By Jack Madrid
September 1, 2010

As I write this on a Sunday night, the 4th of July, just after the birthday dinner celebrating the thirteenth year of my second son, I am served yet another reminder of the swiftness of time passages. Unbelievably, I still remember my own 13th birthday as if it were yesterday. My fear is that before I know it, the boys will be leaving the house to move on, as they must, to spread their wings. Perhaps this is why I have been humming one of my favorite and saddest songs from Bruce Springsteen, which describes the day he left home at 19, after an argument with his father.

Beyond the father-son relationship, the song’s lyrics take on parallel meanings which apply to relationships as a whole: relationships between family members, between friends and between colleagues in the workplace. Regardless of the type of relationship, the environment and the individuals involved, there is no substitute to communication.

Just as the famous 3 rules of real estate are “location, location, location,” then I believe the rules of maintaining good relationships are “communicate, communicate, communicate.”

What seems so simple and easy is actually quite difficult in practice. I do not believe that there is such a thing as “over communicating.” One of the most common errors made by managers is assuming that staff members have the same or equivalent understanding of their messages. Whether due to poorly worded instructions or inadequate listening skills, the outcome is the same: incorrect execution resulting in poor results, failure and negative feelings. If not addressed properly, this, in turn will lead to low morale, more bad communications and worse results. From there, it becomes a downward spiral of employee turnover and business failure. This happens even in good-performing companies.

THE POWER OF 3

Based on my experience, I have learned the importance of these THREE good practices, whether in big or small companies or teams:

Hold a regular “All-Hands” meeting – there is no better way to share information than during a town hall meeting with all team members in attendance. If there are organizational changes, significant business announcements about products, customers or people changes, calling for an All-Hands meeting immediately will dispel unwanted rumors which waste time and add to uncertainty. Whether good news or bad, it is almost always best to disseminate the information right away. What better way to show a leader’s transparency and trust?

1:1s – this is my favorite and most effective way of communicating feedback to my direct reports, my peers, my boss and also my “two-downs.” By keeping the agenda simple and direct, establishing trust while centering on both personal and career-related topics, there is a wealth of information and relationship-building that can happen at these sessions. This is also the best way to deliver and share individual performance feedback, a critical and often overlooked opportunity. I notice that many managers make this an annual, form-filling compliance exercise, done in a hurried fashion. What I try to do is have 1:1s monthly or quarterly at a minimum, and always start the discussion with where you left off from the last meeting, which is important to track progress.

Walk the Talk – this is about to become a cliché, but this is key. While clear and eloquent communications from leaders can describe the company’s values and vision, it is the leaders’ deeds that are more important to see how serious they really are about what they say. The words and the deeds must be aligned. There is no more powerful way to establish trust than by setting the example through your personal actions and modeling the way. It is all about being generous with your time, working side by side, sharing personal stories of success to inspire and motivate, and being with the team, especially in troubled times.

These difficult and challenging times are not for the faint of heart, and the challenge for leaders of teams is harder than ever. The battle to recruit and retain talent has never been more crucial. But at the end of the day, the best leaders are those who show authenticity and lead by the heart. Choosing the words, drawing the lines and making relationships work.

Possibly Related Posts:

• Should Apple Dump Foxconn and Wintek?
• Philippine Local Outsourcing: Getting the Best of Both Worlds
• Attracting Investors is The Private Sector’s Job, Too
• Social Networks and Justice Corona’s Impeachment Trial
• Developing a Strategic Perspective for IT-BPO Industry Development

 Print This Post