How well do you communicate?
Being an effective communicator doesn’t only mean being a good public speaker or writer. Communication is the source of most problems you encounter in higher ed. leadership. It can also be the solution to preventing or resolving conflict by managing expectations. Simply saying something doesn’t guarantee that people are on board, and repeating yourself is not going to make a difference. Let’s look at some relevant examples:
1. Managing people
All too often, higher ed. leaders give up on some employees after giving them directions and being repeatedly disappointed that some don’t follow-through. If what you say is not being received, you are wasting your time.
If you want to see your employees improve their engagement and follow-through, you need to follow these steps.
Communicate expectations as clearly as possible.
Have your employees to confirm their understanding of what you were trying to convey.
Confirm if they are willing and able to fully commit to what is being asked.
Inquire about the steps they are going to take to succeed.
Ask if they can foresee anything that could get in the way of success, and if they do, brainstorm what can be done to prevent these issues.
Don’t end the meeting until your employees give you reassurance that they are fully on-board and taking responsibility for the outcomes.
2. Having to re-prioritize
Sometimes, my clients get pulled into an unexpected meeting and need to reschedule a coaching session. My job is to help them thrive in higher ed. leadership. I would never want them to decline an important and urgent meeting with their executive team, just to keep a one-on-one with me. Re-prioritizing and re-scheduling is the right thing to do.
However, if someone doesn’t communicate and is a no-show for an appointment, that is not ok. Letting anyone down without warning is never ok. And yet, it is so common in higher ed. Someone agrees to send a report, but they don’t do it. A manager is expected to make a decision about something important, but they don’t communicate and create a lot of anxiety for their team. Lack of communication is highly detrimental to workflow and morale.
As much as I love structure, efficiency, and effectiveness, I understand that sometimes the right action is to re-prioritize, postpone something, or even make a different decision about an important matter. We must be flexible and adaptable. But we also must communicate! When it comes to announcing unpopular decisions, it is crucial to explain the process, show that all angles have been taken into consideration, people have been consulted, and the final decision is the best or least detrimental. People are more likely to be supportive when they understand what happens “behind the scenes”. If you skip that step, prepare yourself for unnecessary criticism, resistance, gossip, and hours and energy spent on damage control.
3. Unrealistic expectations
If your supervisor is asking you to achieve goals that you know are impossible, you need to explain the implications, without sounding uncollaborative or closed-minded. For example, if you were asked to implement a drastic budget cut without affecting any services, you might be able to find a solution using artificial intelligence and reducing staff, but you will still need to maintain adequate staffing.
If a large percentage of your budget is allocated to salaries and benefits, a cut might mean layoffs, which would affect not only employees who would be let go, but also employees who would stay but have to carry a much heavier load. Some things are likely to fall through the cracks. Sooner or later, some of your best employees will leave because they are no longer happy in that work environment.
So, if someone has expectations that seem unrealistic, first, question all your assumptions to try to find a way to make it work. But if you reach the conclusion that it can’t be done, you need to communicate skillfully instead of agreeing, only to disappoint them later and suffer the consequences. And the same applies to your employees. Talk to them and make sure that what you are asking is realistic. Some problems can be solved through innovation, but other problems require resources, and if those resources are not available, expectations will have to be adjusted accordingly.
If like most higher ed. leaders you are going through challenging times, and would like to optimize your communication and professional relationships, click here to schedule a call with me and discuss how we can work together. I look forward to speaking with you soon.
About the author: Dr. Audrey Reille has empowered thousands of professionals through one-on-one coaching, group coaching, speaking engagements, and online courses. Audrey is the go-to executive coach for leaders in higher education administration. She empowers them to thrive by improving communication, confidence, executive presence, effectiveness reducing stress, optimizing strategies, improving professional relationships, and developing a strong and empowered mindset.