Just Common Sense

You have probably heard it stated that communication is an art form. While there is, of course, considerable truth to that statement, in my opinion, it seems to me that it is also a tremendous practical management tool requiring dedication, skill, and a great deal of work to effectively facilitate. Most people don’t focus on the various aspects of communication and the simple fundamental nature of the complete process, which is so important to successful day-to-day tasks. I have been quoted on many occasions saying “communications is the foundation of all successful endeavors.” My staff at the association where I worked probably got tired of hearing this, but it is so true and so important that I never got tired of saying it because it was always applicable to any effort. As I proceed to relay my comments and opinions regarding communication, let me start by making a very important statement, which is also noted in the Forward. I am all for technology, and I am a significant user of it. Email, which is now considered an antiquated communication tool, was a huge part of my daily efforts in association management, both as a supervisor and working with volunteer leaders, including committee persons and board members at a high level. Social media in its many forms is also important and when used properly. It is a tremendous communications tool. You will also find as you proceed that I make a genuine effort to be very up front and honest, and in that regard, there were always those who considered my use of email, or communications, to be an overuse. While I expect that is a very valid observation, given the opinions of most people, I have also found that one can never communicate too much, or shall state more clearly, “double-check your communications” too much. When I make the statement that “communications is the foundation of all successful endeavors,” there is a need to analyze that statement further. Possibly, the most important part of that statement is the word “fundamental.” In other words, at the base, or the foundation of every successful effort, is the need to communicate the purpose of any activity or instruction, as well as the objectives, expected tasks, and expected outcome and to do so clearly so everyone understands their role and assignment. The burden for that clear communication rests squarely on the shoulders of the individual originating the communication. It is important to recognize that it takes “extra” work to not only communicate the details for a program, including objectives and assignments as an example, but it also requires extra effort to follow up on the initial communications, which is an important part of the process. It is one thing to communicate all that needs to occur to create a successful effort, but the second part of that communication is to follow-up with everyone involved with assignments and tasks, and to do so in a manner that not only reminds the individual of the assignment or task, but also motivates them and expresses appreciation for the work they are doing to contribute to an overall successful effort. Communicating in regard to any program or activity is not a one-time effort. It is important to communicate to staff and leaders in an initial fashion with great clarity, but then you must follow-up with each individual or group involved with a communication that is customized and specific to that individual or group. Also your communication should motivate and include appreciation to them for the efforts they are putting forward toward the overall objective. Far too many people feel that once they have communicated something, they are done. How many times have you heard a supervisor ask a staff member whether they communicated information to a leader or another staff member and, of course, the staff member fielding the question says “yes I did.” Far too often that staff member is answering that question because they sent an email or other communication to an individual just as the supervisor requested. However, did they get a response acknowledging the communication? Do they know the message was received? The art and process of communication is not only sending a clear and correct communication, but also knowing it has been received and following up with reminders to make sure everyone understands the task and the role that they play. There are several phases to communication. There is the initial communication, which must be clear. Then there is the follow-up within a reasonable amount of time to each individual with assignments to not only express appreciation for the efforts they are putting forward, but to also provide motivation and a reminder about the various tasks and efforts to be accomplished. The third part of the communication process is the follow-up after the event or function to express appreciation to staff and leaders for having successfully completed their assignment and for doing a good job. Those reading this book may especially enjoy this next comment. I have throughout my career often been, shall we say, “kindly given a hard time” about my amount of communication and the detail of my communication, and yet I have never experienced one occasion where the detail and the encouragement and the appreciation was not well-received and did not make a difference in the attitude of the employee and the program success. This multi-phase approach to communication will eliminate problems, remind staff of a task they were assigned to do (which they may have previously forgotten) and also provided increased self-esteem and confidence to an employee or a leader for their own personal and professional development. One of the great challenges facing us today with the use of technology, and all of the advantages it brings forward, is the brevity of communication, which is seen by so many as a huge plus in the overall area of communication itself. Yet if we are not careful, that brevity can lack emotion, spirit, and the opportunity to explain detail, which is so important to any successful program or effort in association management or in any corporate setting. It also can possibly lack the opportunity for the communication follow-up that is necessary to express appreciation or to recognize staff or leaders with the right words of appreciation following an event, program, or activity assignment. After I asked a staff member if they communicated a meeting reminder, or program information to another staff member or leader, and they enthusiastically indicated to me they did. Sounds good – right? Not only had they done this, but they did it immediately following my request. Later I discovered the staff member sent an email or other electronic communication to the individual, and thereby, considered the assignment completed. However, the communication assignment is not completed until the communication has been received and you know that to be a fact. Many times I asked a staff member if the communication I asked them to send had been received and their answer was “I don’t know, but I sent it to them, so they must have it.” Who knows if the message was actually received? Who knows if the individual for whom the message was intended read the message? Oh, but you say – that is the responsibility of the individual receiving the message. Surely as the originator of the communication, I as a supervisor, cannot hold myself or any staff member responsible for whether or not an individual reads his or her email. My answer to that is “I sure can.”