5 Keys to Effective BOSS Communication By Andrea Mosley

Show me a great leader and I’ll show you a great communicator. The fact is effective communication rest heavily on authenticity and simplicity as much as their words both spoken and written.

Communication and leadership are indistinguishably connected. Show me a leader who moved, touched and inspired you and I’ll show you a leader who communicated clearly with authenticity and conviction.

1.    Say it- Mean it- Do it. Establishing trust is paramount as it pertains to effective leadership. The greatest form of communication is in your actions and should always correspond with what you say. People listen to what you do before they listen to what you say and if there is no harmony between the two then you’ll have a hard time leading the very few that may follow you. It’s important to quickly address and correct any form of broken communication in the regard. It can be challenge in maintaining the integrity of your word so having people that you trust to hold you accountable is good idea. In addition thoroughly considering your word before give your word is also beneficial in maintaining the weight of your word.

2.    Keep It Simple Sister - No need to be deep if you’re looking for results. The quicker and easier you’re understood the faster and better you get results. If people have to decode what it is you’re saying then they will simply tune you out or spend more time trying to understand what you said rather than how to apply what you said. Part of being an effective leader is being able to simplify the complexity of your thoughts, so make sure you have a thorough understanding first. Keep it short, simple and memorable.

3.   Be Yourself - Use your own diction and speak with conviction. What you value you should be evident in your communication. You don’t have to use the “corporate voice” because you are a leader or handling business. I know it’s commonly viewed as appropriate or eloquent but as long as you’re grammar and language is correct, you’re solid. Real people want real people, they respect real people and they follow real people… Just be you and your communication will always be consistent without being rehearsed.

4.    Let Us See You - Don’t settle for the convenience of hiding behind a computer all the time. Don’t get me wrong distant communication with internet, email, fax etc. is very valuable but it shouldn't replace face-to-face or voice to voice communication which are much more personal. I’ll be the first to say I’d rather send a text or email but it would take a great deal longer to establish a relationship and the kind of trust necessary for good business. In addition we can’t make business more important than people, asking them for their time and resources but not wanting much to do with them; It’s kinda cold. People commit to people not the business/agenda.

5.    Practice Listening - Communication is a two way street. If we listen twice as much as we speak, our relationships in business and beyond would be a great deal more solid. It’s important to never make assumptions, ask lots of questions in an attempt to always ask the right questions. Always give your full attention when listening, body language is important. You never want the person speaking to think you don’t really care about what they have to say as much as you care about pushing your own agenda. If you need to take notes, it’s something I practice often when listening to others.

Connect with Andrea Mosley on Twitter @IamAndreaMosley and to get more information about products and services by visit Andrea online at andreamosley.com