The president of a home improvement company hired me to  come in and help him take the company to the next level.    The company had been successful but needed to have systems and leadership in place to continue to grow and get to the next level.

The problem was that he, as a leader, had a communication style that wasn’t conducive to getting people on board with his vision and initiatives.

He was extremely intelligent and while this is a good trait, it was interfering with him being able to successfully communicate and gain buy-in by others in the company.

Because he was so bright and quick to understand situations he often communicated in sound bites.  He didn’t give clear instructions or share with others his thinking and the why behind it.  He assumed they were on the same page with him. Additionally when others were speaking with him, he cut them short because he felt like “he got it” and didn’t need more information. 

This style of communication did not get him the buy in and accountability he was looking for.

Instead, it worked against him leaving his team confused, unsupported, feeling unheard and unwilling to ask questions because his manner was so abrupt.

Thus began a cycle of the team not doing anything, just  doing it half-way or simply wrong…

His team would often say okay because they were anxious just to end the conversation and get back to work.

Then when questioned they would give excuse making for reasons why things did not get done.

Everyone ended up feeling frustrated and progress was stalled…

What happened when we worked together is that he  realized that his communication style needed to change,  not the people reporting to him.   

Smart leaders understand that change most often starts with them…

As a result, he learned to slow down his communication and started giving them the background or how he got to the decision he did so they could be part of the solution and feel engaged. 

And because he had many different types of direct reports, he was able to adjust his new style to the group of people he was communicating with.

As a result of the shift in his communication and how he interacted with others, people  felt free to ask questions, and their resistance to change declined dramatically. His listening skills improved and complaints from those he managed, and his boss dropped off. 

What amazed him was how much more accountable others were.  We discussed that their improved accountability was likely a function of his improved communication as now he clearly communicated his expectations.

And if they did not perform, instead of getting frustrated and angry with them, he went back to the discussions they had on expectations and their agreement. 

By doing this he not only gained the buy-in of others, and their cooperation, he gained their trust and loyalty.

The big lesson learned here is:

      1. SLOW your communication down.

      2. Make sure you give CLEAR instructions

      3. Give others  the WHY you are asking for something

      4. Be a good LISTENER.

      5. Encourage  them to ask QUESTIONS so they clearly understand this will help gain their                   buy-in.

       6. FOLLOW UP on the conversation and manage the process to the outcome you desire.

Each of us has a communication style that can help us or works against us. 

Click the link below and take our communication quiz to find out the answer to what your communication style is.