One of the most valuable leadership stones I have received came from a direct supervisor. We were in the middle of a difficult transition in which a beloved leader who reported to me had moved on. There was much turmoil within the program he had left, and I was diligently working to connect with his colleagues in order to move forward collaboratively. I tried many forms of communication, including an open call-in time for anyone who wanted to share a perspective or complaint. I gathered a great deal of information from the group, formed an interview team, and wrote a job description. Once the position was posted, I waited.
At this point, my supervisor shared his concern that I was not actively communicating with the department. That’s weird, I thought—I had been working busily behind the scenes to listen, communicate, form and execute a plan. Now that we were in a lull, advertising the position and waiting for candidates, I didn’t see much point in communicating. Nothing was happening, right? What would I say?
“Whenever there is a void in communication,” he stated, “people fill that void with their own impressions and thoughts, accurate or not.” Communicate something, he said, so that the group would understand that I was paying attention. Communicate something, even if I was communicating that we were in a holding pattern.
This conversation left a huge impression on me. One thing I had already learned: no matter how hard you try to communicate well, you will not get it right with every person. I had tried hard to be inclusive, to listen, to address issues and create a process that was exemplary. But I had failed to understand that communication is continuous-the stream must be steady, accurate, and relevant. It must be real, and it must be reassuring without being patronizing. Even when you’ve checked all these boxes, you must continue to communicate, again and again and again.
The ongoing nature of your communication as a leader is critical. One communication mantra that makes sense to me is this: Communicate seven times, in seven ways. And that means that communication needs to be on a leader’s to-do list, every day.