How to communicate your business goals more effectively:
You might think that being the leader within a business means that you’ll always be listened to without question, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
There are so many distractions in this digital age; content and information are readily available through social media, text messages, emails, news updates – the list goes on!
When you’re competing for attention and trying to be heard above the noise, it can seem like you’re fighting a losing battle most of the time.
When your team haven’t heard you properly, messages are lost and miscommunication occurs, causing you to lose time and money, and wasting a lot of effort.
So how do you step up and make yourself heard as the leader?
Here are some ways to start getting your message across and being truly heard.
Be clear and concise
It’s important to get to the point so that you’re clear about what needs to be done; if you’re passive-aggressive or add too much ‘fluff’ then it’s too hard for people to discern your point and vital information is likely to be missed.
Being concise doesn’t mean being rude – you can still keep a polite tone while keeping your message short.
Make sure your message gives value
If what you have to say doesn’t deliver value to the recipient, you need to reassess your message and how you’re expressing it.
If the person receiving the message isn’t getting anything out of it, then they’re going to mentally discard it and your message is lost.
If there’s no value in your message, don’t share it – think over it and rephrase it to ensure you’ll be heard.
Be credible
Back up your messages with facts and figures – they hold a lot more sway than an opinion does.
If, as a leader, you’re not credible, then you’ll be hard pressed to find anyone that really listens to what you have to say.
This is especially important when talking about performance; feelings and opinions cannot trump facts, or you’ll find yourself getting too personal and opening the flood gates for unnecessary conflict.
Be compelling
Of course, none of the above points will be completely effective unless you ensure that your message is also compelling.
The recipients must get the sense of just how important your message is, and that they need to action it quickly too.
If you’re a business leader who feels like your messages aren’t being fully understood, which is leading to miscommunications and wasted time and money, it’s time to step up and be sure you’ll be heard above the distractions of the modern day workplace.
You can do this by ensuring that the messages you deliver are compelling, concise, clear, credible and provide the recipients with value. This way, you’ll have everyone sitting up and paying attention, ready to absorb your message and action your requests.
To get a helping hand with developing these (and other) valuable leadership skills, talk to LeadershipHQ about our Leadership Coaching Program. You’ll get one-on-one coaching to improve your overall leadership, and you’ll never have a message go unheard again!