50-80% of leaders' time is spent in communication.
66% of business leaders do experience some form of miscommunication at least once a day.
50% of workers reported that ineffective or poor communication impacted their job satisfaction. 42% stated that it adversely affected their stress levels.
Some leaders prefer harmony and avoid conflicts. They prefer indirect methods of communication, which is subtle & diplomatic.
Whenever a larger purpose needs to be achieved, they go around the tree to gather followers.
They build trust through their non-confrontational demeanour.
There is a price for keeping the followers - including passivity and their time & energy.
The price the followers pay is dissatisfaction, as their outcomes could have been enhanced instead with a no-nonsense communication.
Hidden behind this behaviour of leaders are:
A need to be liked.
A fear of hurting others.
Discomfort with conflicts & disagreements.
While indirect communication has its place during peace times, direct communication serves better if you have:
a Vision that needs clarity and communication.
when someone's behaviour is impacting outcomes.
when productivity suffers due to a small group's lack of cooperation.
If you struggle with direct communication, here are a few pointers to consider:
Film stars strive to be liked first, great leaders strive to be respected.
It's better to be assertive & open as needed than to develop passive aggression later.
Leader's mind space, time & energy are premium resources that need to be allocated appropriately.
Indirect communication places a lot of stress over the listener on how to interpret a leader's message. There is a high chance of the message missing the point and being misinterpreted.
So if you are a leader wanting to improve your direct communication, where do you start?
Book Courtesy: Challenging Coaching, John Blakey, Ian Day Legend: Challenging Direct Communication
ZOUD - Zone of Uncomfortable Debate.
ZOCD - Zone of Comfortable Debate.
ZOND - Zone of No Debate (Not in the original book)
Stay in ZOUD, experience the discomfort of not being liked or perceived as rude.
Only in that discomfort, and through it, the elephant in the room can be identified.
#coaching #executivecoaching #conflict #directcommunication
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