Establish Communication

Let's admit it, the struggle is REAL. You have a team, you want something done and you want it to be specific. But, no matter how hard you try, the outcome is always partially successful. The team delivers, but in bits and pieces. Are you tired of tying up loose ends together? It's time you take an inward look at how do you really come across to your team in terms of your communication. Also, let's be cognizant of the fact that this issue exists both upwards and downwards. Often your bosses would come back, finding communication to be an issue.

The best way to identify the exact nature of the communication gap is to ask your audience directly. You would clearly recall the instances where this has happened, reach out to your recipients (direct team, other collaborative teams, managers, etc.) and ask them what they felt was lacking or what caused the confusion. This is a way of seeking direct feedback and the only way to overcome the gaps.

I have referred to written communication in most of my points below, however these principles stand true for verbal communications too (either over a call or in person). Personally I hate using Whatsapp for business communication and reserve it for urgent messages only. Tools like Slack and MS Teams are great for quickly getting your message through.

Let's break this problem down into a few different segments along with possible solutions -

1. 'My communication skills suck' - This is the easiest one to solve. If you feel language is an issue, there are more than enough tools over your email client / MS word to correct these for you. General tip - keep your sentences as short as possible and avoid word repetition. We are tempted to repeat things to lay stress on our point, but it often acts on the contrary. Keep it short and simple to ensure you have the receivers attention.
2. Who is your audience - The style of writing and address should adapt to the receiver. While writing something addressed directly to a CXO (either my own or a client), I would generally keep things formally addressed directly and retain only relevant information. For communicating with my direct teams, the emails are more of crisp instruction sets / feedback pointers (unless it is an announcement)
3. Timing is of the essence - Understanding the nature of the communication plays out its underlying need for a time lock. We always have more on our plate than we can eat. Prioritise items and let your communications follow the same pattern. This is super helpful when interacting with direct teams. Allowing enough time for your audience to react also allows you to win over their trust. Making your team comfortable goes a long way in ensuring that the quality of work is up to the mark.
4. Is this what the receiver wants to hear ? - Before hitting that send button, recheck whether what you have written really addresses the need for sending that email. Often you will find non-relevant facts creeping into your text. Get rid of these.
5. Cleaning up spilled milk - So you goofed up, maybe sent wrong information or marked incorrect recipients. There is no bad time to correct this, but the sooner the better. Tools like outlook allow you to recall messages. Even otherwise, it always pays to top the earlier email up with the correct version or send a short one liner apology for the miss, with rectified timelines of delivery. Trust me - people still appreciate honesty. You are saving their time and effort !
6. Mode - Call / text ? - This completely depends on what kind of priorities have you set with your direct line of reportees or managers. It also depends a lot on the Organisation culture. Currently most Indian Orgs discuss even the most critical business issues over Whatsapp chats. Depending on your and the team's comfort, it makes sense to set boundaries. Clearly define what items get sent over email only and what do you reserve other modes for. I also like getting my teams to a TAT for email communications (of course working hours only !)

Setting up the right communication channel goes a long way in making your and the team's work super productive and effective. Also, this is one area where the more you invest, the better things become.