You What? Yes You Heard.

Upon meeting, greeting, interviewing and conversing with a huge range of senior executives and finance professionals we regularly discuss leadership topics for both those who are existing leaders and those that are currently part of the pack that may aspire to lead in the future. How we communicate with one another to get our messages across is a very common theme.

Our ability to communicate inside and outside of work is critical to our success in both areas. Harmony in the workplace and harmony in the home promote benefits for all. Which is not to say you’re not allowed to disagree or voice an opinion which is contrary to popular belief as long as it falls within the realms of being respectful.

The ‘Business Partner’ reference which we see in hiring descriptions across the financial recruitment landscape is frequently emphasised so that layman i.e. non-specialist financial people are provided with a human link to the complexities of the finance world. In some cases, the ability to partner (assertive yet patient, understanding yet clear) is an inbuilt skill which some individuals are lucky to naturally possess; for others they must rapidly develop this skill, often without training.

There are four basic communication styles: passive; aggressive; passive-aggressive; and assertive. There are a variety of ways that these styles are conveyed: verbal (say no more); non-verbal (e.g. body language and facial expressions); electronic (convenient to type, text, tweet et al; yet inconvenient if the subtly is lost in cyber-space); and even the old-school hand-written offering. Note how electronic comes before hand-written, how often do you provide a written note to people? Birthdays and special occasions if you haven’t yet moved to e-cards and even further away from that personal touch.

According to Organimi we can further breakdown how we communicate as follows: analytical (solid arguments backed up by facts and to the point); intuitive (casual and common sense, not stuck in the minute detail); functional (step-by-step focusing on the whole process with Q&A throughout); personal (emotional and relationship driven, understanding the person behind the job title). Everyone has their own method which they feel most confident deploying.

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place." -George Bernard Shaw

The likelihood is that your office and home will be a fusion of communication styles. Variety is a good thing. We can’t have everyone sharing the same style and approach. To understand the person or group we are communicating with, is ultimately the key to successful communication. Which is why one of the most critical communication skills is empathy; defined as “the ability to understand and share the feelings of another”.

When short on time, under the cosh from poor performance or of such strong belief that your message is correct and there is no possible way that your audience cannot not follow you in to battle (cue those stubborn politicians and sports team managers who just love to frustrate), the ability to empathise can be lacking. If you are seeking buy-in and support, take a moment before you launch to ensure your audience will appreciate and understand your communication style. We all know there are moments to tell people to J.F.D.I. yet if your points fall on deaf ears, it will be you that doubly feels the pain of a wasted speech and wounded pride.

Developing successful communication skills can be a little like learning to cross the road, “Look… listen… look again… Learn.”

Author: Nick Connor, Associate Director, HedgerWay