Are You a Clear Communicator?
Gagan Malhotra
Market Entry Strategist | Global Sourcing & Business Solutions | Expert in Perfumes, Footwear, Fashion, Licensing, E-commerce | Driving Growth, Profitability & Building International Partnerships.
I am thinking hard about leadership, and specifically clear communication. Here I share why.
Background
This week, the team at Supply Chain Insights is working on research for next week's newsletter. It is our 51st monthly newsletter. We publish open research to help supply chain business leaders. The topic this month is supply chain talent. We are deep into research analysis of over 380 responses on our recent supply chain talent survey. (We give thanks for the many LinkedIn readers that helped us complete this work.)
The work is independent. There is no advertising, sponsorship or hidden agendas. The focus is helping companies build better operations.
Why Am I Thinking About Leadership?
By definition, supply chain operation managers are tasked to lead large teams. Over 70% of employees within a manufacturing company are in operational roles in source, make or deliver functions. While each company may define supply chain teams differently, leadership is a common thread.
One of the objectives of the study was to understand the definition of a good "boss" in the supply chain role. Clear communication leads the list.
Figure 1. What Is the Most Important Characteristic of a Boss in Supply Chain Management
Interestingly, clear communication leads the list of the most important characteristic for all of the generations. The need is pervasive. (In this study, we defined baby boomers as professionals born in the periods of 1946-1964, while Generation X were born in the period of 1965-1981 and Millennials in the period of 1982-2004.)
Clear Communication?
As leaders, when we make our to-do lists and focus on tasks, clear communication can be an after thought. My insight this morning is that I need to put it at the top of the list, and make it a priority every day. I also need to ask my team how they define clear communication by discussing what is working and what is not working in the team. It is easy to think that you are a clear communicator when you are not.
My improvement will not happen overnight, but it is definitely something that I will focus more on based on the results of this study. I hope that this helps you as well. We will publish the full study next week.
It would also be wonderful to hear from others. What tips can you share on how to be a clear communicator in team communication?
Cheers, Happy Reading
Gagan Malhotra