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Managers are the main cause of miscommunication with employees. This idea is not new. Jack Welch said that a long time ago. He was Chairman and CEO of General Electric from 1980 to 2001.
What Jack Welsh Said
In an interview with the Harvard Business Review while he was CEO of GE, he said…
“Insecure managers create complexity. Frightened and nervous managers use thick convoluted planning books and slides full of everything they know from childhood… People must have the self-confidence to be clear and precise; to make sure that every person in the organization, from senior to junior, understands what the business is trying to achieve…People worry that if they are simple, people will think they are naive.In reality, of course, It’s the opposite.”
The vital secret
Successful staff communication is the transfer of understanding. That is the vital secret. If your staff do not understand what you are saying or writing, you will have poor communication. And you will be responsible.
Not just Jack…
My first job as a specialist trainer was with a multinational mining and chemical refining company in 1971. Among other programs, we conducted the standard supervisor training courses that were popular 40 years ago. My boss was Peter Brougham. He was an industrial chemist by profession. When talking to supervisors about staff communication, he emphasized three things.
we think in pictures
The purpose of communication is to transfer the image in your head to the head of your listener or reader.
The opinions that people have are facts for them.
Flat or round earth?
Let’s say you have a colleague who believes the earth is flat. You won’t get far by coming up with many convincing and compelling reasons that the earth is round, or spherical if you want to be pedantic. This approach can even create more resistance! You may win the argument but fail to communicate.
Not! He will have to work with the image that his colleague already has: that the earth is flat. Then you’ll need to provide a picture they can accept of a “round” world. And they must “understand” the difference on their terms.
Communications and Logic
Your colleague will not accept your “round” world position simply because you have a better argument. There is more than logic and power involved in effective communications.
Be careful what another Jack said…
Another Jack, Jack Trout, suggests five statements to consider when communicating with staff.
minds are limited
Minds hate confusion
minds are insecure
minds don’t change
Minds can lose focus.
Note that each of these statements is about the mind. That is where communication occurs. These statements are discussed in depth in Trout’s 1995 book “The New Positioning.”
What does it come down to for you
Recognize that your employees are bombarded with all kinds of messages about all kinds of things every day. It’s called “clutter.” You need to break up the clutter so that what you say is heard.
We are drowning in “data”, not “information”. To quote Dr. Tom Gilbert: “We live in the data age, not the information age. Information is data you can use.”
· As early as 1949, some researchers defined information as “that which reduces uncertainty.” Simply bombarding staff with more and more does not reduce uncertainty. It adds to the uncertainty.
· Information should lead to understanding. If it doesn’t make sense to employees on your terms, it’s not information, it’s data.
· The German philosopher Frederick Nietasche wrote that “a man has no ears for what experience has not given him access to.” We learn something new only in relation to something we already understand. If you don’t agree, try explaining the game of cricket to someone who has only seen baseball.
· Employees are more likely to accept new information if they perceive it as news.
Staff, like everyone else, interpret the information based on their own experience and beliefs. Each listener tends to listen to her own message.
Convey information in relatively small “bites.”
Talk instead of writing. Talk to employees instead of writing or using email. Speaking creates many more opportunities for questions and clarification than writing. The “email to all staff” approach almost always creates confusion and uncertainty.
I once worked for a multinational company where the Chief of Staff enjoyed sending, at least once a month, an “all staff memo.” This was in the days before email. His writing was forced, stiff, and formal.
One day, he was reading his latest missive posted on a staff bulletin board. Next to me was a young engineer. He said: “The moment I see his name on a memo, I stop reading it. I know I won’t understand!” I took a closer look. The opening sentence of the last missive contained 72 words. It was almost unintelligible. And he wondered why “memos from him to all staff” were largely ignored.
And that’s not all…
Your employees, just like you, are bombarded with tons of messages every day. I won’t bore you with the statistics. But keep this in mind
The total of all printed knowledge doubles every four or five years.
