The Organizational Error and Risk of Insufficient Communication

Ashton Underdahl is founder of Cadre Coeur Consulting and the author of Leader Most Loved: Inspire Productive, Loyal Teams... and Become a Leader Worth Following.

“Leaders who under-communicate are viewed as less qualified for a
leadership role because they are viewed as less empathic.”

Academy of Management Journal

This might be news to organizations and leaders who do care. But wait’s there’s a little more from the AMJ.

“We propose that leaders are more likely to be seen as under-communicating than over-communicating, even though under-communication is more heavily penalized,” the study determined.

As for how much so, there’s a definitive answer.

“In Study 1a, we….find that leaders are nearly ten times as likely to be criticized for under-communicating than over-communicating.”

The conclusion is straightforward in the mind of Ashton Underdahl, founder of Cadre Coeur Consulting and the author of Leader Most Loved: Inspire Productive, Loyal Teams... and Become a Leader Worth Following.

“The best and most loved leaders are those who effectively communicate with their people and those who greatly empathize,” Underdahl says .

Many leaders don’t see that as a requirement in the job description. Others might point to what they say is the very real fatigue of extending regular empathy or compassion.

Message are sent, not always the intended ones, to individuals and teams when organizations are not communicating sufficiently with their people.

“When we leave things unsaid, assumptions are made,” Underdahl says.

“Our staff and teams look to us for guidance and direction and when they aren't given that or when there is a lack of communication in general, they are left to their own devices and opinions.”

There are unwanted belief and reactions that are more likely to transpire in such situations, ones that Underdahl points towards.

“A couple of things can occur once we start down this path. A lack of communication can be perceived as a lack of investment in the mission, which will be magnified by the team, i.e.; a ‘if they don't care, why should I care’ mentality is born. These feelings are akin to apathy and start breeding a lack of empathy amongst the team,” she says.

More connective interactions are needed and expected by people being led.

“You see, communication is the foundation of a healthy team culture. (It) is how expectations are created, which in team assembly, is one of the first steps to generating mutual respect,” Underdahl states.

And when it is of low quality, risk increases.

“Without communication as a foundation, leaders will find that some staff may make their own assumptions out of necessity and subsequently that outputs do not align with what leadership expected,” Underdahl says.

She presents advisory that could prove helpful.

“My recommendation is to communicate three times: once prior to changes — in advance of impact — the second (being) the notice of change coming — impact pending — and finally, that change — impact has taken place.

“Personally, I will even preface with some sort of ‘I know you know...’ type of statement but I would much rather over-communicate than under-communicate,” Underdahl says.

Communicating effectively is not always clear in every person’s mind, yet Underdahl offers details to consider.

“When you communicate, offer an opportunity for questions, comments or concerns, allowing your team to feel heard,” she advises, explaining her reasoning. “This demonstrates to the staff that we appreciate what they are going through, that their feedback is valued, as well as their time and that their understanding is important to leadership.”

A lack of communication or under-communicating still communicates, just not in a desirable manner.

“When we under-communicate, our silence can also be interpreted as incompetence or a lack of confidence, which in turn can generate fear or even resentment amongst your staff,” Underdahl says.

“While that may not be the case, perception is the reality for your staff and this can lead to toxic work cultures,” she points out.

While leaders might not want to do so, feel they have time for it or know what to say, it’s vital, Underdahl says, to do so anyway, especially during the difficult or overwhelming situations.

“Even in times of turbulence, communicate,” she stresses. “Talk about what we are working through and the plans you are making, so they know there is a runway out in front of them and that they can trust you to fly the plane.”

There are certainly leaders who are of the mindset that they are the more strong, silent type who earn trust and respect by doing, with less talking. They might even insist that their people know they care about them.

This could be accurate or a show of overconfidence and maybe self-deception that could be hurting employees and thus, the leader and organization. Underdahl responds to this type of thinking and practice.

“I would challenge this leader to review how often they communicate to their staff and in which formats and types,” she says. “In my opinion, it is important that leaders be the ones to adapt to their team's various communication styles, which means we need to pay attention to the formats and modes our team needs.”

Questions are important to ask.

“How are you sending information? Is it written or spoken? How often do you vary your delivery from verbal to a list format or to a visual, pictorial format?” Underdahl suggests.

It’s important, she asserts, to learn a new language if necessary.

“You need to speak your staff's language if you want them to hear the message,” Underdahl says.

She presents additional questions to inspire self reflection, decision making and organizational practices.

“Consider how much formal communication your team is getting from you. What are these communications? How often? Are they structured, predictable and reliable? What about informal communication? Do they hear from you when times are good or bad or do they hear from you on the in-between days, too?” she asks.

Then she would help such a leader develop important and helpful clarity.

“After discussing the various modes, formats, and types of communication, I would then ask this leader which of these they are doing best, which ones they could do better and which communication changes would have the greatest or most positive impact on their team,” Underdahl says.

All this said, she adds that she doesn’t want people to believe they have to be non-stop and overwhelming in their interactions with their people.

“Leaders don't need to be verbose to be good communicators, they just need to create space for those moments that build both rapport and respect,” Underdahl says.

Publisher’s Note: an advertising menu is available for you, your brand and special offering to be regularly, impressively seen in front of the audience of Communication Intelligence. Work one-on-one with the publisher (Michael) or if you prefer, my sales executive, Matt Tully and me to get what you believe will help you be successful. Get prime placement ad in any section of the magazine.