Saturday Odd Bits Roundup: Communicating
by Miki Saxon
Today is all about opening your mouth, what happens and what should happen when you do. Although the most of the links are directed at CEOs the information and lessens apply to all levels in or out of management.
Communicating is everyone’s responsibility.
First is a post by Steve Roseler at All Things Workplace who cites four critical reasons to open your mouth and speak instead of wondering if you should. Here they are,
- Never assume that anyone knows anything.
- The larger the group, the more attention needs to be given to communicating.
- When left in the dark, people will fantasize their own reality. Do you want their fantasy to trump your reality?
- Effective leaders are obsessed with accurate, frequent communication.
Next, Mike Chitty weighs in on what’s changed in communication and why changing from “being told” to “finding out” stimulates a wide range of good stuff.
Third is a light look considering whether voice mail is going the way of the dodo bird; the shift seems to be along generational lines…
Finally, phenomenal advice from readers to a question asked by Jim Haskett, Baker Foundation Professor, Emeritus at Harvard Business School. The question was “How Frank or Deceptive Should Leaders Be?” I’m not a big believer that leadership is just the function of the guy at the top and honestly believe that although most of the responses refer to the actions of positional leaders it’s just as applicable to anyone who ever has or will take the initiative to make something happen.
Happy reading and try and remember that real communicating requires more than your thumbs—in fact, that’s why you have a mouth.
Image credit: flickr
