Clarity, like a clear blue sky, is something we cannot get enough of.
Why clarity matters to your team
When we communicate a future vision, plan, or changes, we forget how little context the greater team has. As a leader, you have had conversations about the topic, mulled it over, and digested it. You have been with the information for a while, and may even have been part of the planning, or the originator of the idea. Your audience, however, is seeing and hearing about it for the first time.
Communicating change to employees with clarity and purpose
The audience’s lack of context highlights the need for clear and concise messaging that will need to be repeated many times. Patrick Lencioni has coined CEOs as Chief Reminding Officers, an apt job description for all leaders who want to keep their teams aligned. When communicating change to employees, repetition signals importance and steadies the team.
Keep the message simple and crisp
Simple, straightforward messages are best. Crisp and clear communication is interpreted as the deliverer knows what they are talking about, rambling means they do not.
Essential elements of clear leadership messaging
- Be straightforward and transparent
- Make sense from the listener’s point of view
- Monitor reactions for comprehension
- Know the “headline” of your message (eight words or less)
- Define the talking points that balance big picture and details
- Repeat and repeat
A simple structure for vision and change communication
Following a structure for your communication helps you keep your listener’s perspective front and center, while ensuring your message flows well. You can find a variety of communication structures online. Here is ours, designed for vision and change communication.
Craft shorter messages, create greater impact
In closing, remember that a short message takes much longer to craft than a long one, but its impact will be far greater than a rambling message. If you want support communicating change to employees with clarity and purpose, we coach leadership teams to refine their message and delivery.
