This is one of the questions I ask leaders as I assess the decision culture around them. The inspiration for this question came from a comment made by John Furner, the soon-to-be CEO of retail giant Walmart. When asked what advice he had received from mentors, he mentioned that one insight stood out. Frank Blake, former chairman and CEO of Home Depot told him that if a leader does not directly share thoughts with rank-and-file workers, they will “fill in the void and you won’t like what they fill it in with.”
Consider how your communication is perceived as a leader. If I were on the front-line listening to what you say, what would I think? Suppose you make a big announcement about the direction of the company. What’s the first question that will come to my mind when I hear what you have to say? “How will this affect me?”
We have all listened to leaders who draw grand visions, make grand pronouncements, or use carefully nuanced euphemisms to explain major changes. This corporate-speak may be tolerated by their peers, investors, or politicians. But to the rank and file, these proclamations are meaningless. They’re thinking, “How will my work be affected? How will my pay be affected? Will I have a job when this grand plan is implemented?” If there’s way to promote distrust, this is it.
You can argue with me about this, but one thing I have noticed about successful leaders is that many of them started in the trenches, rather cutting their teeth at Harvard, Yale or UPenn. John Furner at Walmart, for instance, began as an hourly garden center associate. I’m not saying this is true across the board. But when you have sweated as a front-liner, you develop some empathy for those doing that work as you lead the organization.
Some of the most successful leaders I have observed each lunch in the corporate cafeteria or local sandwich shop. They wander the halls popping in on people to ask questions. They show up on the factory floor. They show their human side and are comfortable chatting with the guy assembling product or loading the trucks. Interestingly, sometimes they scare the crap out of middle managers who have not mastered these skills and empathy themselves. But that’s a topic for another post.
These leaders are careful to bring this empathy and understanding to the announcements and other communications needing to be delivered organization wide. That doesn’t mean they “dumb down” what they need to say. Rather, they speak plainly to everyone and take the time to provide the details that satisfy the curiosity and assuage the worries of individual contributors. Is this tough sometimes? You bet, especially around decisions that involve employment. After all, how employees feel about corporate changes or even departures impact everything from customer service to productivity to corporate reputation.
What secrets do you use to ensure you’re communicating clearly with the rank-and-file? Share them in the comments below.