Communicating During Our New Normal - Part 1

Before employees start returning to work, leaders need to be prepared to communicate with them effectively, especially when the conversation is about the plan to get back to work in tomorrow’s new normal.

Face it, the Covid-19 crisis has shoved work and home lives under the same roof for many families  and for some workers escape from the confinements of their own home will be like a return to sanity, but for others…not so much.

As you begin to communicate with your workers about the practicalities of reopening, here are a few things to keep in mind before you start your conversations.

Choose your words wisely.
Communicating effectively involves taking a bit of time to think about what you’re going to say. As the leader it’s important to take responsibility for how you will be understood and do the best you can to communicate in a way that improves the odds for clear understanding.

Listen to what others say. 
Pay attention to what’s being said by the person who’s talking to you. If you find yourself formulating a response or an answer rather than listening to the person who's speaking, then you're likely to miss how your message was received.

Consider your tone and inflection. 
When you speak or write, make sure that the tone of your voice and the inflection is not "saying" something different from the words you’re saying or writing. Since most of our communications are email, phone, or text you don’t have the benefit of body language to get the intent of your message across.

Know when to stop!
With electronic communication, less is better. The more succinct and to the point your communication is—without being abrupt or unfriendly—the more effective it's likely to be.

Communicating effectively is always a challenge but smart leaders take the time to plan what they are going to say, listen to feedback, and shut up when the time is right.

We hope you enjoyed this brief nugget from our Brilliant Leader Program.  If you have a topic you’d like us to cover in our Communications series, drop me an email at:  info@thewestberrygroup.com.  We’d love to hear from you.

Stay safe.  Be kind. And most importantly,Be patient.


Author’s content used under license, © Claire Communications