Communication...It's the Number One Issue. Period.

The number one issue all teams and organizations have is communication. Period.

Why? Because we are humans. I don’t have the total list of reasons why, but through my work I have found some very, very common roadblocks teams and organizations bump into. When I try to communicate, the number one thing I ask myself is, “What do I need to do to set this communication/thought/message up for success? And how do I get out of my own way as I try to do it?”

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” George Bernard Shaw

This is has always been one of my favorite quotes, and the North Star of my efforts as a human, mother, teacher and consultant. Communication, the intended and unintended paths it takes, and the (not so) hilarious problems it creates is a fascinating human issue to observe and be part of.

The funny thing is, everyone believes they are communicating clearly. We all think this because we know what we mean. I know my thoughts and intentions with a message, but even the simplest of messages can be interpreted many ways. The key to “clear” communication is checking to make sure the message lands the way you intended it, and course correcting that message if (or when!) it doesn’t.

For example, let’s take a common and daily occurrence. Let’s say I’m a senior leader in the organization and something has just crossed my desk that is important for everyone to know.

I send an email out to “everyone” and also meet with managers throughout the day to reinforce that the message gets out to everyone. I think I’m doing a good job – sending out the message a few ways, including actually talking to people, is a great communication strategy. I’m raising the likelihood of the message getting received.

However, let’s say:

• I didn’t realize not everyone was listed on the email
• I was only able to meet with 85% of my managers, not all
• I thought I would send a voice mail, or some other follow up, to the managers who were out but 3 fires blew up before I could do it – so I think “I’ll just tell them at the end of the week when we have our staff meeting” but then by then I forget or something else is more pressing
• not all employees have an email account
• or access in a timely fashion to a computer
• or the message whiteboard wasn’t updated with the message (manager was one of the 15% who didn’t get the message)
• or employees were too busy with a client to get to interoffice messages
• or they saw it but didn’t feel well and couldn’t quite process what was being communicated or remember it
• or their manager (who had good intentions to round with everyone to reinforce the message) wasn’t able to meet with their team, or everyone on the team
• or the manager communicated the message, but how he/she interpreted the take away or change was different than how other managers/department leaders understood it
• or someone was out that day and by the time they are back the message is lost in a long list of other, more recent memos
• or they got the message but didn’t know how they needed to use the information or change anything
• or they got the message but someone else they know said they heard something different and actually everyone is supposed to …
• or the employee and the manager don’t have the best relationship, and some of the information gets lost in the interpersonal blinder effect that sometimes happens
• or sometimes people need to hear it and read it and talk about it to remember it
• or perhaps an employee doesn’t understand the “why” behind the message and therefore cannot properly prioritize the information and what it means to the organization
• or perhaps an employee doesn’t agree with the message, and resists the change that is being asked
• or maybe one employee is tasked with telling another employee, and the nonverbal messaging muddies the verbal message
• or maybe there is a language or vocabulary gap
• or you have multiple sites and locations, and the process for communicating is different at each one

Here are 20 very real, very common barriers to that message getting through, and I’m just getting started! There are also dozens of other things that could get in the way of that ONE message. Think how many things need to be communicated, and how very unsure we need to be that those messages have actually landed. My interpretation of Shaw’s quote is to understand that when it comes to communication, we are contributing (unintentionally) to the lack of it, and that we can never assume a thing about the success of it.

What do we do? A few things to start with:

• Communicate WHAT the message is, WHY it’s important, and HOW they should use the information
• Strive, all of the time, to consider and understand what could get in the way of your messages.
• Establish feedback loops to ensure the messages landed and were understood, and people know what is expected of them on how to use the information.
• Seek to create or refine communication processes and systems to make messaging consistent and less bumpy.
• Engage in discussion about priority messages – people will remember better when they have had a chance to interact with the information.
• Be creative, kind, consistent and patient while you work on communication systems that help everyone. Talk more about what works and what doesn’t, and get ideas and buy in from teams.

Striving for more effective communication will make you a stronger organization – keep experimenting with what works and what doesn’t.