What Makes Communication Crumble (and How to Rebuild)

Faithful on the Clock

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In this episode...

What Makes Communication Crumble (and How to Rebuild)

https://faithfulontheclock.captivate.fm/episode/communication

Good communication is worth billions to the world’s companies. How can you avoid the most common communication blunders? Faithful on the Clock Episode 60 outlines the biggest problems that make interactions fall apart and advises leaders and employees on how to address each issue.

Timestamps:

[00:04] - Intro

[00:38] - The first reason good communication is important is that poor communication costs businesses real money.

[01:22] - Good communication also matters as a way to build and protect your own reputation.

[01:53] - Communicating well can build or grow the morale of your team.

[02:31] - The focus of the episode is not technical communication mistakes, but underlying issues that cause communication to falter.

[02:53] - The first big communication problem is our egos. People often think it makes them look stupid to wait before responding, or they can genuinely think they’re better than others. Other problems, such as the brain’s design to look for shortcuts, can hurt others or convolute our message.

[04:18] - Active listening is good advice for checking the ego, but there’s still a danger that if you focus on what you are learning, you’ll refocus back on yourself and your own growth again. Great communication is more about making the other person feel valued, not growing or solving problems.

[05:50] - The second communication blunder is a lack of balance, which can be in both quantity (frequency) or quality (details). Assumption is the big driver behind this imbalance. Analytics tools can help center you, as can proactively seeking feedback about what people need.

[07:04] - The third communication problem spot is letting emotions drive. Emotions fire faster than logic, and it’s easy for stress to shut down the rational centers of the brain. So it’s important to be an anchor for others, using the science of mirror neurons to cue them to be calm. You also need to pay attention to when to communicate and not let your emotions prompt you to reveal information at the wrong time.

[08:59] - The fourth communication hurdle is role confusion or poor delegation. Leaders who lack real vision can fail to give clarity as they delegate, even as they expect results. This forces those underneath them to step into new responsibilities without certainty that they really should do so. Being clear that you need more direction counts, and on the employer side, take the time to build a system of checks and balances for accountability.

[11:37] - Problem recap

[12:11] - Prayer

[12:58] - Outro/What’s coming up next

Key takeaways:

• There are three big reasons to get communication right in business–to protect yourself financially, hedge your reputation, and support the good morale necessary for a healthy culture.
• The ego is the first communication hurdle. For instance, people can rush to speak for fear that waiting will make them look stupid, or they might not let someone else speak because they feel more entitled. Active listening is a good solution, but it must be focused on making the other person feel valued, not just your own personal growth. The Lord rewards true humility, so we shouldn’t be afraid to practice it.
• Lack of balance is another big communication issue. Communication can be too sparse or overwhelming in terms of details, or it can be infrequent or too frequent. Assumption is often the underlying problem that fuels the lack of balance, but options like analytics tools and proactively gathering feedback can bring you to the middle ground.
• People often suffer communication woes when they let their emotions take control. It can be neurologically difficult to think rationally when feelings are hot. Stepping back, such as by taking a walk to cool down, can be effective, as can working to be a calm model for people. It’s also important to get trustworthy people who can control their emotions when assessing whether it’s the right time to reveal information.
• A final communication issue is role confusion or poor delegation. Leaders sometimes delegate without a clear vision of what they want, which forces those underneath them to shoulder new responsibilities under a cloud of confusion. Employees need to be upfront that they are lost, while employers have to make sure they have a system of checks and balances in the delegation process.

• The Cost of Poor Communications
• Brain's 'rage system' cuts rational response - The Globe and Mail
• Calming Your Brain During Conflict
• The Science Behind Emotional Intelligence

CTAs:

• Use a survey or other tool to assess the current state of communication, both for you as an individual and for your company. Ask people for specifics about where you could improve.

What’s coming up next:

People across the county have been quiet quitting–that is, doing the bare minimum so their employer eventually lets them go. I’ll explain why this growing trend isn’t one to follow and present an alternative in Episode 61 of Faithful on the Clock.

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