A Personal Commitment to Healthy Communication/Rashea@LLO2 Academy
Communication is a way of life. Communication is a force that runs the world. However, effective and efficient communication empowers leaders, communities, families, the culture and its people.
Effective and efficient communication requires:
.Listening.
.Understanding.
.Follow through.
It's not enough to hear. You have to LISTEN. It's not enough to listen. You have to UNDERSTAND. It's not enough to understand. You have to apply the lesson.
When a communicator effectively communicates to the recipient, the recipient can then effectively and efficiently apply the lesson. You will have a recipient say to the communicator, "I hear you." However, did you LISTEN? When a recipient is listenting, they are compliant. They respond and get the tasks or assignment done.
I want to say this, sometimes leaders take the blame for an individuals or for the teams inability to effectively get the task or assignment done. Leaders who take the time to effectively and efficiently communicate the tasks or assignment to an individual or team should never be held responsible for an individuals or the teams lack of performance. Hold the individual or team responsible not the leader or the leadership.
We are taught as a child that it is our responsibility to finish our tasks or the assignment. If we don't, we fail. The teacher is not held responsible for the students inability to finish the tasks or assignment, when the expectations have been communicated to them.
So, why do the expectations change when we enter the real world or work force? A leader who takes the time to effectively communicate the tasks or assignment to an individual or the team should never be blamed for the individuals or teams inability to complete the tasks or assignment.
Okay. I understand. Sometimes, it's the leader or leadership being difficult and not the individual or team. Oh the perils of finding the happy medium of communication, leadership and being led.🙃😂🤣 Oh the perils of finding solutions to problems.
The truth is people can be complex and other's can be easy going. Complexities make leading and sometimes following leaders and leadership difficult. Complexities are not a gender dilemma as we were once guided to believe.
Complexities or being easy going is actually found in both males and females. It is the result of personality types, unresolved trauma, upbringing and experiences.
When dealing with a complex leader or individual's, effective communication can be tough. This is the result of an inner wall being built up by the recipient as a result of their complexities as mentioned above. When dealing with a complex individual and tensions are escalating, because they refuse to cooperate or listen... back off and politely walk away.
Defuse the conversation. Back off, walk away and see how you can approach the conversation differently to communicate what tasks, assignment or information has to be communicated.
Prayer is also helpful. Get God involved, because He knows all and sees all and can help you navigate through the matter at hand more smoothly. If your new approach still doesn't work, get another leader in authority or even higher authority to assist you in the matter.
Asking for help, does not make you a weak or bad leader or person. It actually is wise to ask for help when circumstances are beyond you. Circumstances can become a situation, if the matter goes unresolved.
As the more experienced leader or individual assist you in the matter, observe and take note on how they diffused the tension and resolved the matter. Then apply it to your own approach the next time. Great communicators are committed to learning new skills and ways to sharpen their leadership and communication.
Leaders when you are dealing with people and leaders who are dealing with complexities, don't ignore them or the problems brewing. Help them, get them help or have team members and resources in place that are designated to help individuals navigate through complexities in a confidential manner.
Sometimes, people who are dealing with complexities don't know how to ask for help. Either because they are too embarrassed to ask for help because they are struggling with their trauma inside, or no one really ever took the time to ask or to help. Helping people to overcome their complexities is great for everyone and the environment.
Then you have the easy going individual's. Yay!!! Thank God for them.🙃😂🤣
Their flexibility makes leading and being led so much easier. It's not that they don't have challenges, because they do. However, their personality type, inner resolve, maturity, experience and God... makes navigating through challenges, life and the day more manageable.
Easy going people help balance out the complexities of others. You will have both in one environment more times than not. That's life. Find your footing and make a personal commitment to being an effective communicator no matter what.
Rashea@LLO2
