Over-Communicate

Nothing lengthy today, just a reminder to double-up on your communications. We call this "over-communicating." One would think that this would not be much of an issue in this tough economy. I mean, isn't it more important than ever that we repeat key messages to staff? Yes, but that doesn't mean we are doing it.

I read in the Financial Times that "Weber Shandwick, the PR agency, reported research showing that 54 per cent of American workers have not heard from their leaders how their company will be impacted by the recession, but 74 per cent had heard co-workers discuss the matter. The rumor mill cannot be shut down and canny leaders will feed the grapevine with facts to help counter the rumours.

"Leaders must also show that they are listening and that they welcome employee feedback. In his new book, 'How the Mighty Fall,' Jim Collins notes that for companies on a declining trajectory, 'those in power start to blame external factors for setbacks rather than accept responsibility. The vigorous, fact-based dialogue that characterizes high-performance teams dwindles or disappears altogether.'"

One point we make in our book "Ordinary Greatness" is that if you make people guess, they will almost always guess wrong. Are you making people guess or are you over-communicating?