Over the years, Wardlaw Group Consultants and Trainers have had the pleasure and privilege of working with many clients on a variety of projects related to the practice of communication. In fact, we collectively consider ourselves engaged in a long-term crusade to improve the way individuals and organizations communicate. Our projects take us from board rooms to class rooms; meetings to retreats; and large speaking engagements to intimate conversations. Our work involves engaging in dialogue with leaders, scientists, engineers, safety professionals, health care providers, public affairs professionals, members of the media, resource managers, and others throughout the public and private sectors.During this work, we’ve both taught and learned a great deal about communication as a practice. Here's our quick and dirty assessment of what is happening in the world of communication.
1. Leaders set the tone for the way organizations communicate. The impact of leadership on the effectiveness of organizational and interpersonal communication cannot be overstated. Great things happen when leaders inspire employees and encourage transparency in communication.
2. We communicate best through messages. We’re still very much a sound bite world. The down side of this phenomenon, though, is that deeper dialogue is sometimes a casualty of debating through messages. However, when we master the art and science of communicating through messages, we can make sure the things we communicate to our audiences endure over time.
3. We communicate far more effectively when we first focus on reducing barriers to communication. This lesson is most critical when communicating in a crisis or when engaging in dialogue about risks versus benefits. Most common barriers to communication can be overcome by simply recognizing and acknowledging them, then working with those with whom you’re communicating to eliminate the barriers.
4. Effective communication is a process that takes time, commitment, and understanding. Engaging in an ongoing process to achieve shared understanding about a topic is far more effective than developing tools to prove your point. The former demonstrates commitment to understanding as well as an open style of communication while the latter simply demonstrates that you value winning above all else.
5. Good organizational communication, in large part, involves effective management of group communication and decision-making. Since our days of childhood school projects many have of have moaned about group work. This often stems from a lack of good group communication skill and knowledge on how to effectively manage a group. It is possible to engage in group tasks that meet the needs of the project and the organization and are simultaneously more satisfying to the group itself. The techniques are often very simple, yet very effective. Being a good group manager is an invaluable in a multitude of organizational communication situations.
6. The best communicators try to resolve conflict rather than avoid it. While there are many perfectly natural reasons to avoid conflict – stress, fear of embarrassment, potential loss of team members who stand to lose from conflict, and others – organizations benefit greatly when its members are empowered to reach out to those involved in conflict and resolve the issues.
7. We all get better through self-examination of our own communication and a willingness to improve. A major obstacle to improving communication in an organization is all members of the organization realizing they play a part in the effectiveness and quality of that organization’s communication. The tendency to exclude ourselves from evaluating the problem often results in a disjointed repair effort that misses a key component. It’s important for leaders at every level and professional communicators to self-exam and show a willingness to take part in changes necessary to improve the communication process. Not only does this maximize effectiveness, but it demonstrates a "Lead-The-Way" approach to communication leadership.
While we consider these lessons from our collective experiences very important, we constantly remind ourselves that it is even more important to keep an open mind and start with a fresh page during every client engagement. Therefore, as we continue our crusade to improve the way our nation communicates, our team remains committed to the ideals that every situation is different, every client has a unique story, and every challenge is an opportunity to find a new solution.
Give us a call if you ever need a hand.
The Wardlaw Group Team
(540) 552-6085/6086
