Effective communication requires a flow of information between two parties. In order for the messages sent to be received, it typically requires some clarification and conversation – a two-way flow. We could look at that information exchange as being contained in what I call the communication conduit – a pipe that allows for those back-and-forth flows of information.
Every leader knows that part of their job is to share information and messages from more senior management with their teams. That “top-down” communication flow is built into all organizational structures. But how often do we see or allow a communication conduit where those back-and-forth information flows occur?
I think about it this way.
As a leader you are the face and voice of the organization to your team. You do have a responsibility to share information, direction, goals and more with your team. But that isn’t all.
You are also the face and voice of your team upward. Which means you have a responsibility to share the ideas, concerns, frustrations, and perspectives of your team to leadership, or to give them that same voice for themselves.
You are a valve in the communication conduit. It is your job to keep it open in both directions. When you do, you are playing a significant role in improving true communication in the organization.
The Organization’s Role
Individual leaders can create this improved communication, but the organization has a role to play too. Here are three things organizations can do to support and “unclog” the communication conduit.
- Plan for it
- Expect it
- Train it
Plan for it
Too often the “communication plan” for anything is the creation of a slide deck with some notes. If you want an unclogged two-way flow of communication, you need more than some slides, You need a set of questions to ask for input, feedback and clarification. Allow time and space for this during the presentation, but don’t stop there. Allow time for people to discuss, solidify their own thoughts, and provide channels to share questions and concerns. For most any organizational communication, that means much more time than in the “Q&A” of the initial presentation.
Expect it
For the communication conduit to remain open and for information to flow in both directions, this exchange of ideas must be expected of everyone in the organization. We must expect leaders to be more than mouthpieces, echoing the corporate message, but rather ask them to elicit and share feedback and ideas from the team.
The message must be loud and clear in both words and actions for the entire team too. They need to know their input, perspectives and ideas are not just valued but expected. Find ways to make the communication conduit a part of job expectations and the organizational culture.
Train it
While expectations are critical, so are skills. If you are serious about more effective organizational communication, you need to create/apply training and skill development for both leaders and team members. Skills for listening, questioning and the value of psychological safety would all be on the short list here.
Most important though is to connect the dots between these skills and this expectation to improve organizational communication success. If you don’t make that connection, you will likely be disappointed in your results.
Even the most successful organizations will say that communication could improve. When you look for ways to unclog the communication conduit, you are taking steps in that direction.
0 comments