Communication is the Powerful tool of a Successful Leader.

“ To become an efficient leader, you must be self-motivated”. You must know your identity, your needs and you must have a strong urge to do anything to achieve your goals. Once you are self-motivated, only then you can motivate others to achieve their goals and to harmonize their personal goals with the common goals of the organization.

Overcoming Leadership Challenges through Communication

Communication plays a crucial role in not only overcoming challenges in leadership but also strengthening the bond among employees. Bosses need to communicate with their subordinates and guide them whenever required. It is essential for the team managers to remain in constant touch with their team members.

All leaders do not possess same attitude or same perspective. Few leaders adopt the carrot approach and a few adopt the stick approach. Thus, all of the leaders do not get the things done in the same manner. Their style varies. The leadership style varies with the kind of people the leader interacts and deals with. A perfect/standard leadership style is one which assists a leader in getting the best out of the people who follow him.

What are the common problems faced by team leaders ?

• Employees do not listen to them.
• Bosses are not aware as to what their employees are up to ?
• Employees do not achieve targets within the stipulated time frame.
• Employees do not respect them and often lie and bunk office.

The solution to all the above problem lies in effective communication. Being a boss does not mean that you have to adopt a Hitler like attitude and be very strict with your subordinates.

As a boss, you do not have to scare them but make them work as a single unit. Remember, half of the problems disappear when discussed. You just need to sit together, talk, sort out differences and reach to solutions which would not only benefit the organization but also your team. Most of the times, we take every initiative to solve a problem except discussing the same amongst ourselves. The moment we start talking amongst ourselves, we realize that half of the solution is with us only. Team leaders need to motivate their subordinates to sit together, discuss issues face to face and sort out things among themselves.

Remember, any minor issue left unattended leads to major problems later on. If you feel any of your team members is not doing justice at work, you have all the rights to discuss with the individual concerned. Simply showing employees the exit door is not the ideal solution. After all how many employees you would terminate? At the end of the day, you need people to work and deliver. Even the most stubborn employee would start listening to you, if you sit with him in private and address his grievances.

• Initiate the concept of weekly meetings where all employees can come together on a common platform to share their experiences, brainstorm and contribute in strategies and policies. Employees seldom share their problems with their superiors. It is the team leader’s duty to sit with his team, find out their strengths and weaknesses and work on their problem areas. Remember, that you are being appointed as a team manager because your organization feels that you are capable of making your team work. You can extract the best out of your team members only when you communicate with them on a regular basis. Yes, conversation over the phone and email not always help. Meeting face to face is also important as it gives employees the confidence that their boss is always by their side even during the most crucial times.
• You need to make your team feel special for them to develop a feeling of attachment not only with their team but also with the organization. Wish them on their birthdays, anniversaries or any other important occasion. Trust me, they would start respecting you more if you send them a nice birthday card or for that matter congratulate them on their achievements. Never forget to appreciate them, if they have performed well. This would not only motivate them to perform even better next time but also encourage others to pull up their socks and work harder to set new benchmarks.
• Discuss with your team members before reaching to any concrete strategy for the team. Every employee needs to have a say in major decisions. Let employees talk, share their experiences, discuss work and also gain from each other’s knowledge.
• Communication is an effective tool which would not only make you a popular and favourite boss in the organization but also motivate your team members to love, care and support you unconditionally.

When you communicate effectively with your team it eliminates confusion and can foster a healthy and happy workplace. Effective communication with your team will also allow you to get work done more quickly and efficiently. As the business owner, it's your responsibility to rectify any communication problems with your workers. Once you get the lines of communication open with your team, the process of completing tasks and projects will probably go by much more smoothly.

1.. Take full responsibility as the leader of an institution for proper communication among your team members. As the boss you must position yourself as the authority figure and model for how you want the team to communicate.

2. Make adjustments to your leadership style and communication skills first before you attempt to communicate effectively with your team. Learn the importance of verbal and non-verbal communication cues when talking to your team and moderating meetings.

3. Discuss any communication issues with your team directly. Talk to each team member individually to learn his concerns. Seek to understand each member of your team on a deeper level. Speaking with team members one-on-one will allow you to learn more about each team member's differing communication and working style. You might also learn which of these individuals has the attributes to make an effective team leader going forward.

