Avoiding a Bad Communication
19 February 2010 Tweet I recently read Good Recoveries from Bad Communications by John Baldoni where he discussed the following excellent ways to recover from a bad communication:
“If you find yourself having to smooth over a bungled communication, here are some things you can to try to set things right.
Acknowledge the problem. People are upset and confused. You need to note their disgruntlement. To ignore it is to be as rude as the communications directive.
Apologize. Take the high road. Even if the mistake was not yours, as part of management, you should accept blame and apologize. You may express sympathy but do not throw senior management under the bus. Doing so will only make you seem like a finger-pointer.
Refocus on the reason for the communication. Explain the reason for the communication and why the initiative is necessary. This gets you past the poor delivery and focused on the business.
Allow people to express their points of view. Let them vent. Sometimes reorganizations will bring personal hardship, such as more responsibilities, lack of additional compensation, or worse — loss of a job. You are allowed to acknowledge the pain.
Refocus on the initiative. Put an end to the formal venting and refocus on the business case. Even though the communication was mishandled, the reasons for it may be sound. Stand up for the company.”
I thought about these suggestions within the context of my experience leading and participating in virtual teams where face to face communication was not possible. I came to the conclusion that within a virtual team, fully recovering from a bad communication is close to impossible. Because the team leader can’t see the team members when the communication is delivered, it’s possible that the leader isn’t even aware that the communication was bad. John Baldoni started his article with:
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the King's horses and All the King's men
Couldn't put Humpty together again
If you can’t “put the virtual team back together” again, then you need to take steps to eliminate the possibility that a bad communication will happen. The following are a few ideas to help virtual team leaders avoid a bad communication:
1) Team leaders need to develop an acute sense of “situational awareness” - an accurate perception of what has happened, what is happening, and what might happen.
Individuals can be affected differently by significant communications, who is impacted the most, how is the work about to change, is this a surprise, are team members aware of the state of the business and objectives … The team leader needs to be aware of the entire landscape and be proficient at continuously communicating to the team. Communication style and tools need to be selected with this in mind.
2) Don’t expect the communication style and tools that worked with non-virtual, co-located teams to work with a virtual team. Use a full range of asynchronous and synchronous communication tools. The idea is that day-to-day communication is tight and continuous. They can't see you in the hall or sitting in your office, so don't be a stranger to the team.
3) Try new methods and tools; for example video conferencing. New tools could feel awkward at first, make it fun and try different things. Think about how well the tool works, don’t use it if it doesn’t work or isn’t consistent with the team members' communication style - Don’t get tech crazy. Discuss the tools with the team members. The process of finding what works can be used to highlight the interest and importance placed on communicating.
4) Create a culture of continuous open communication to build trust. Trust can help keep the team together in those situations where the communication is a surprise to everyone – no matter how well we plan, bad things do happen.
For related information and discussion see:
Tips for Effective Collaboration
Current Practices in Virtual Team Management
Team Brainstorming and Innovation in 2010
Virtual Collaboration in Organizations: A Change Issue
Al Schmidt is a customer experience consultant with over 25 years of experience with a broad range of products, technologies and industries. He is focused on understanding how people use and incorporate technology into their day-to-day activities so that the overall experience, utility, and ease of use are optimized. Follow Al on Twitter.
Lokesh Datta
Reader Comments (1)
I recommend Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People". It discusses how to be a good listener and a tactful, effective communicator.