Ask Andi: I need to communicate efficiently. Employees don’t understand what I expect from them. I know what I want them to do. I point people in the right direction, then nothing happens. Or they do something entirely different from what I want. What can I do?
Thoughts of the day: To communicate efficiently, get to the point, avoid distractions, and focus. Make your message brief & clear. Be mindful of delivery. Field questions. Listen. Once you deliver the message, engage people with questions. Provide the right kinds of rewards or incentives. Give people a higher purpose.
Learn to communicate efficiently
Solving communication and execution problems includes checking on a range of issues. Basics include, did they hear me correctly? There are simple ways to verify if your message was received as intended, which involves the simple rule: check on it now, or fix it later.
Often in the busy rush of the day, we toss out orders and suggestions, expecting that people heard us as we intended. Think of it as stuff being tossed in the wake of a fast moving ship. Some of the stuff bobs on the surface and remains visible and actionable, some sinks immediately to the bottom of the ocean never to be seen again, and some drifts around in the chop appearing and disappearing.
Make sure that the people who need to hear what you have to say, actually have time to listen, and perceive your message as you intended. Make time for both of you to stop what you’re doing and discuss it. If it’s important enough for you to say, then it’s worth taking an extra few minutes to get it across right the first time.
Good communication is key to success
Try this scenario: “Bob, could I speak with you for a couple minutes. I have something I want to go over with you.” Describe what it is that you want to convey. Then say, “Okay, now play it back for me. Tell me what you’re going to do.” Communicate efficiently and effectively. And find the balance between the two.
It’s a simple process. Intent-fully interrupt someone. Make sure you have their attention. And, take the time to listen to how they received the message. Think of it as similar to when children play telephone with 2 cans and a string in-between. Often the message doesn’t get through very clearly, and has to be repeated or expanded upon. Better to clarify and make corrections before someone starts to take action, rather than having to clean up mistakes after the fact.
Sometimes the people around you can see things more clearly than you can. They may perceive that what you’re asking for isn’t all that important in the grand scheme of things. And without agreement on time deadlines and priority, what you’re asking for may fall to the bottom of their list of to-do’s.
Make your skills stand out
Check on when your assignments will be attended to. Ask if the person has time to get to it, and what else might get bumped. Engage with others in the process of prioritizing. Understand how getting something off your plate is going to impact someone else’s load. Give them a chance to buy in.
When things don’t get done as requested, I sometimes hear business owners ask things such as, “Maybe I’m not paying them enough?” Maybe your are, maybe you aren’t, but money is an indirect motivator, at best. Human beings are wired for competing, learning and accomplishing. Communicate efficiently in the workplace.
Help people understand how what you’re asking is important – to them, and to the success of the business. You could trying saying something such as, “Without your help on this, we won’t be able to complete on time, and the customer won’t get what they need. They’re counting on us to come through for them, and I’m counting on you.”
Focus on intrinsic motivation – it matters to the individual you’re talking to. Play to individual desire for autonomy – individual urge to direct one’s own life. Encourage mastery – desire to get better and better at something that matters. Provide purpose – yearning to do what we do in the service of something larger than ourselves.
