So the next time you’re drafting a letter, e-mail or policy statement, before you send it, stop and consider these common barriers to clear communication: Once the barriers have been identified, you’ll see where to improve.Īdditionally, you’ll inevitably realize the stakes are high when it comes to communicating - if you fail to do this properly, you can poison the atmosphere between you and a colleague, as well as your company’s morale. You must go deeper and determine why internal communications are poor or ineffective, considering any potential barriers.
Strong, effective leaders stress fundamentals like discipline, accountability, strategic alignment, managing to his or her values and empowering employees.Īdditionally, these leaders have mastered the six basic functions of management: leading, planning, organizing, staffing, controlling and communicating. Generally, a savvy leader’s success is directly tied to his or her ability to focus on the business fundamentals – the daily blocking and tackling that every company must master to be a winner in its field.
Thinking the answer must be something like inspiring leadership, technological innovation, savvy marketing or far-sighted financial planning - all of which are important - their jaws drop when they learn the truth. You hear it all the time … aspiring managers or vice presidents want to know the most important key to an esteemed business leader’s success.