It’s not their fault

Why Communication Strategy Matters

It is very easy to look at this classic cartoon and blame the workers that are too busy. At one glance it is easy to judge and think, how silly, if only they took a minute to try something new. While I understand that this is where our minds first go, I personally want to cut them some slack and I doubt I’m the only change practitioner to have those same feelings. I don't think it's their fault because we've all been there.

Our boss gave us a tool to use and a job to do, and we're doing it to the very best of our ability with what we have. Then, while we are giving it all we got, a small voice from the sideline says, "try this instead." There is no indication that they have been given the reason the change is needed, or the time to make it. The new tool is just put in their face with no empathy for their situation. No wonder they keep on truckin'.

I realize I am making many assumptions from this one little cartoon, but the story is not a new one. In my nearly 15 years in the professional workforce, I have seen and committed some classic communication blunders that could have easily been avoided had I known what I know now. One of those is the importance of communicating the why, which I wholeheartedly agree with, but I am not going to talk about here. Sharing and re-sharing the why behind a change is the most important and therefore most talked about piece of how to achieve successful adoption. Here, I want to take a few minutes to add on to that knowledge and talk about some things that may not be as obvious, but research and experience tell us they are just as essential.

Are you about to undertake an org-wide transformation? Do you want to improve your communication with your direct reports? Is your team or company about to be restructured or changing software that will impact their daily routine? Whatever it is you are trying to communicate to whatever size audience, the following tips are sure to set the stage for that message to be heard and received.

Precede Communication with Curiosity

I firmly believe that nearly all communication should be preceded by curiosity. I say nearly all, because there are moments of crisis when we look to our leaders for guidance. In those moments, we don't need them to ask us for input, we want to know they have it under control and they have a plan. Outside of a crisis, on the other hand, some form of discovery should always be undertaken, and it should directly correlate with the impact on the audience.

With large change initiatives, a large amount of time should be spent learning about the groups that will be affected and, when possible, they should be involved in the process. I have worked with many organizations that have avoided potential disasters all because of insightful information gathered during this discovery phase. Focus groups used to engage teams and pilot groups to test out your plan are extremely effective, but they also take time. It is easy to explain away this step as being unnecessary but the wiser leader that chooses not to cut corners will always be better off with the insight they learned and the engagement they created.

With small change initiatives or even everyday conversations with the people we work with, a little bit of curiosity goes a long way. When giving feedback or sharing information, it is easy to see this conversation as one sided. I have all the information and I am going to communicate it to you. If we start talking before considering the other side, we may end up accidentally communicating the wrong thing. Always start with questions. It never hurts to have more information.

Communicate Facts Carefully

In any communication or conversation where the truth is up for debate, we rightfully want to include facts and data. We need concrete information to prove our stance and show the method behind the madness. Before reading Paul Gibson's, The Science of Organizational Change, I never thought twice about how I presented these facts. After I looked at his strategies and thought about my own experience, I have been won over. According to Gibson, recent research and marketing methodology designed to change hearts and minds suggest these four strategies are important "when designing communication to change twenty-first century minds." The following is taken directly from his book:

1.       "Facts First: Although facts will not alone win the day, they are more effective if placed first in the communication, rather than later…. mentioning the myth first reinforces it. The communication structure "here is what you believe and here is why you are wrong" increases resistance.

2.       Less is more: Contrary to intuition, more facts can be worse than fewer…. Too many facts overwhelm, and the bare minimum should be used.

3.       Use Pictures: … few will be surprised that infographics were more persuasive than text and numbers.

4.       Self-esteem matters: …Self-esteem of the influencee seems to matter a great deal and people whose identity is threatened strengthened their resistance to new information. [Brendan Nyhan, Professor at University of Michigan's School of Publish Health] tested a way of correcting this by asking subjects a simple question about their values (called a self-affirmation) and compared the extent of belief change with people who did not receive the self-affirmation question. He found that this strategy had a measurable effect on people's revising of their views on emotive and ideological issues."

Communicate with Empathy

Once we know what we want to communicate and the order in which to do it, we need to think about the way we are doing it. If I am delivering my message orally, my body language and tone of voice will speak significantly louder than the words that I am saying. If I want my message to be received well, I need to make sure my body language shows that I care. If I am sharing my messages with written words, there should be sentiment in there that indicates that I understand what this information will mean for the recipient.

This is a step that we cannot fake. Communicating with empathy isn't about tricking your audience, it's about developing the empathy you need to communicate in a caring way. One of the benefits of preceding communication with curiosity is that it naturally leads to empathy. The more I know about your situation, the easier it is for me to show understanding and adjust my message accordingly. Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, and Sheila Heen discuss this concept at length in their book, Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most. It unfolds helpful strategy for communicating, especially around conflict, and is on my list of must-reads for people managers. Also great for anyone that talks to humans every day.

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