The average employee receives more than 100 emails per day at work—not to mention the hundreds of Slack or Teams messages they reply to during a typical week. On top of that, most adults spend more than 11 hours per day listening to, watching, or reading various forms of media.
So how do you cut through all the noise when people are bombarded with messaging? How do you make sure that you communicate effectively with colleagues, shareholders, clients and employees—when they are juggling meetings, emails, chat messages and other forms of media? Here are a few practices that I’ve found helpful.
Effective Communication for Leaders: 8 Tips
- Know Your Audience
First and foremost, you have to know your audience. People receive and process information in different ways. Some prefer direct, data-driven communication; others respond better to collaborative, interactive dialogue. Good leaders know how to adapt their communication style to different personalities, teams, and situations.
Practical Tip: Tailor your talking points to your audience. Meeting with the finance department? They may respond better to specific numbers, graphs, and Gantt charts. Participating in an ideation session with your strategy team? They may appreciate your insights into the company’s big-picture vision and upcoming innovations in the industry.
- Use Clear, Straightforward Language
Clarity is one of the most crucial components of effective communication. Leaders must be able to explain their thoughts and objectives so that teams at every level of an organization can understand. Avoid jargon, acronyms, and overly technical language. Good communicators break down their messages into actionable points that align with the organization’s goals so everyone knows what needs to be done, why it’s essential, and how they can help.
Practical Tip: Don’t overcomplicate your message. Deliver key points in a straightforward manner and remember to give everyone a chance to ask questions.
- Practice Active Listening
Listening is just as important as speaking for effective communication. Leaders who employ deep listening can better understand and relate to their employees’ needs, challenges, and ideas. Listening builds trust, respect, and collaboration. When people feel heard, they become more engaged and motivated.
Practical Tip: Practice active listening by making eye contact, nodding, and asking clarifying questions. Never interrupt or assume you know what someone’s going to say.
- Deliver a Consistent Message
Inconsistent messages cause confusion, undermine trust, and muddy the waters. Leaders need to be consistent in their communication, both in terms of what they say and how they say it. Transparency is just as important. A culture of trust and accountability develops more readily when leaders are open with their teams about challenges, changes, and failures.
Practical Tip: Be honest and transparent when delivering bad news or when changing directions. Share as much information as possible, even if the news isn’t positive. Your team will respect you for being open.
- Strengthen Interpersonal Relationships
Developing your interpersonal skills can also help you communicate more effectively. When you get to know the people you work with beyond their job title, it goes a long way in building trust, respect, and engagement. Investing in relationships can be especially helpful when negotiating outcomes or giving feedback.
Practical Tip: Ask questions, remember the answers, and reference them in future conversations. Also, be sure to share your own experiences, when relevant, to further build a connection.
- Share Your Vision and Purpose
Effective leaders know how to motivate and inspire their teams through communication. They don’t just issue directives; they share a vision that excites others and creates a sense of purpose. This can help galvanize teams by tapping into shared values and goals.
Practical Tip: Use storytelling to connect with your team. Share stories of past successes or challenges that align with your objectives and highlight the larger impact of your team’s work.
- Deliver Consistent Feedback
Feedback is an essential part of leadership communication. However, it must be delivered regularly to make an impact. Providing specific, actionable, and supportive feedback helps team members grow. Maintaining morale and motivation means recognizing achievements and celebrating progress.
Practical Tip: Feedback should be framed around behavior, not personality. Don’t say, “You’re not doing well,” but rather, “Here’s where your approach could be improved.” Balance constructive criticism with positive recognition.
- Foster Two-Way Dialogue
Leaders must work to foster a two-way communication culture. Instead of talking at their teams, effective leaders encourage open dialogue, collaboration, and the exchange of ideas. Leaders who encourage team members to speak freely can help foster innovation and prevent issues from escalating.
Practical Tip: Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback for yourself, whether through one-on-one meetings, surveys, or open forums. Make sure your team feels comfortable sharing ideas and addressing concerns. (Bonus: This will also help when you provide feedback.)
At defi SOLUTIONS, I work closely with our executive leadership team to cultivate clear, transparent, two-way communication with all our employees. Along with sharing detailed plans, financial results, and long-term goals during regular company-wide meetings, we also host quarterly sessions we call, “Your Voice.” During these sessions, employees can submit any question they want, even anonymously, and other team members can “vote up” the questions they would like leadership to answer. I truly believe that by addressing these questions head on, it strengthens our culture, builds trust, and inspires our teams to do great work for our clients.
