Being clear with your words and expectations is very important, as is deadlines.  We want our team to succeed as much as we want to succeed.  Remember, they are your back up crew.  They are your team, so ensure they are given the communication you want them to hear.

One way to ensure you know they are understanding what you are trying to say is to ask a question.  For example: How will you prioritize your work to ensure I can get that report by tomorrow at noon?  This open question allows for more conversation and clarity to your expectation.

If you are struggling with an employee getting work done on time, accurately, etc, then first ask yourself if they truly know what the expectation is.  I was in a training one time where they explained that a leader may be on a path and believe that their employees are on the same path.  However, one little miscommunication could mean that you are on the path heading North and your employee is headed South.

We will chat more about open questions in a future blog, as these can be key to clear understanding.

As always, feel free to check out our website at www.twinlifecoaching.ca or to email me at tara@twinlifecoaching.ca.