4. Convene with the entire team to discuss any issues causing a rift between members. Allow each team member to air out grievances regarding the project at your meeting. If any of the team members have personal personal issues with other team members or you (the boss) that are interfering with progress at your business, it's important to meet with those members separately to resolve the issue.

5. Keep a tight agenda when you're conducting meetings in-person, online or over the phone. Talk to you team using terms that they can relate to instead of technical jargon or "corporate-speak" that they may not understand. Provide team members with a written copy of the important matters you discuss in your meetings, including meeting minutes, to help eliminate confusion.

6. Appoint a team leader who understands your company's goals and communicates well to pass on day-to-day messages that you need to tell your team. If major news or issues regarding projects develops, communicate that information to your team directly.

7. Field questions from your team after delivering your messages to clear up any confusions. For instance, if you send a written or email communication to your team, ask them to reply to your message with questions or to list any concerns to discuss at your next meeting.

8. Act as a mediator--or hire a third party mediator if you're not considered a neutral party in the matter--to help resolve future disagreements between team members.

Leaders must be able to adapt based on the group they are communicating with at the time. Effective communication skills are an important aspect of any leader’s portfolio of skills and experience.

Verbal and Nonverbal Communication

Verbal communication is the most obvious form of communication. However, research has shown people pay much less attention to the words that are said and much more attention to the actions and nonverbal cues that accompany those words. Nonverbal cues include facial expressions, use of hand motions, body posture and eye movements. Leaders should strive to always match their nonverbal cues to their words; when they do so, they are more believable and trustworthy.

Adapting Styles

A good leader adapts his communication style depending on his audience. When speaking to employees, he may need to have a much more directive style than when he is delivering a presentation to the community or speaking to customers. Leaders should identify the audience and their characteristics and interests, then adjust their communication style based on what the audience needs and what will encouage them to react to meet the goals of the communication. Throughout the course of a day, the leader may have to switch between an authoritative style with employees and an inspiring style with stockholders.

Listening

An important aspect of communication is the ability to listen. Active listening should always be a goal, with the leader focusing on both the verbal and nonverbal language of the speaker. Active listening involves concentrating only on the speaker and ignoring outside interruptions, including the listener's own wandering thoughts or possible responses. Active listeners also refrain from interrupting, give the speaker time to finish, show they are listening by doing things like nodding or smiling, and reflect or paraphrase back to verify their understanding.

Setting an Example

Leaders and business managers should realize employees will look to them as a model of how they should behave under certain circumstances. Employees tend to emulate how they see leaders acting and communicating. If employees see a leader using an active listening style and empathetic tone with customers, they are more likely to do the same. When leaders are open to the ideas of others and praise often, employees will tend to follow suit. When speaking, leaders should consider whether they would want their employees to speak in the same way to the same audience. If not, the leader should adjust his communication style.

Considerations

Effective communication skills do not come naturally for most people. Many people, including business leaders and managers, need to practice repeatedly in order to improve their skills. In addition to practicing, leaders should consider classes or training that will help them communicate effectively. With the tool known as 360-degree evaluation, every person in the organization is evaluated by one or more superiors, colleagues and employees. Leaders can participate in 360-degree evaluations both to serve as an example for employees and to identify whether their communication skills need improvement.

Group communication

Group communication is both a science and an art. Behavioral scientists and management theorists have attempted to discern patterns in group communication and prescribe methods of increasing communication effectiveness for years. Although the merging of diverse cultures around the world makes this an ever-evolving topic, there are a number of elements that have been proven to encourage effective group communication processes.

Significance

Groups, or work teams, can accomplish great things in small and large businesses alike. A group's overall effectiveness, however, hinges to a great extent on the effectiveness of the participants' communication abilities. Without positive flows of communication, misunderstandings can occur between groups, creating a fractious work environment. Without clear communication between group leaders and workers, productivity can slow as workers struggle to understand their specific job functions. Communication styles can vary according to group dynamics. Geographically dispersed groups connected via the Internet, for example, are likely to communicate much differently than individuals who work in the same room with each other every day. Whatever the setting, the way groups communicate in your company can directly influence the success of your strategic goals.

