Regardless of what business you're in, an organization's ability to adapt to change can be crucial for success. As the Fourth Industrial Revolution increases the pace of change in almost every industry, I believe that leaders may need a new approach to communication — one that emphasizes a personal connection with employees, customers and partners.
In today's fast-paced and highly competitive marketplace, leaders are faced with having to motivate and inspire employees in new ways to retain talent, all while flawlessly navigating the continuous stream of email and other digital communications that threaten to take over every minute of the day. Success in this digital economy may take a new level of engagement, reconnecting at a very human level and paying attention to the real conversation behind every interaction.
Retaining and engaging employees in a competitive market may require a new strategy, one that helps them find meaning in their work. Engagement is the cognitive, emotional and behavioral relationship that people have with their jobs, co-workers and organizations. It's the discretionary effort and enthusiasm that they put into their daily work (job satisfaction, work motivation and organizational commitment).
Effective leaders know that communication can be crucial for driving engagement and building a resilient workforce. In my experience, employees tend to look for strong leadership, effective communication and a keen awareness of the goals of the group. As Ken Blanchard and his coauthors wrote in Leading at a Higher Level, “An essential characteristic of great leaders is their ability to mobilize people around a shared vision.” These leaders bring others along on the journey to make a vision a reality. Employees want to feel that they matter, and if treated as such, they will usually rise to the occasion. Leaders should be willing to put their faith in the ability of the team and communicate this every day.
Consider these tips as you think about your communication approach and how you articulate your company's vision:
Stay calm. Leaders who can provide a calm perspective (explaining both the necessity and benefit of a change in straightforward terms, for example) can help employees maintain a sense of meaning in the work they do every day. These leaders can help build a shared sense of purpose that their teams can unite behind. When turbulent times hit, calm leaders are more likely to help their teams be resilient, and resilient employees tend to see their work as a source of both satisfaction and meaning in their lives, regardless of changes.
Unite behind the vision. Leaders can garner support for the organization’s vision by including their teams in crafting the company’s value proposition, brand values and strategy. Instead of deciding on the vision in isolation, the most important stakeholders can be invited to help develop it. If they have a hand in building the vision, employees will be more likely to get behind it and bring it to life. The key is communicating the vision in terms that every team member can get behind and feel a sense of pride in crafting.
Step to the front. Your vision is the destination you're moving toward. Teams need to know that their leaders are as committed to the objective as they are. It can be easy to lose sight of the vision in the day-to-day running of a company. Leaders who want to keep the vision firmly in the minds of their employees integrate it into every aspect of their communications. They stand up for it — literally in front of team members — every chance they get.
Embed the vision everywhere. Having a compelling vision and trusting employees to execute it means integrating it into every aspect of corporate life. By translating it into a methodical plan that can be embedded everywhere, every decision, every hallway conversation and every communication can become an opportunity to reinforce the vision. It can evolve into part of the organization’s everyday vernacular.
Celebrate milestones. Every accomplishment on the path to the vision, no matter how small, is a reason to celebrate. For many teams, seeing the ultimate dream become real happens over time and in incremental steps. And often we’re so busy moving on to the next thing when we finish one project that we forget to stop and celebrate the accomplishment. Pausing to reflect and celebrate the small successes helps keep people engaged as they feel real progress along the way. Make every step on the journey count by showcasing wins in regular communications across the organization and by giving credit to the people who made them happen.
Champion your purpose. Every company has a story. If employees can see a connection between the work they do and a higher purpose, they will likely feel more engaged. Employee engagement is often directly linked with understanding how they're contributing to the larger mission to make a difference in the world. This understanding can lead to greater alignment with the goals of the organization. As Ken and Scott Blanchard wrote, “Connect the dots between individual roles and the goals of the organization. When people see that connection, they get a lot of energy out of work. They feel the importance, dignity and meaning in their job.” Sharing and reinforcing the company's story regularly in the corporate narrative can help teams stay connected to the higher purpose.
Visionary leaders are those who can see future trends and plan accordingly. But a plan alone is not always enough. The most successful leaders make every employee feel like a key part of the organization, both by sharing information to help them do their jobs well and by asking them for their ideas and feedback, particularly when making decisions. Effective communication can shine a light on the organization's vision, galvanize teams to make the vision real and keep everyone moving in the same direction. It's a powerful tool to bring your team together, inspire and encourage them and hold them accountable for results. Use it wisely.
