How to Ensure Your Team Understands What You Really Mean

Brian felt like he had exceptional leadership skills and could handle complex projects with ease. Having lived in multiple countries, he was familiar with diverse cultural nuances and communication styles. However, despite his extensive background, he faced an unexpected challenge.

During a crucial project meeting, Brian outlined his vision and the tasks at hand. He assumed his team, composed of experienced professionals, would understand the implicit instructions and proceed accordingly. Weeks passed, and Brian noticed that the progress was not aligning with his expectations. Frustration mounted as he realized that his team had missed key nuances and had taken actions contrary to his intentions.

This miscommunication resulted in delays and a lot of re-dos. It was a wake-up call for Brian. He observed that assuming his teammates could "read between the lines" was a mistake. Therefore, he needed a new approach to ensure clarity and precision in his instructions.

Key Insights

1. Cultural Context Matters

In high-context cultures, communication relies heavily on implicit messages and contextual cues. However, in a diverse team, not everyone shares the same cultural background. Assuming your teammates can pick up on your hints, and then do the exact actions corresponding to them, can lead to misunderstandings and conflicts. You must recognize and adapt to these differences to ensure effective communication. When was the last time hints were effective in helping others achieve exact goals?

2. Explicit Communication Prevents Misunderstandings

No one is an effective mind reader, including you. Spelling things out may seem like over-explaining. But it is the best way to ensure your team knows exactly what you need them to do. Providing clear, detailed instructions helps prevent misinterpretations and ensures everyone is on the same page. A simple framework to make sure you don’t omit anything important in meetings is “GRRR (Goals, Roles, Resources, and Rules).” Using a checklist with these four headings will increase your chances of your desired outcomes.  

3. Defining Clear and Specific Success

As Brené Brown suggests, "paint 'done' for them." This means providing all the key details of the task: define what makes a task successful, list who is accountable, set deadlines, explain how to accomplish the task, and indicate where the necessary resources are. This approach leaves no room for ambiguity and ensures your team has a clear understanding of what is expected.

Possible Actions

1. Adopt a Low-Context Communication Style

Shift towards a low-context communication style, where messages are open, explicit, and straightforward. Ensure that your instructions are clear and detailed. Don’t say, "Let's ensure this project is top-notch." Specify what "top-notch" means by outlining the quality standards, the steps required, and the desired outcomes. Confusion leads to inaction.

2. Use Structured Communication Tools

Implement structured tools such as checklists, project management software, and detailed briefs. These tools can help in listing tasks, assigning responsibilities, setting deadlines, and providing resources. For example, a project management tool can outline each team member's responsibilities, due dates, and the specific criteria for task completion. The frequency of following up is at the leader’s discretion.

3. Regularly Check for Understanding, Then Evaluate and Adjust

After giving instructions, take a moment to verify that your team understands the expectations. Ask open-ended questions like, "Can you summarize what we need to achieve?" or "What are the key steps we need to follow?" Allowing others to paraphrase ensures aligning everyone. This also stamps out misunderstandings before they have a chance to cause problems. Don’t assume understanding leads to the actions you prefer. When in doubt, spell it out – or risk the consequences. What do I mean by “regular?” This might happen at the conclusion of every project. Others might add checkpoints at twenty-five, fifty, and seventy-five percent progress (my personal preference). How you define “regular” is up to you.

Conclusion

Brian's experience underscores the importance of clear and specific communication in diverse teams. By recognizing cultural differences, providing detailed instructions, and defining success in detailed terms, you can prevent misunderstandings and ensure effective collaboration.

Don't assume your teammates know what you really mean. Embrace detailed communication, utilize structured tools, and regularly evaluate understanding, interpretation, and manifested actions. By doing so, you'll create a more cohesive and productive team environment.

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