10 Golden Rules For Effective Communication

Enhance your credibility

Communication is the oxygen that flows through an organisation, unit or team that enables it to unite behind common goals and perform at its best.

At its best, effective communication unites, motivates and allows the organisation to understand its performance and results and the actions needed to improve them.

At its worst, poor communication destroys trust and morale, creates division and hides the true extent of operational and performance weaknesses or failures and the actions required to address them.

If we have been exposed to a lack of communication or poorly prepared and delivered communication, we know how this can lead to cynicism and a breakdown in trust between management and staff or between different areas of the organisation. 

As a manager, your ability to effectively lead your team and your team’s performance will be negatively affected by poor communication from you, or from the wider organisation.  Your own credibility, reputation and perceived trustworthiness will be directly influenced by the honesty, consistency and reliability of your communication.

Many of our organisations are in a state of constant change, with pressure to implement more and more change, cut costs, restructure, down-size and out-source.  More than ever open, honest, skilled and sensitive communication is needed in order to help our people through difficult changes without damaging them and / or the team / organisation.

When it comes to communication, keep it simple, be direct, get to the point and structure your communications to make and reinforce your key messages – and above all, listen and demonstrate that you’ve heard!

Before you communicate with your team, customers or stakeholders, pause and consider whether your communication meets these 10 Golden Rules of Great Communication.

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