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Lesson 1: The Change Context
Chaos Becomes Culture
In his article "The Five Messages Leaders Must Manage," Hamm (2006) discusses common communication mistakes made at all levels of an organization—focusing, though, on leaders. Some of the most obvious mistakes are avoidable and yet, at the same time, are repeated over and over. This chaos becomes part of the organizational culture, going something like this (Figure 1.3).
Communication in Concert
Conversely, when communication is aligned and "in concert," much like the concert you witnessed in the Team Performance class in residency, results are enhanced and productivity increases. Deliberate, strategic communication occurs when
- everyone speaks the same language (lingo), there is no room left for sloppy communication, communicators take time to explain their meaning,
- clear definitions and directions are in place, and there is no ambiguity.
"I've come to the conclusion that the real job of leadership is to inspire the organization to take responsibility for creating a better future. I believe effective communication is a leader's single most critical management tool for making this happen!"
Understanding the Audience
Research consistently shows that ineffective communication almost always results when leaders simply do not give much thought to their intended audience. In these cases, communication is typically delivered in a way suitable for the one delivering the message, regardless of the needs and perspectives of the ones receiving it. Consequently, ambiguity and unfounded assumptions are created.
Awareness of such audience characteristics as knowledge base, perspective, experiences, language, and lingo must be factored into a message strategy for successful communication to occur.
When the communicator pauses to understand the audience, tailoring communication accordingly, effective communication is the outcome. No guesses or assumptions, no ambiguity or uncertainty. In this way, chaos is constrained.