3 ways to coach your leaders to be better communicators

The ever-evolving world of work requires leaders to become stronger communicators.
Here are three behaviours to encourage your leaders to adopt, that will help them immensely.
 
1️⃣ Help leaders share their vision and connect the dots
Every organisation has a purpose and vision. But if you’re leaders aren’t sharing it, and regularly reinforcing what it is, then you’re not going to accomplish it.
 
This is true from the CEO talking to the all-hands/townhall engagements. And equally true at the front line.
 
Our job as communicators is to try to make sure that that high-level picture is told, and we also need to work with the supervisors and frontline leaders to make sure that they know how to translate that top high-level vision down, to the everyday actions that make sense for their teams.
 
2️⃣ Work with leaders to walk the talk
Over time most employees become cynics if they hear words that are not aligned with actions. Therefore, it’s crucial that we communicators work with leaders to ensure that what they are doing matches what they are saying.
 
You’re going to find that the skill levels vary by person. This could be down to experience, education, language, culture, etc. A big part of our job is to help them make sure that what they’re saying and what they’re doing are in sync.
 
3️⃣ Push leaders to reach out and hear what’s really happening
A policy at HP that has certainly caught on is called “management by walking around.” This idea encouraged leaders to get out of their offices and find out what was going on around the business.
 
Coaching your leaders to talk about business-related matters and conversational, non-work-related matters simultaneously is important. Also, ensuring that they are trained to be active listeners and can break down barriers is key.

This is as true in the office environment as it is in a virtual/hybrid work setting.
 
Remind them, that they can’t be passive. They’ve got to get out and about, even if it’s an uncomfortable thing for some to do.
 
 
For more on this topic click here. Or get in touch if you need advice on #LeadershipCommunications  #InternalEngagement
 
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