As originally published in Forbes here.
One of my favorite quotes to remember as a leader is from Peter Drucker. He said, “Communication is in the mind of the recipient. You’re just making noise if the other person does not understand you.” Unfortunately, we see a lot of leaders out there who are just making noise, failing to really communicate to their teams because they are not focused on ensuring understanding.
Leaders often believe that because of their leadership title, if they say, email or demonstrate something once, everyone will understand exactly what they need to do and what the leader means. That is just not the case, as people process information very differently. Leaders often neglect to realize that without understanding, there is no communication.
Having worked with many executives and managers over the years on their ability to communicate effectively for understanding, I know how critical communication is to effective leadership. So, here are my top five tips to remember when communicating with employees:
1. Keep words simple and to the point. We see a lot of managers overcomplicating their messages. Leaders must make the complex simple; so before speaking or sending out any message, ask yourself if it is easily translatable and understandable to your grandmother. Keep in mind the famous quote by Albert Einstein: “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” You must fully understand what you are about to communicate and then make it as simple as possible for everyone else to understand it, too.
Read the full article here.