Some of the best teachers of communications strategy and examples of leadership communications are not found in PR and journalism programs in colleges or universities, but in the ordinary places we go every day. Here are a few examples:
The Plumber
A while ago, we had a problem with a sewer back-up in the basement. The plumber we called was an excellent communicator, though he might not have thought so. When he arrived at our home, he put on booties over his work boots. This was a nonverbal cue that he respected me and my home and didn’t want to track in grime from a previous job. By the time he arrived, we had cleaned up the mess in the basement so he was able to get in and look at the offending drain in the floor. He did a diagnostic, flushed the drain, and sympathized with my obvious frustration and horror that this had happened to me. He listened to my concerns, answered all my questions and shared his experience as to what causes these things and what I should next. He was clear, direct and honest and didn’t try to sell me more than I needed. He showed respect–the core element for effective communications.
The Pilot
Airline pilots are masters of communicate and confirm. They have to be. They don’t make a move without getting confirmation from the air traffic controllers. If they did otherwise, it could be disastrous. But in our daily lives, how often are emails, phone calls, and texts unanswered, leaving us to wonder, did they receive my message it or is it lost in the digital ether? Or if they did receive it, did they understand it? Are they angry about it? Are they going to respond? Or are they just overwhelmed and busy? To be sure our electronic inboxes are inundated. But not responding sends a message that you don’t care and/or that you are rude. If you are busy, how long does it take to say, “got it, but can’t respond now.” Or at the bottom of your email, let people know that you will get back to them within 24 or 48 hours so that there are clear expectations for a response. Roger that.
The Shoe Salesman
My father always talked about Ronald Coleman—not the Lost Horizon actor, but a shoe salesman at the local department store. My dad always went to Ronald, even though many other places sold the same shoes at much lower prices. Why? Because Ronald knew how to listen and as a result he knew my father’s feet and understood what my father’s needs were. Ronald also knew his product line and could match it to every customer, explaining why one shoe was more suitable than another. Ronald lived the notion of “walking in another’s shoes” almost literally by listening and focusing in on his audience, not on what he had to sell. Listening is almost more important than what you actually say.
Look around you at the clerk in the grocery store; the nurse in the doctor’s office; or the coach of your kid’s sports team. Chances are they can give you a few pointers on how to be a better communicator. Do you have any examples of master communicators?
