I decided to share what the topic was at "show and tell" time in our weekly management meetings in the New York Office. This weeks discussion was a review of Liz Wilson's Telling It Straight article. I will post the article here, then invite Pierce Mattie members to comment along with any comments you may have.
What quality do employees most want from business leaders?
A clear vision of the way ahead, perhaps? A charismatic leadership style? Political or business acumen?
Of course, we demand all those qualities in leaders. But a recent piece of research points to a different quality as being the top priority for many employees.
A survey of over 1,000 employees found that what they most want from their leaders is authenticity, honesty and clear communication. In other words, straight talk.
Many professional communicators already sense this and are counselling business leaders to adopt more open communication measures. But this message isn't always getting through. "Too much value is placed on charismatic leadership: Boards select leaders for their dazzle and the biggest plaudits are saved for those whose profile is often bigger than that of their organization," notes CHA, the consultancy that commissioned the research.
The straight talking survey identified four communication styles among business leaders:
Controlling
Understated
Charismatic
Considerate
Controlling Communicators don't really communicate at all. They are perceived as arrogant, cold and insincere. In the workplace environment, they are seen as strong on business acumen but failing to provide staff with enough information. Rupert Murdoch, boss of News Corporation, is cited as an example.
On the other side of the coin are Understated Communicators, who are defined as reserved, impersonal and even lacklustre. They can motivate people, but don't always succeed. Phil Knight, the publicity-shy chairman of Nike, exemplifies this style.
Charismatic Communicators are typified by the British entrepreneur Richard Branson. They are confident, assertive and persuasive. But they sometimes believe they are infallible—and that can be their downfall.
Finally, the Considerate Communicator is seen as warm, respectful, sincere, trustworthy and honest. In business, they keep employees up-to-date and listen to feedback, making people feel motivated, committed and involved. The Considerate Communicator is more likely to motivate people to follow her or his lead in achieving goals.
Anne Mulcahy of Xerox is a considerate straight talker. She became CEO of Xerox in 2001. Five months later she told the financial markets that the company's business model was flawed. She also explained honestly to employees the challenges they faced, inspiring the beginning of a remarkable turnaround.
Perhaps politicians, thought leaders, religious leaders and those at the top of socially concerned organizations should examine they way in which they communicate with their respective stakeholders.
In becoming more considerate communicators, leaders need to remember to keep it authentic and not go overboard. The trend to be "nice" has already gone into overdrive in the U.S. BusinessWeek recently reported that "America's CEOs are suddenly eager to be loved...humility, authenticity and responsive leadership are the new buzzwords at the top."
The danger is that these newly nice, considerate leaders are no longer going to be perceived as real.
For leaders trying to strike a balance between considerate straight-talking communication that does not seem fake, the straight talking survey concludes with some advice from the shop floor:
Talk to employees more often.
Give employees straightforward information.
Give employees more information and details.
Tell employees information sooner.
Acknowledge employees' input.
Good advice for all leaders, from Bush to Branson—and there's no mention of being nice.
Liz Wilson is a partner in Iain Macleod Consulting & Partner, http://www.imcp.ch/
an independent communications consultancy based in Lausanne, Switzerland, serving corporations and sports organizations internationally.
Posted by Steve Hultgren on January 13, 2007 7:54 AM
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Comments (2)
Great post! About ten years ago I met an unusual man who is also an expert communicator, as shocking as this might be, he is a priest. He happens to have written one of the most powerful books on communication I have ever read. It's called Tell the Truth with Kindness -- by Fr. Miles O’Brien Riley, PhD - you can get it through Perfect Page Publishing, P.O. Box 1963, Orinda, CA 94563 or his website. Fr. Miles has a facinating background and spiritual practice, and he is hysterical to boot. What I really learned about delivering difficult news is it's not rocket science - just tell the truth with kindness!
Posted by
joanna roche |
January 17, 2007 3:55 PM
Posted on January 17, 2007 15:55
The pointers offered to leaders at the end of this article about talking to employees more, providing them with lots of information, and appreciating their input is great advice. I think that these pointers can also help individuals improve their friendships and romantic relationships. After all, what relationship wouldn't benefit from an open line of communication and mutual respect?
Posted by
Maryam |
January 18, 2007 10:26 PM
Posted on January 18, 2007 22:26