There is a colloquial statement that employees don't leave the company, they leave the managers. Why do I observe some leaders, listen with interest and want to cooperate with them, and at the same time, the management and communication of another manager on the same topic bore me or discourage me from cooperating?
It turns out that the way we communicate goals, delegate tasks or provide feedback has a huge impact on the team’s commitment and motivation. Good communication in management is another element that triggers long-term internal motivation and increases the involvement of colleagues.
Communication mistakes
One of the most common communication mistakes in motivating and increasing team involvement is using only informational communication, which colleagues may also perceive as a directive. An example of such communication may be informing the team about “what” to do, eg “our goal is to sign a contract with” x “or” how “to do it, eg” let’s work with commitment “. Informative communication is needed to convey the criteria or the necessary requirements needed to perform the action, but it triggers the recipient’s motivational processes to a very small extent, which decide whether they will also be involved in the performance of a given action.
Communication solutions
What triggers significantly the above-mentioned internal motivation, that is, communication that starts with “why”, eg “This year we can become one of the leaders in our segment, therefore we need to implement our product with x customers.” “Why? As? What?” – this sequence explains why the best managers are able to inspire their teams to be highly involved and achieve their goals quickly. The most important element of communication starting with “why” is the idea standing in the centre of the message, which is also the values ​​that strongly motivate and decide whether we join the implementation of a given action or not. According to Howard Shultz, longtime president of Starbucks, “People don’t like being managed. They want to be part of something bigger than themselves. They want to be part of the vision they can buy, and they want to see themselves in that vision. They also want to see themselves as important and appreciated. ” Therefore, the role of a manager is to create an atmosphere of building something that is much greater than all employees of the company, and an effective tool for communicating this vision is communication starting with “what for?”, Which includes values.