Organisation Culture

Instilling a culture of openness, honesty and trust among co-workers is vital to effective group communication. All group participants must feel that they are free to contribute to the best of their ability without the fear of rejection, insult or political repercussions. Groups must be able to pool their intellectual resources to reach their full effectiveness, and that can only be accomplished when all members are ready and able to tackle new challenges in innovative ways.

Respect for Individuals

Individual respect is key to effective group communication. Clear hierarchical boundaries in meetings can stifle ideas and insights from lower-ranking employees. Every individual must truly believe that their input will be valued and considered, without undue clout given to the input of managers and executives. This kind of respect for group members' individuality cannot come to fruition through formal policies; executives and managers must lead by example in this area by first encouraging employees to contribute in meetings, then recognizing and considering input from all participants.

Business Etiquette

Adhering to a common code of etiquette in workplace groups can help communication processes to remain productive and collaborative by reducing distractions and feelings of resentment. If all group members dress professionally, speak courteously, avoid divisive, irrelevant topics of conversation and generally avoid causing offense to other group members, a team can find it easier to mesh and form a cohesive unit. A lack of attention to etiquette, on the other hand, can create divisions while encouraging gossip and feelings of resentment, all of which can present serious impediments to effective communication.

Theories

A number of theories attempt to analyze and explain the dynamics of group communication and the elements that determine its effectiveness. One such theory is the Decision Emergence Theory set forth by Aubrey Fisher. Decision Emergence asserts that new groups progress through four stages that lead the group from a diverse collection of individuals to a productive unit with shared experiences, decision methods, work ethic and values. The Structuration Theory suggests that individuals in new groups act according to a pre-acknowledged set of rules, then alter those rules over time based on the group's unique experiences.

Strategies

When setting up small groups, encourage the members to establish regular meeting times and teach them how to communicate in a supportive fashion. Consider holding an organization-wide training session on communication techniques, and include information on different communication and learning styles. When employees working in a group see another employee struggling, open communication and encouragement between the members of the group can give each employee confidence to do her best. Establish a clear path of communication from the group to upper level management in the event that one or more employees causes problems within the group by not performing to the group's and organization's expectations.

Working together

Working together has many benefits, including the possibility to create new friendships, a sense of group accomplishment and distribution of responsibilities. Conversely, teamwork also may cause tension and anxiety among employees because of poor communication. Effective communication can eliminate much of the stress and negative feelings sometimes associated with working closely as a team. Business owners should encourage their employees to communicate with one another clearly when working together. This is especially important for smaller companies, whose employees often must work closely with one another.

Characteristics

To have effective communication in the work place, team members must keep an open mind, engage in active listening and have a clear understanding of project goals and requirements. Active listening is perhaps the most important of these. Active listening involves note taking, asking relevant questions and repeating what the other person says to verify clarity.

Effects

Effective communication determines the success or failure of projects requiring teamwork, and ultimately, the business itself. When team members communicate with open minds, and by asking questions rather than making assumptions, they build trust and harmony in the working environment. These elements work together to create a business culture of camaraderie and success.

Training

Companies interested in ensuring that their employees know how to communicate effectively can purchase training materials through various business consulting companies that specialize in interpersonal communication. Alternatively, local organizations may offer training seminars taught by experts that employees can attend. Here they can engage in role-playing activities and communication games to enforce newly learned skills and techniques.

Types

Employees at every level of an organization must communicate with others in a variety of ways. Types of communications include e-mail, traditional letter writing, phone conversation and face-to-face exchange of ideas. Each platform has its own set of etiquette rules and skill sets. With proper training in communication skills and techniques, employees often improve their effectiveness across all communication platforms.

Warnings

Leaders must have an awareness of the signs of poor communication among employees. Missed project deadlines and slow progress toward problem solving can indicate communication issues. Teams that spend too much time discussing strategies rather than implementing them could be lacking the communication skills necessary to delegate tasks and get the job done. Other indications of poor communication skills include no clear team direction or focus, team dissension and arguing among team members. Taking steps to train employees to communicate and work as a team can change the working environment in a positive way, increasing productivity and revenue.