The most common ways leaders fail to communicate

Christian Muntean Nov. 13, 2018

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In the ideal world, communication should be simple.

I should be able to speak or write and everyone shouldunderstand what I said, what I meant, what I want, what they are supposed to do and when it should be done by.

However,  it doesn’t always happen that way.

For leaders, most of our job is about creating and ensuring clarity, whether about vision, the future, expectations, directions, explaining what just happened, interpreting meaning, delineating roles, responsibilities, etc. 

It’s not possible to lead well and be ambiguous, send mixed messages or be silent. 

Good communication should never be assumed. It can always be improved. The best communicators I know continue to hone their communication skills.

Why communication is difficult

We aren’t clear even to ourselves

The fundamental reason why people are confused about what we said is that we aren’t sure what we meant either. We aren’t clear, even to ourselves.

Excellent leaders will take the time to get very clear on what they are trying to say and why, what their expectations are and what action should result. 

Don’t confuse this with micro-managing. Clear communication (and the clear thinking that precedes it) empowers employees. 

It allows for far less management because everyone knows what is expected and how to perform.

Micromanagers, often, haven’t taken the time to figure out what they really want. Which is why you have to keep going back to them to ask. 

We haven’t separated our signal from our own noise 

Sometimes, as leaders, we send out so many messages that no one knows which one they are supposed to tune into.

This might look like:

• A meeting with a scattered agenda or no agenda—no clear focus or priority
• A lack of discipline in our own priorities
• Being “nice” and not saying what needs to be said

When we allow additional noise in our communication, it consumes additional bandwidth. It requires more effort for others to understand us. Why not make it easier?

We aren’t using the right signal

Sometimes we insistently send out an analog signal to a digital audience—or the reverse.

There is value in learning how to adapt to other methods of communication. However, a master communicator and leader takes ownership for communicating with his or her audience.

• They don’t assume understanding. They confirm it. 
• They don’t require that others “read between the lines.”
• They speak the language of the audience they are addressing.
• They communicate to mixed audiences so that everyone understands and feels connected. 

Lack of clarity is a primary cause for organizational issues

Unclear values

Get honest about what really drives your organization and your customers. When there is alignment around values—as they relate to normal behaviors and decision-making— leadership is easy. It becomes hard when there is no agreement or shared understanding. 

Unclear purpose or outcome

Many leaders and teams focus on actions and tasks. However, many times they lose track of what those actions or tasks are supposed to accomplish. 

Some are drawn to a particular methodology. This can become almost ideological to the point of resisting any effort to determine outcomes or track accountability. The ends don’t justify the means, but the means don’t mean anything without a clear end in mind.

Unclear strategy

Many teams misidentify tactics, tasks or planning as a strategy. They aren’t.

A strategy is a framework for identifying priorities and making decisions. That’s it. Keep it simple. That framework is typically created by describing the desired future. Then, stay aligned with your values and identify the priorities required to create that future. Lastly, identify the key behaviors or commitments needed from each other to make it happen. 

Unclear alignment

This happens when we state a purpose, vision or values, but don’t act or organize according to those things. We need to respond with the following:

• Our decisions and behaviors need to be in line with our values.
• Our promises (the expectations we set) need to be in line with what we deliver.
• Our policies and processes need to be in line with all the above.
• Leadership and employee character, ability and behavior need to be in line with all the above.

Strong alignment creates resonance. It’s attractive. It’s confident. Things feel right—without even needing to be explained. The system is strengthened and credibility grows.

Unclear definitions of success

Similar to not being clear about outcomes, teams are often not clear about what is considered success. This often falls into two kinds of errors:

• Not being clear about expectations: If we don’t know what “winning” looks like, then it’s hard to recognize progress or succeed. 
• Using someone else’s definition of success:If you use someone else’s standards, ones that may not be meaningful to you or those you lead, then winning won’t matter.

As a leader and a team, the time you take to create clarity is well invested. It helps everything else operate more smoothly, reduces conflict and the management load. It increases your team’s ability to accomplish more.

Photo source: istock 

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Christian Muntean is a seasoned expert in fostering business growth and profitability. With a Master's degree in Organizational Leadership and certifications as a Master Coach, Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA), and International Mergers & Acquisitions Expert (IM&A), he guides entrepreneurial leaders through growth, succession planning, and exit strategies. He is an accomplished author of three books, including Train to Lead. Christian resides in Anchorage, Alaska, with his family.  Learn More »

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