leadercommunicator blog

Change of any kind in a company can bring uncertainty. And when things feel uncertain, it’s more important than ever to be proactive in communicating. Everyone will have lots of questions about the future, and it’s important not to ignore these questions or pretend no one’s asking them.

What’s the best way to talk about change? Here are four tips for addressing change successfully:

To drive engagement, help employees personalize strategy and understand how they fit in.

I've written before about research from a myriad of sources that shows that employees overall don’t understand company strategy. Said another way, they don’t get how they fit in. And that’s a missed opportunity.

This “fit” is often called line of sight. Put simply, line of sight means that employees can see the connection between their goals and the organization’s goals.

Jumping off a high dive. Getting behind the wheel for the first time. Giving your first speech in front of a large crowd. 

When you look back at some of the scariest things you’ve done in life, chances are a big reason you achieved them was trust. Maybe a parent was standing by your side to assure you a plunge from that sky-high diving board would actually be good for you, that you’d be ok, and that you had their support. In other cases, it may have been a friend, a spouse or a colleague guiding you and encouraging you. The trust you had in that person gave you the courage needed to take a leap, or simply follow their lead.

It’s hard to believe the time that’s passed since I started the leadercommunicator blog back in 2010. I didn’t start the blog for me – I started it for you – to help you elevate how you lead and communicate. All of us have this superpower inside of us, and my wish and hope is to invite you to reach beyond what you know. And I think we all did that, in so many ways in 2020, stretching new muscles at home and in the workplace. We witnessed leaders step up to the plate and be present with their teams like never before (and often virtually), we saw resilience in our teams to flex their style and adapt to new ways of working. And communicators helped leaders realize the power of simple, authentic, honest and frequent communication. Let’s keep the momentum going.

Welcome to my weekly round-up of the best-of-the-best recent leadership and communication blog posts I've seen over the past couple weeks. Given the current state of business today and how much has changed because of COVID-19 and calls for racial justice, I'm continuing to use the Weekly Round-Up as a place to share some of the best resources I'm seeing to help leaders and communicators navigate these challenges with their teams. 

This Week's Round-Up of Leadership and Communication Blogs:

• The New Workplace: How 2020 Changed HR Forever
  By Tara Ataya via Human Resource Executive (@HRExecMag)
  
  Hootsuite's chief people and diversity officer lays out 3 trends that have become critical to the HR function.
  
  “We’re living through a redefining era for leaders across all business functions, and HR is no exception. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to shift our understanding of “normal.” and we’re in the midst of a movement toward social justice not seen for a generation...”
  Read more >>

A client recently realized that she wants to smile more. Having seen herself on a number of corporate videos and in virtual meetings, she’s made a note that when she smiles in her delivery, she conveys her excitement more naturally, is more motivating, and overall, comes off as more like herself. 

Smiling naturally is a powerful way to connect with others and can positively impact how we feel as well.

Here are some suggestions to help you smile more:

While it’s great to see leaders embrace stories, it’s so important to realize that simply storytelling—without the goal of teaching employees what they need to do in their work—defeats your purpose.

Use Stories to Connect Employees to Strategy

I’ve had several moments with clients when the power of storytelling really hits home with their teams. One recent experience stands out. It was one of those times when a light bulb clearly went on.

Every employee comes into the workplace with his or her own context. It’s a mix of our upbringing, culture, religion, memories, and experiences, along with our other cues and clues from the individual communicating the message. Context influences how we interpret information. It’s the glasses through which we look at and understand the world. For example, without context, our business plan is simply words on a page with little if any meaning. 

A Leader’s Role 

You might have the most compelling vision for your organization, but if you can't get it out of your head and get others to see it and believe in it, it might as well not even exist.

Here are 5 ways to bring your strategy to life: