Communication Is Not A Soft Skill

A CEO announces on a Friday that an all-hands meeting will take place on Monday. The topic is "a reorganization."

All those hands spend the weekend wondering about their futures. At least they weren't wondering while they were on the clock. Perhaps that was the thinking behind sending the email on Friday.

Monday comes, the crowd assembles, and the CEO takes the mic. 

"It's been a tough few years! A lot of change has occurred but the good news is, we are profitable. In             order to stay that way and satisfy our shareholders, we will be making some changes. We'll go forward with our normal annual review process but unfortunately, there isn't any budget for increases this year. But everyone keep up the good work! It's a tough job market out there and the best defense is a good offense. I'm going to end this meeting early so you get some time back! That's all for now."

The Slack messages fly. No one knows what's next. Not much is accomplished that day and the bosses are nowhere to be found.

I'm making this up but not really. This stuff happens all the time. Vague messages. Veiled threats. Obscure references. Thin humor. Rah rah. Sometimes there's pizza.

Communication is derided as a "soft skill" but it's one of the most crucial skills for leaders to master. This sample message to employees was unclear, and worse, damaging to performance and morale. I'm guessing that's exactly the opposite of what the CEO set out to do. 

It kills me to see so many videos and articles and books about good leadership communication and yet so many examples to the contrary. So, instead of suggesting that you consume the endless selection of material available, I'll offer this: Keep communication simple and respectful.

1. Ask yourself why you're making any statement. What is your intention? In the sample, telling staff that  shareholders will be happy, but there's no cost of living increase, may be true but what's the purpose? Few employees are going to cheer for the stakeholders' payday, or yours. There's a thing out there that "people don't want to work anymore" - noooo, people don't want to be exploited anymore so that someone else can make a lot of money. 

2. Ask yourself what you are trying to accomplish. The veiled threat of the "tough job market" is a sure way to intimate people. If you want compliance from fear, use that. If you want cooperation and good performance, speak to people respectfully. If you want them to stay, make it a good place to work.

3. Please, bag the sports references. The only people who appreciate them are sports fans and that isn't everyone. Speak professionally.

4. Ask yourself what you want people to take away. If  you're going to make an announcement that affects people, at least tell them what to expect. For example, "Department meetings will begin this afternoon and you'll get more info then." Don't leave them hanging. 

5. Last, and I'm begging you, stop with the false rah-rah. "Keep up the good work" means nothing. Most people want some satisfaction from their work. They want to be treated with respect. They often are inspired by the vision and a sense of accomplishment. Not threats, not vague promises, not false positivity. 

Good communication is a skill that requires attention and effort. Work on that.