Reader:

Three outcomes that turn leadership communications into meaningful actions!

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Morning Minute 10.27.26

Speak to Lead...Not to Be Liked! Three outcomes that turn leadership communication into meaningful action.

Have you ever made a good decision, communicated it to your team, and then wondered why nothing changed?

Perhaps the problem wasn't what you said.

Perhaps it was the way they heard what you said.

In an earlier Morning Minute, we discussed five ways to communicate decisions with confidence.

But there's something more important than sounding confident.

Effective leaders speak to create understanding, earn commitment, and inspire action.

Let's examine these three responsibilities.

1. CREATE UNDERSTANDING

Announcing a decision doesn't mean people understand it.

Your team needs to know what's changing, why it matters, and what you expect them to accomplish.

Explain the problem, the reasoning behind your decision, and the results you're trying to achieve.

Then ask a question too many leaders overlook:

"What questions do you have about what we're trying to accomplish?"

Remember, people cannot effectively execute what they don't understand.

2. EARN COMMITMENT

Understanding your decision doesn't guarantee people will support it.

Let me ask you something.

Can you expect genuine commitment if they haven’t been given the opportunity to be heard?

You may gain their compliance. You may even get acceptable performance.

But commitment requires something more than obedience.

So, invite questions. Listen to concerns. And, encourage suggestions about how to execute your decision successfully.

Remember: People support what they help create.

3. INSPIRE ACTION

Understanding without commitment produces hesitation.

Commitment without action produces little more than good intentions.

So, translate your decision into specific responsibilities.

Who will do what? By when? What resources will they need? How will progress be measured?

Then follow up.

Not simply to inspect performance, but to remove obstacles, recognize progress, and pivot when necessary to help your team succeed.​

Leadership communication isn't complete when you finish speaking.

It's complete when people understand your direction, commit to do their part, and perform the work required for success.

Morning Minute Challenge:

Think about the last important decision you communicated. Ask yourself three questions:

Did my people understand what we were trying to accomplish?

Did I earn their commitment or simply expect their compliance?

Did my communication produce meaningful action?

And here's one final question.

When you communicate an important decision, do your people feel they've been heard, or simply instructed?

Don't measure your communication by how well you spoke.

Measure it by what your people understand, embrace, and accomplish.

Speak to lead - not merely to be liked.

Keep Learning! Keep Leading!

And remember, Information without transformation is wasted energy!

That is today’s Morning Minute.

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Today's message was prompted by an exchange with a client who could not understand why her team wasn't performing up to her standards. The important message to take away for today is this:

"It isn't how you said it - It's how they heard it!"

This quote was taken from the training I received year ago via Management By Strengths.

It is just is true today as it was 20 years ago. To be the best at communicating you must understand how what you say is heard by the other person or persons.

Contact me at 864-630-2625 or at lab@larryonlearning.com with questions or concerns.

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