“To communicate effectively is to bridge the gap between perception and reality.” Mark Thompson
“What just happened?” “Is Laura going to get fired?” “Is the business going under?” “Did the recent company policy happen because the CEO believes we are not bought in?” Don’t let these questions go unanswered, or better, set the record straight. People will ‘record’ what leaders say. I don’t mean using a recording device (although phones are quick and in use these days). I mean they will commit to memory what leaders say. They will believe it to be truth and the organization’s policy.
Government administrations such as the President or a state governor will often state things for record. You’ll see this frequently through the media. “The Governor’s office will issue a statement at noon tomorrow.” These statements – their words, even spoken in passing or a speech, become their stance on things, their policy. I’ll let you choose whether to believe these government ‘records.’ It is a leader’s duty, however, to communicate their own records for their people. If they don’t – if you don’t, your people will set the record straight for you and that is not a healthy and productive workplace.
While serving in Afghanistan in 2009, attempting to defeat the Taliban, we were engaged in a battle for information. The first with the ‘record’ to the villages won the day. The Taliban was skilled at spreading lies turning the population away from its government and military – even Coalition Forces. We had to beat them at their game. We had to set the record straight. The Taliban would set the record – an explosion near a village could be blamed on Coalition Forces as if we were the ones planting explosives. A villager in a remote Afghan village would take what they were being told as truth, as the record of what was happening. Save for the explosions, the same concept exists in organizations. If something goes bad, leaders must be the first to communicate…
