Simply communicate

An enduring statistic - 2 out of 3 people believe that their managers do not communicate. However this seems to never be the case to the managers I ask about communication. So what's going on?

It may be that management believes they are communicating to the staff. The staff may hear management talking but believe they are not telling them what is going on. It turns out that the group responsible for this communication breakdown is the manager. If you are a misunderstood leader you are not leading. So consider the following:

1. Use the common language of your audience. You are providing direction, clarity, guidance, instruction; not reporting to a professor to prove how much you know. Speak to the people you are talking to in their terms and your deep knowledge will come through in your ability to relate.
2. Say what action you expect, don't imply it. If you are not clear it makes people feel like they need to read your mind. If you want something done in the next fifteen minutes, tell them that exactly.
3. Tell them what you can't tell them. If you have to protect confidential data (mergers and acquisitions or bonus time) tell them that you are not privileged to share all the information but this is what you can say, and say it. Tell them when more information will be available and stick to those promises. People will accept these positions if you keep your promises.
4. Listen. Listen to how your message is received. Does the receiver's face, body language, questions, actions, ecetera make sense to the message you just communicated? If not, ask questions and get feedback. You, the manager, needs to ensure clarity, so listen to see if the message was received.

Communication is work to ensure your message is heard. Make communication simple and improve your chances so that you are not the 2 out of 3 managers that fail to communicate.