Communication Skills
Communicate Promptly
Current technology expands the communication tools available to us, and most of us use multiple methods to communicate with various groups of people in our lives. This is both a challenge and an opportunity! You might feel overwhelmed by the constant stream of notifications. The key to effective communication in the age of tech is to have a strategy.
How will you communicate with your staff? Your board? The congregation?
How will you communicate with your staff? Your board? The congregation? Set expectations for response times, and be clear about them. How long should someone reasonably wait for an email reply, a text, or a returned call? Create boundaries and expectations with your team, and commit yourself to them.
Be Direct in Your Communication
Communicating promptly and clearly is a mark of integrity, respect, and leadership. If you lead a team, you’ll earn their respect for this principle as a part of your skillset. The biggest barrier to clarity is often insecurity. Insecure leaders feel the need to “couch” their language.
Do what you say! Successful leadership hinges on people believing you when you make a commitment. Not doing what you said you would is an integrity issue. Your actions (or inaction) speak louder than your words.