Dr. Vasudha Sharma talks about the Role of Effective Communication in Leadership

Being a worthy leader is about building trust with your team/followers/co members. When you are the manager or leader of a team, knowing effective communication skills can make the difference between reaching your team goals with ease or barely getting there – if at all! – and struggling all the way through. It is simply impossible to become a great leader without being a great communicator. The key to becoming a skillful communicator is rarely found in what has been taught in the world of academia. From our earliest days in the classroom we are trained to focus on expression, vocabulary, presence, delivery, grammar, syntax and the like. In other words, we are taught to focus on ourselves. While it does not mean to belittle these things as they’re important to learn, it’s the more subtle elements of communication rarely taught in the classroom (the elements that focus on others), which leaders desperately need to learn.

A person who is either a supervisor or in a position of leadership, he/she should try to inculcate effective communication tips and make sure that his/her team makes it all the way to the top. Following are some ways that can help a person to become an effective leader by utilizing his/her communication skills:

• If you place specific activities, timelines, tasks etc. then you give the team a common ground that everyone can build upon. If everyone speaks “the same language”, so to speak they can move more confidently towards the same expected goal. This is called employee buy-in as  it helps to be visual in such manner.

• Expectations must be crystal clear. It is easier for employees to get the job done, if they know exactly what job they are expected to do. Making your employees guess about what they are supposed to do is ineffective and just wastes company time and efforts. Give them a big-picture idea of how their efforts will fit into the company’s overall strategy. That way, employees can become more involved and can even come up with some great ideas on their own.

• Keep communications positive. Give acknowledgment where it is due. If someone does a good job make sure it doesn’t go unobserved. A lot of times, positive reinforcements, acknowledgements, and appreciation can go a long way in boosting employee morale. Finding a way to reward achievements, even if it means just inviting the whole team out for a drink, can help turn a simple group into a Team.

• Don’t forget to be an attentive listener. A good manager is always a good listener. In spite of what it can seem like, this is not the easiest skill to master but it is one of the most important. Really listen to what your employees are saying and see how you can help meet their concerns at least on some level.

• Smile, be approachable, and be empathetic. An unpretentious smile lets people know you have positive intentions and a friendly work environment just makes it easier to get up in the morning to go to work.

• Be proactive in your communications. Don’t just sit back and wait for your team to come to you. Go out there and ask them how they’re doing with their goals, if they are finding anything difficult, if they have any ideas that might help the team move closer towards set goals.

• Involving openness in the workplace really promotes the level of engagement and teamwork and makes it much easier to solve problems as a group. Make sure you offer spaces for open discussion each week where employees can voice their concerns. Take the Open Door Policy to a whole new level.

• Call Team mates by their respective name, as a person hears their name it’s like music to their ears. When you meet someone and they say their name, look them in the eye and repeat their name. You will find it easier to remember their name this way and you made a good first impression.

• Remember you are dealing with people, not machines. Be cordial, keep things light by mixing in some tasteful humor and remember to be considerate and patient with those around you.

Above stated are some very simple things that can change the working environment and help in boosting up the energy levels of team members. Effective leadership needs effective communication as a vital part. The success of an individual in a team depends greatly on the extent to which he can engage in effective communication. Faulty communication in organizations can lead to lowered efficiency and effectiveness at the organizational as well as individual level.