Two quotes that came into my mind while decoding the topic of essay today on Impact of effective communication,

John C. Maxwell:

1. "People may hear your words, but they feel your attitude."

Stephen R. Covey:

1. "Seek first to understand, then to be understood.

Well, communication has always been the most sought after soft skills that the leaders are to possess especially exhibiting the True Leadership .

Here are 3 stories that shall help us understand the profound impact of communications.

The Nike’s

Nike started as Blue Ribbon in 1964, distributing Onitsuka sneakers in the United States. Eventually, Onitsuka revoked their exclusivity in 1972, forcing Blue Ribbon to produce their own sneakers.

When they received the news, the team was in shock. Phil Knight had prepared a speech, but before speaking, he decided to leave his notes behind and speak from the heart. This is what he said:

What I’m trying to say is, we have them right where we want them. This is the moment we’ve been waiting for, our moment. Our supplier Onitsuka has limited us for years (…). Who among you is not tired of that? It’s time to face the facts. Whether we win or lose, it will be on our terms, with our ideas, with our brands. We sold two million USD last year, all thanks to you (…). Let’s not see this as a crisis; let’s see it as our liberation. The day of our independence. Yes, it will be tough, I won’t lie to you. We’re definitely going to war, folks, but we know the terrain, and that’s why I feel in my heart that this is a war we can win. And if we win, when we win, I see great things for us on the other side of this victory. We’re still alive, folks, we’re still alive…

The message was so successful that a few months later, Blue Ribbon released their first original sneaker into the market: the Nike Cortez.

The Marverik

This story is way back in 1998 in Saudi Arabia where a British gentlemen by the name of Mr. Able Brian was working in a luxury manufacturing industry.

Mr. Brian was the mind that fostered innovation & created the culture of fair play in the system. A typical day would start with Mr. Brian playing 15 mins on his console a targeted air shoot game & mind you no call would be permitted at that time.

It so happened that while the expansion was taking place, Mr. Brian was sent off to a global search of new machines. When he returned back post his 15 days visit, Mr. Brian’s phone rang at an that non negotiated hour. He was summoned immediately to the Business owner’s cabin. While he knew that something was not right, he went there and was promptly thanked for his services that his expertise was no longer required.

Mr. Brian stood up, shook hands & asked for the successor, while the Business owner was struggling to find the right words. Mr. Brain said, well if you are going with Name A , it’s not the right choice, but name B is perfect. The business owner was speechless. Such was the intuitive power of Mr. Brian that he could read minds & communicate perfectly.

The Human side of Leaders.

India Inc leaders were warming up the Global scenario & one such exemplary leader Ms. Indira Nooyi was stealing the show.

In one of her interviews she admits Pressure is real. Expectations are real too. What needs to be done is to manage both, especially emotions. While she was talking on this she also admitted that , there are times when things become overwhelming & she would ask her secretary / executive assistant to suspend all meetings for those 15 mins & she would cry her heart out, come to terms with her emotions & be right back, heart & soul into the task.

What was communicated through this beautiful video excerpt was humanising the leadership qualities.

 The above 3 examples exhibits the 7 Cs of communication

1. Clear : State the purpose & set the premise / context for the communication built up.
2. Consise: The clutter in communications creates confusion. As they say less is more. The brevity provides better understanding of the subject.
3. Concrete: The more factual the communication base is, the better impact it creates.
4. Correct: The accuracy of the information in communication build trust between the communicator & listener.
5. Coherent: Pitch of the sound conveyes emotions. The pitch should be loud enough to be heard & the voice should reach the audience / listener without dilution.
6. Complete : Half baked cake is no good to eat or for sale. The communication that is incomplete carries with it half information leaving the audience/ listner to assume the rest of it there by creating confusion.
7. Courteous: expressing the correct way is the right way. Respecfully stated words alleviate the conflicts and also create an open ground for discussions & healthy debates. Polietness always wins hearts & paves way towards solidarity in community.

The take aways from these 3 examples:

1. Business may sink, Teams keeps it afloat: The example of Nike is so relevant that despite & in spite of the business circumstances & the dynamics, the communications when laid on the table with factual data shall double up as a motivating factor for the employees. This also takes me back to the example of the movie Hum hai Rahee Pyaak ke when Amir’s character address the factory employees of no capital in the company, but there was a huge order that needs to be delivered & how each employee contributes without asking anything in return.
    
2. Help others Grow: The organization by the very definition is made up of a group of people who are aligned towards a common purpose. The dynamic system also works like a “shark teeth’ where the front row eventually gives way for the fresh rear row to come in front. This means that succession planning with an approach of leaving the seat behind for the fresh ones. This paves way for succession planning as well. The example exhibited in the Maverik story tell a lot about succession planning & choosing & making the wise decision.
    
3. Talk to Express not to Impress: The true leadership communication style is genuine, factual & relatable. One needs to humanise the concept of leadership & make a most de-cluttered, matter-of fact communication. Vulnerability is one of the factors that also is a reflection of empathy & makes the team view leaders as true navigators during crisis.
4. Tool for Relationship Management : Psychologists have long pointed out the importance of a balanced personality. A true leader is the one who has a balance of self with staff, stakeholders & customers.

Poor communications can ruin the relationships there by creating a direct business dent.

1. Builds Trust: When the Top head Honcho of a listed company fell ill and was hospitalised with no access to work, the way the teams worked in synchronicity was a testimony of the phrase_ I have your back. This trust is the fulcrum of build & protein in the system. Communication builds this protein & exhibits the true team spirit.
2. Enhanced Productivity: The communication also lead to effective problem solving as the teams gather for one mission and work in sync to resolve issues.
3. Enhanced Organizational culture: Transparency & open communication lead to fair play, freedom of expressions & a nurturing environment.

Effective communication strategy forms the backbone & fulcrum to the employee centricity. The environment of growth, progress & aligned mission stems from the open sharing of thoughts, words & ultimately culminating into action.