Step Up Communication to
 Move Results Faster

"Communication must be exhaustive to successfully engage employees and create organizational alignment,” notes Studer Group Coach Lucy Crouch. "I tell leaders if they feel they might pull their hair out if they have to speak with one more person at the end of the day, they're probably communicating enough."

How far and how fast an organization moves forward in reaching its goals is extremely dependent on how consistently and how quickly communication cascades to all employees. Effective communication engages staff by inspiring new behaviors that result from sharing data on organizational challenges and opportunities. Sharing a steady stream of information also empowers employees to take ownership. And finally, it aligns behaviors. "A nurse once said to me that by sharing information with her, it was like laying all the cards on the table," explains Crouch. "Once the cards were on the table, she knew what she had to do. Otherwise, she felt like she was guessing."

But what happens when some leaders are better communicators than others? Or a leader is uncomfortable giving honest communication because they want to protect employees from bad news? The answer is to hardwire tools that all leaders must use. Every leader must own his or her responsibility for excellent communication.