Haltung Archive - Page 3 of 27 - The Art of Communicating

Who’s responsible for that?

What empowerment means:
The leader trusts the team with making choices.

How it’s often done:
The leader trusts the team with making choices as long as it’s the same choice the leader would have made.

The worst version might be this:
The leader trusts the team with making choices as long as it’s the same choice the leader would have made and unfairly assigns responsibility for any negative outcomes to the team, even when the leader would have made the same choice.

Do you work for a leader who truly trusts their team? Please drop me a note! I’m assembling a list of leaders who light the path.

The Bermuda Triangle Project

Recently at Confused Corp, the world market leaders for unclear instructions and perplexed employees …

The CEO, known as the “Master of Monologues”, announces: “We have perfected the art of communication! Our directives are so clear that no one dares to question them!”

An intern, from the back: “That’s because the last guy who asked a question ended up in the Bermuda Triangle project.”

Lasting impressions

Yesterday, I spoke about managed dissatisfaction. In communication it means meeting the basic threshold of adequacy without investing in the effort to truly connect, enlighten, or engage with the audience. It’s a calculated approach to do just enough, but not more.

That’s a choice, for example:

You can choose to provide just enough information to avoid misunderstandings. Or you can make an effort to ensure the information is easily digestible and engaging.

You can choose to respond to questions or concerns when raised. Or you can proactively clarify potential ambiguities and offer additional insights.

You can choose to slightly adjust the content based on the audience (like, say, changing the date in your slide template) but otherwise keep it generic. Or you can make it specific for this particular audience’s needs.

You can choose to engage with the audience just enough so that they don’t feel ignored. Or you can actively try to make the interaction enjoyable and memorable.

It’s the choice between doing the bare minimum to avoid complaints and going the extra mile to leave a lasting impression.
 How do you choose?

The world champions of managed dissatisfaction

During our latest family vacation we stayed at what must be the world champions of managed dissatisfaction.

The resort managed to do slightly less than you’d expect at every single interaction and they made sure to never even accidentally exceed our expectations.

To be sure, it wasn’t a bad experience per se … which, to me, is the fascinating aspect here and what makes managed dissatisfaction an art. The art is in finding the sweet spot where your service is well below the threshold for embarrassment at all times, yet only the slightest bit above the threshold of dissatisfaction.

Of course, that’s not the same thing as a great experience – or even a satisfactory one. It’s no substitute for the smile they could have put on their customers’ faces for exceeding their expectations just once.

And that’s a choice. That idea of consistently delivering just enough to avoid outright dissatisfaction, but never quite enough to truly impress, is a deliberate strategy. The goal is to maintain a steady stream of “just okay” service without investing in the extra effort or resources that could lead to exceptional experiences.

We might not come back, though.

Delighting customers, even just occasionally, can have a significant positive impact on their perception of the service and can foster loyalty and positive word-of-mouth.

Opportunity

Opportunity is not the kind of person who just knocks on your door.

Opportunity likes to be invited.

When was the last time you sent an invitation?

Leap!

Venturing into the unknown requires bold steps, not just detailed plans.

It’s one thing to say: “Here’s the plan.”
It’s another to say: “I believe in you. Take the leap!”

Your team might have all the answers. But they might need you to believe in them. You’re the person who sees potential in others even when they don’t see it themselves. You’re the one who challenges them, cheers for them, and sometimes you might even have to be the unpopular voice that says: “We can do better.”

A leader’s real job isn’t to have the perfect plan. It’s to light the path and empower their team to take the bold steps.

The due date

In a small software development company, the team has been working tirelessly for weeks to meet a crucial deadline. On the due date, the leader calls a meeting to review the work. Despite the team’s hard work, there are some bugs that need fixing. The leader, visibly irritated, addresses the team:

“Frankly, I am disappointed. This work is riddled with errors and it’s clear that there’s a lack of attention to detail. We’ll miss the deadline and our client will be furious. I expect everyone to work overtime until these issues are resolved. This is unacceptable.”

