THE PRICE A LEADER PAYS WHEN HE OR SHE DOESN’T COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY

One of the most difficult, and most interesting challenges, as an Executive Coach, is teaching leaders at all levels those competencies that they take for granted, and that by their very nature have omitted or overlooked their development, leaving them idle like a muscle that has not been used for a long time. In this sense, one of the most affected leadership competencies is effective communication. Why? Possibly it is because we communicate so often -even all the time- that we no longer do it consciously, and therefore not in a strategic way. And, on the other hand, it seems that the art of communication has lost more and more importance in the face of technological immediacy and the sense of urgency that characterizes the modern dynamics of today’s markets... an error that, in the end, has generated great issues to the organizations.

If we consider the fundamental role that communication and the correct flow of information plays in the processes of an organization (the development and marketing of products, customer service and human talent management, to mention a few), it will not be a reason of surprise to find that a large part of the problems of effectiveness and productivity of companies are related to shortcomings in this area. Inefficient communication management is costly for any business, since it has a direct impact on employee productivity and commitment levels. Thus, working with effective communication as an indispensable competence, from the managerial to the operative levels, is a determining factor in the fulfillment of the objectives of an organization and its sustainable development.

In fact, one of the most important skills of the modern leader is to motivate and influence others, and that is going to be difficult to achieve without effective communication. The outcome of a work team depends, to a large extent, on the leader's ability to process and transmit information in a clear, concise and efficient manner: the values, vision or strategy of a company. This powerful tool allows establishing healthy organizational climates, while keeping all employees informed and focused, improving productivity and preparing them for possible contingencies. Thereby, a leader can boost the growth of his company in all these points or, inversely, stop it: