“Multiple studies have shown that 70 percent of the time, when significant change is needed, people back away, go into denial, try but fail miserably, or stop, exhausted, after achieving half of what they want using twice the budgeted time and money,” writes John Kotter and Lorne A. Whitehead in their book, Buy-In: Saving Your Good Idea From Getting Shot Down (Harvard Business Review Press, 2010).
As they continue, “The single biggest mistake that people make when trying to communicate a new vision of change, and strategies for achieving that vision, is under-communicating by a great deal…. The second biggest mistake people make ... is to communicate with all “head” and no “heart”.”
If we seek not to be in the 70% category and to communicate with head and heart, then we need say the following five key leadership statements on a regular basis:
- I’m sorry.
- I don’t know.
- I need help.
- I was wrong.
- Tell me more.
Each one of these short sentences recognizes that leaders can not always be the source of all knowledge and all solutions. Instead, leaders need to create a working environment where communication is healthy and bi-directional, namely the flow of timely and accurate information is cascaded down into the organization but it also is feed back up to people in senior level positions.
By utilizing the above statements, leaders indicate that alignment is critical at the structural and systemic levels but also between what we say and what we do, which is often called the “say do ratio.” It also is an alignment between head and heart which is the foundation for commitment, engagement and thoughtful action.
This spring, speak to people’s head and their heart. And have the courage to say the above short sentences on a regular basis. For now is the time to make purposeful and meaningful change.
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