Overcommunication = the most important leadership skill?

Are you leveraging overcommunication as a leadership skill?

Is this overcommunication or clear communication?

overcommunication

In English, “over____” is usually bad. “Over-estimate” = estimate too much, “over-cook” = you burnt the chicken, “oversleep” = you’re late for work.

Some CEOs in the business world, however, stress that strategy and alignment are best achieved via overcommunicating the message. In this context, it means that people have not only heard the message (=good communication), but have clearly understood the message.

(adapted from here)

1. Be transparent and build a culture of accountability.

Businesses that aren’t transparent in sharing information cultivate a culture of speculation . Moreover, being open and honest and letting everyone in on the company’s strategic plan can help build a culture of accountability. Your staff will be more invested in their work and understand the value of their role.

2. Keep it simple and use keywords.

Use a simple framework to structure your points and give updates. This will help your team prioritize where to focus energies — and remember, less is more. Consider the use of keywords to help streamline the process and inspire action (i.e., immediate action needed, deadline EOD, requested feedback, FYI, etc.).

3. Personalize your interactions.

Tailor your communication to explain how something specifically impacts your audience, whether it’s your internal leadership team, your system-wide staff, your vendors, customers, etc. Moreover, make sure all communications highlight the relevance to their personal objectives. This will enhance your relationship building and position you as a trusted, authentic leader.

4. Vary your communication medium.

Don’t rely too heavily on email. Overcommunication is best when you vary your mediums. Analyze the message you are seeking to deliver and match it with the appropriate method of communication — face-to-face, small group meetings, video conferences, etc.

5. Reinforce the message with reminders.

Remember that people forget, and reminders are a necessary part of the overcommunication process. A reminder has the power to unlock the productivity of your team members. It is a reinforcement tool that’s a sign of strong leadership because it shows you are invested in your team, their work, and the company’s overall performance. Without reminders, you can create a disconnect that will hinder your team’s performance.

Linguistic choice questions:

To what extent do being honest and letting everyone in on the strategic plan cultivate accountability as a result?

Have you built a culture of accountability? What measures could you implement or what tools could you use to further foster a culture of accountability?

Do you use simple frameworks to structure your points? Perhaps you think the frameworks are complicated, sophisticated or something else?

To what extent do you tailor your communication for staff, vendors, and also for customers etc?

How could you better vary mediums and match them to your messages?

Do you agree that a reminder has the power to unlock productivity? On the other hand, would you say it ensures, enhances, fosters productivity or something else?

Further reading from the World Economic Forum on the topic here.

Is overcommunication the key leadership skill?