Your Real Title As a Leader
Oct 22, 2020
This reminder might be more for me, but if it helps you in your daily work, please let me know.
I have learned that may appear as resistance by the people you serve, might be a simple lack of clarity and communication, not incompetence or insubordination.
Here is what I mean.
Communication needs to be internalized. This means that individuals need to hear something between seven and sixteen times to begin to understand.
Here is one glaring example. Just this weekend a RunDMC (iconic rap group of the 80’s) song lyric popped in my head.
I embarrassedly sang it out loud as I made lunch for the kids. I told my daughter, “This song was on the first cassette tape I ever bought.”
“What’s a cassette tape?” she responded.
“Alexa, play You be illin’ by RunDMC,” I requested.
I was amazed at how I nailed the lyrics and I haven’t heard that song in 30 years!
But because I listened to that tape hundreds of times as an early teenager, it is forever in my memories.
It’s the same for movies, don’t watch Caddyshack or Fletch with me, you’d be annoyed.
So when in early July when I was hired to be the interim head of a charter school, I should not have been surprised to hear from an upset parent that the main reason teachers and employees that have left in the school over last six month, 28, (which is over 50% of the total staff) was communication and clarity in direction.
As a leader your number one job is to create a clear and cohesive direction for the organization, and then communicate daily.
I have learned the hard way that there are no costs to over communication, however, the cost of under communication is massive.
You see, no one leaves an organization because the leader “over communicated.”
One mistake that leaders make is that when they see or feel resistance they believe it is insubordination or laziness.
When in fact, it is a lack of communication and clarity.
As the head of an organization, team, family or community, your main title is to be the CRO. The Chief Reminder Officer.
Your job, as the CRO, is to every day remind the people who are under your charge of where we are going, the plan to get there, the goals and how we will behave.
Remember to communicate these four P’s:
Purpose: Why do we exist?
Picture: Where are we going?
Plan: How are we getting there?
Part: Their part in the journey!
And when you get bored with repeating yourself, congratulations, you are halfway there!
I hope this helps you today!
Tom
PS. If you are seeking tools to help you clarify your communication and empower your team, download our best communication tools for free right here!
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