You set the standard for communication

Founder as Leader
Written By Mary Butler

‘Your ability to provide positive reinforcement when relevant, and constructive criticism, when necessary, is what ultimately separates the winners and the losers.’

- Hillel Fuld, Tech marketer and startup adviser

What do you mean ‘communication is bad’?

How often have you heard ‘communication is really bad here’? This can be quite frustrating. You’re trying to get on with the work, but it feels like people in the team think they’re entitled to know everything that’s going on, and that they should have input into how you do everything. But there is always something behind the comments.

What are some of the signs that communication ‘really is bad here’?

  • Leaders not communicating or being transparent with what does need to be shared

  • Sense of intolerance, and not encouraging questions

  • People firing off emails rather than picking up the phone to resolve an issue

  • People feeling rattled by quick decisions that impact them

  • Information being shared via instructions rather than some attempt at collaboration

  • Not having the difficult conversations or providing effective feedback

  • Not including the team in decisions that impact them (where appropriate)

  • Making assumptions about what people know and how they’ll react

  • Not defining and managing expectations

That’s a long list of challenges, all grouped under ‘bad communication’.
But what does communication mean?

Communication can be about:

  • The message

  • The style of delivery

  • The channels of information

  • The audience

Being responsible for the culture of communication in your business is important. You cannot delegate responsibility of this to anyone else. How you communicate has a huge impact on how your team communicates and works together. You set the standard.

Legend List. Start here:

1. If you’re told communication is bad, ask for clarity and specifics?

2. What can you do to improve your style of communication?

3. How effective are the channels of communication in your business?

If you’re ready to start setting the standard for communication in your scaleup, I’d love to chat and see how I can help.

Mary Butler

I’m a consultant in the people space, working through the people side of complex deals. I have 30 years’ deep expertise and experience (and a book) in the buying, scaling and selling of businesses. I help uncover and mitigate the hidden people risks in transactions.

I understand the people dynamics in a transaction which helps make deals move faster, be less risky and more profitable.

I do this through a process of Discover, Design and Deliver – involving interviewing key people, developing a recommendations report and delivering on the recommendations. The level of engagement depends on the size, complexity and risk of the transaction.

You wouldn’t buy a second-hand car without lifting the hood for a comprehensive pre-purchase inspection!

https://marybutler.net
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