A different leader would have said:

“I appreciate the hard work and long hours everyone has put into this project. We’ve come a long way, and the client is excited about what we’ve developed so far. However, we have stumbled upon some bugs that need our attention. I believe in our team’s capability to resolve these issues and meet our client’s expectations. Let’s tackle these challenges head-on and show what we’re made of. I’ll be right here with you, and together, we’ll get this done.”

The words we use can make all the difference. Both in the way they affect our own thinking but also in the way we’re perceived by others and the impact that follows. They can confuse or provide clarity, demotivate or inspire.

Your choice!

Brilliant

Are you tired of coaches who think you need “fixing”?

There’s a prevailing notion in parts of the industry that individuals come to coaches because something is “broken”.

Recently, I spoke with a colleague who essentially said “I know better than him what he wants,” implying that this person was kind of lost and needed to be saved.

I prefer a different take: I believe in guiding you towards clarity, not telling you what you should want or need. Everyone, regardless of their current state, possesses an inherent brilliance. It’s one of the reasons why I identify less as a “coach” and more as an “advisor”.

My clients work with me because they are brilliant at what they do and they want to make the best out of that brilliance. I don’t fix them. I grow them.

I never tell you what you should want. I listen closely. I ask questions (tough ones at times). And I help you understand your choices. But it’s always you who makes the choice.

It can feel like coaching at times. It can feel like mentoring. Or anything in between. But in the end, it’s mainly just sharing my expertise with you.

When you think of seeking guidance, are you looking for someone to ‘fix’ you or to help you shine brighter?

Shadows, storms, and leadership

Leadership isn’t about guiding a team when the path is clear; it’s about lighting the path when things are shrouded in uncertainty. Anyone can stand at the helm in fair weather. It’s during storms when true leaders become visible.

These leaders often blend boldness with compassion.

Boldness is the courage to venture into the storm, to make tough calls, and to voice the truths that others might shy away from. Yet, without compassion, this bravery can become a blinding flash, disorienting more than guiding.

Compassion is the gentle glow that shows that you understand the fears and aspirations of those who follow, ensuring that no one feels alone or left behind in the dark. It means listening when the wind howls with dissent and caring when challenges roar.

While boldness might chart the course through the storm, it’s compassion that ensures the journey is one that everyone is willing and able to undertake.

In an age where leadership is still often equated with authority and power, remember that the most impactful leaders are those who light the path, not just lead the way.

As you navigate challenges, consider not only the direction you set but also the light you cast for others.

A silent saboteur

Mediocrity is a silent saboteur.

While great things quickly get promoted and bad things are fixed fast, average just stays around.

We grapple with it, reluctant to let go of it just as we would with the bad. Yet we often hesitate to make a decisive push towards excellence and make the edits that have to be made.

Essentially, we struggle to say: That’s just “okay” and “okay” is not enough.

Also, after all, a lot of work has already gone into that piece.

So, we keep on tinkering with it.

And some more.

Mediocrity’s trap is making us believe we’re moving forward when we’re just circling the same spot. We think we’re acting, but often we’re just rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. Breaking free requires bold steps: a ground-up transformation or the courage to scrap it and pivot.

Instead, mediocrity captures our focus precisely because it teeters on the edge of holding potential for both greatness and failure.

In a way, it exploits our internal battles—our fears of failure, our aspirations for success, and the comfort of the familiar. In our reluctance to see the mediocre decline, and our hesitance to take the risks required for excellence, we find ourselves tethered to this “just okay” zone, expending energy without clear direction.

This middle area, not great but not terrible, acts like a sneaky problem, taking our energy and overshadowing our dreams. It’s like a tricky call, leading us away from doing our best, and suggesting the idea that this would be “good enough” and worth our time.

The battle here is in recognizing and resisting the subtle pull of the mediocre that threatens to dilute our potential.

Have you experienced the pull of mediocrity?

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