They Are Always Watching

They Are Always Watching

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.” It is true that in the hearts and minds of those you lead, your actions will always speak louder than your words. 

Leaders Set Direction

The ability to communicate effectively is a vital skill for a leader. The foremost obligation of a leader is to ensure those in their charge understand their expectations. Equally important is the extent to which the leader understands the expectations of those they lead. These expectations and the accompanying standards are continuously communicated up and down the chain of command.

Most people naturally desire direction. f you have ever participated in a large-scale event or multifaceted project, you welcomed the event or project leaders’ instruction. Your employees are no different in their desire to understand your expectations of them and the standard by which their performance will be evaluated. Some leaders are born with an innate capacity to express themselves in an easily understood manner. Others are not as gifted with strong communication skills and must put forth more effort to be understood. In either case, all leaders must dedicate unyielding effort and commitment to mastering their communication skills.

What You Say Matters

Leaders communicate with their constituents in an innumerable amount of ways. The most obvious method is the spoken word. Successful leaders talk with their people routinely to develop relationships and to build trust. Successful leaders accomplish this with action by getting out from behind their desks and being where their people are. In my time as a leader, I have practiced the “Rule of 5.” This involves the leader seeking out and talking with 5 different individuals a day. These encounters are intended to express the leader’s earnest desire to know their people on a personal level. This practice is known as "Managing by Walking Around" (MBWA). It is important for leaders to practice "active listening” during these encounters. Leaders must listen to what the person they are talking with is saying. The goal is to listen to understand the employee's message rather than to simply respond to what is being conveyed. Active listening ensures the leader absorbs the message being delivered and demonstrates a genuine concern for the person they are speaking to.

People want to know that their leaders care about them. True leaders act in a manner that expresses authentic concern for what is going on in their people’s lives. These MBWA encounters are transformational in that they afford the leader an opportunity to connect with people on a personal level. Additionally, they offer the leader the ability to show that their people mean more than purely the function they perform for the organization. When people know they are appreciated by their leader, they put their best effort forward and the entire team benefits.

What They See Must Match What They Hear

Most importantly, as a leader, your actions must be consistent with your words. As leaders, we are always on stage. The morale of the entire team is directly impacted by how we conduct ourselves in our official position and our personal affairs. In any workplace, how “the boss” responds to the challenges presented directly impacts their follower’s behavior. If the leader is morally and ethically sound in word and action, those who they lead are motivated to emulate that behavior. Conversely, if despite their rhetoric, a leader consistently takes shortcuts, skirts around the rules, or acts in a manner clearly motivated by personal gain, workers feel unappreciated. As a result, employee’s confidence in the leader suffers and production is hindered. When a leader’s actions violate an established standard, a new standard is created. Published Policy and Procedures and Rules and Regulations must apply to the entire work force from CEO to newest employee. If a leader is inconsistent in adherence to the rules, employees are likely to interpret the leader’s careless conduct as the model for acceptable behavior. This trickle-down mediocrity results in the follower not reaching their full potential and ultimately threatens the efficiency of the entire organization.

Every Key Stroke Counts

In organizations, regardless of size, various forms of written communication are common. Emails and interoffice memos are generally used to reach a large audience about specific issues facing the entire organization. Leaders should be cognizant that written communication is interpreted, in some measure, without the benefit of context. Leaders at all levels must understand that their words matter and the success of the communication rests with the tone of written correspondence as perceived by those receiving it. People naturally read written direction through the lens of how the message affects them directly. Furthermore, leaders who issue direction through written edict must comport themselves consistent with the rules embodied in the correspondence. As discussed above regarding the spoken word, should the leader’s behavior be divergent from the enumerated expectations in the written directive, they risk losing credibility.  Leaders who practice, “Rules for thee but not for me”, are destined to fail. An inauthentic leader relies on the power of their position to get things done. Setting standards for the workforce that the leader is unwilling to abide by creates confusion in the workplace. Workers are left with ambiguous direction, which causes anxiety and results in poor performance.

Show Me, Don’t Just Tell Me

Effective leaders are consistent in both word and deed, regardless of the vehicle through which the message is transmitted to their employees. In any organization, the leader’s actions are continuously evaluated by those whose lives are directly affected by the leader’s decisions. A leader’s authenticity is constantly being judged and their capacity to form productive trusting relationships with those they lead rests predominantly on the leader’s actions matching their message.  

Remember, They Are Always Watching!

- Dan Richard