Leading Through Effective Communication

LEADING THROUGH EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

We all think that we know and understand how to effectively communicate, correct? Well, you just might be surprised at what you may learn about effective communication today. Every individual has their own way of communicating with others, however, in some cases; certain methods are much more effective than others. Specifically, in the work environment, being effective in communicating with your staff is especially important. Communication is one of the most important areas in leadership success. Ensuring the message you are communicating is well understood by your staff is imperative to success of the organization. There are a few areas which we will be addressing in this topic as you begin your new career of managing your teams or groups. These areas will be beneficial to the audience, as well as to you in your new leadership role.

Leadership qualities are important to managers. Being able to listen without judging to others is important. Leaders often welcome constructive criticism from others, and learn from it. Leaders should be clear and concise in their presentations and conversations with others. As a new leader, you should always strive to set a good tone for the workforce environment, and lead by example. When others assist with a project, or help in some form or fashion, it is important to show them that you appreciate the gesture, and that they are valued. This creates a good working environment, and shows understanding and commitment to the team. A good leader should always remain with a high level of professionalism, and keep high ethical standards. As a new leader, you should be able to effectively handle conflicts, and be able to provide guidance for employees when they need it. A leader should be able to delegate responsibilities, and hold them accountable also. As a new leader, following some of these steps, and incorporating them into the everyday work environment will help benefit the productivity of the team, and create a good atmosphere.

Generally, the most effective leaders are those that are the most effective communicators. The most important skill in leadership is communication. We communicate with one another on a daily basis, but in many cases, communication is not always carried out effectively. Different communication styles exist between leaders, and some styles are more effective in the work environment than that of others. In the work environment, respect is a huge issue. At times, some leaders or managers feel superior to their subordinates. When they treat them as unequal, this can cause problems. In reality, in the workforce, the leader does have a higher power than the employees, but in the form of communication, everyone should be respected, and communicated with in a professional manner.

One of the first things that you must keep in mind as you present yourself before your group is the level of credibility that you have. (Bye, 2011). It is important to remember that people will develop their first impression of you typically within the first three seconds of meeting you. First impressions are very powerful, which makes them extremely important as a manager or leader. You certainly want to convey the message, and introduce yourself in a professional manner so that credibility can be built, and employees or team members can feel comfortable working with you. As you stand before your team, you must keep in mind your body language, your knowledge, your language, and how you present yourself to your fellow employees. Awareness of how you look, sound, and are perceived by this group is very important, as you are a leader to these individuals. The audience must not only understand what you are trying to get across to them, but also believe it, and get onboard with what you are saying or presenting to them. Remember, the more credibility that you have with them, the higher chance of success your team will likely have. Making a presentation with credibility will also make your presentation better, more enriching, and more believable. In order for you to effectively lead your team as a manager, you must first understand and believe in what you are telling them. As a manager or leader, you should rehearse, and research what you are going to present, and ensure you are very familiar and confident in presenting it. If you do not practice or believe in what you preach, you will not likely be effective as a presenter or as a new leader to your team.

Another item that you will need to be aware of is the oral communication style of your presentation. You must consider whether or not there are potential distractions that could occur during the presentation, and if you are speaking in terms that your team members can easily understand, or if they may become confused. Many managers are under the impression that in order to lead a team, they must appear to be in a higher hatchery than their members. This is not at all true. As a manager, if your body language and oral communication is at a level that your team members can relate to and appreciate, they will be much more likely to strive to attain the same goals that you do. This will also make them more interested, and help them feel as if they are contributing, and that their opinions and ideas matter. Developing a team environment and treating employees as equals is imperative. When employees feel like they can talk to their leader, they have a higher job satisfaction rate, and feel empowered to make decisions, or to speak their mind. Being able to relate to employees and understand their needs, desires, and backgrounds is important in being an effective leader. This is encouraging to employees, and creates a better overall work environment.

As you are presenting using your management skills and ideas to your team members, it is important to consider whether team members seem to be engaged, or if they seem like they are not paying attention. As a leader, you must always verify and remain aware of your surroundings, and the reaction you are getting from your audience. For example, while making a presentation, be sure to notice if the audience is nodding in agreement, or if they are simply staring at the walls, or if perhaps they are preoccupied with something else. If a team member is not reacting to your presentation, and is sitting in silence, not following what you say, there could be a potential problem. When team members do not seem to be understanding or following your presentation, this can easily create a sense of boredom. When delivering your presentation, it is important to be engaging with the audience. Effective leaders or presenters often get the audience involved, by asking them questions during the presentation, or inviting them to share their opinions or experiences on a topic or subject matter. Silence may be appropriate when you