· More than 4000 books are published every day around the world.
It is estimated that by the time a child in England turns 18, they have been exposed to 140,000 television commercials.
· Today we must consider Facebook, Twitter and other electronic and social media.
Your employee is drowning in data. When you communicate with him or her, you are competing with a mountain of messages. Your message must mean something to employees on their terms.
The data problem
Remember what Tom Gilbert said: “We don’t live in the ‘Information Age,’ we live in the ‘Data Age.’ Information is data that we can use.”
Another authority puts it this way. “Information is what reduces uncertainty. Each listener tends to listen to her own message.” Information must lead to understanding. If not, it’s just data.
The “more” trap
Many managers fall into the “More” trap. They believe that telling employees “more” is the way to help staff do their jobs better. it is not. Remember, if the information does not lead to a better and clearer understanding, it will lead to confusion and complications. That won’t help the employees…or your company.
An example of outstanding communication
Last year, 2013, I was unexpectedly taken to the hospital with “heart problems”. After about 3 weeks of testing and observation, a young surgical secretary came to see me.
This young lady explained my situation in surgical terms. She tried to be as helpful as possible. But she still sounded like “doctor talk” to me.
Finally I said, “I know you’re doing your best to explain what you’ve found. I appreciate that. But, in simple terms, what’s the problem?” She replied, “Mr. Noone, it all comes down to this. Right now his heart just can’t pump enough blood around his body to keep him alive. He needs urgent surgery or he’ll be dead in a few months.”
I understood instantly. A couple of weeks later, I had a triple bypass. It was the most successful. Not only am I still alive, but I am recovering well.
The young doctor clearly knew the importance of improving understanding through clear and meaningful communication. Notice also that she expressed my problem in language that reflected my circumstances.
The great Albert Einstein once said, “If you can’t explain it clearly, you probably don’t understand it well enough.”
The “Truths of the Gospel”
Management is packed with eye-opening quotes from all kinds of experts. Be careful not to take them too literally. For example…
· Confucius did not say: “A picture is worth a thousand words.” A careful study of the original statement has revealed that he said: “A picture is worth a thousand pieces of gold.”
· The famous hotelier Cesar Ritz did not say: “The customer is always right.” He said: “The customer is never wrong.” Sound similar? It’s very different. Think about it.
· How many times have you been told “Experience is the best teacher”? It’s another one of those “gospel truths.” However, John Wooden, dean of basketball coaches, has always maintained that “I’d rather have a lot of talent and a little experience than a little talent and a lot of experience.” Wooden’s extraordinary success as a coach suggests that he knew what he was talking about.
Most of these gospel truths are not as wise as they seem. I always go by Mark Twain. He wasn’t a management guru, but he said, “It’s not what you don’t know that gets you in trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just isn’t the case.”
Every time someone says to me, “Leon, I know for a fact that…” my suspicions are greatly aroused.
PowerPoint and persuasion
Then there are PowerPoint presentations. In general they look good. But the notion that essential business information can always be summarized in a pie chart or color chart is patently absurd.
Aristotle goes back much further than GE’s Jack Welch. Aristotle said: “The things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing.” Perhaps all these “gospel truths” about management theory are also a bit suspect.
The “oldies” like me were taught years ago that management was about “Plan, Organize, Lead and Control”. This was a theory from 1916. It was proposed by a French engineer, Henri Fayol.
Seems like a reasonable theory. That’s all it is at best. And it has little to do with management in 2014!
following two jacks
Both Jack Welch and Jack Trout have useful information for managers. Remember, understanding is what communication is all about.
Conclution
If your employees don’t understand, it’s not like they have a problem. As the 1949 research showed, “information is that which reduces uncertainty.” Constantly check to see that they have understood you. That is the key. Whenever possible, use speech instead of writing to communicate with employees. Set up systems that allow employees to give you feedback. Don’t draw the staff in the data. Illuminate your thinking with incisive information.