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 Five keys to communicating in times of a pandemic

Five keys to communicating in times of a pandemic

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Five keys to communicating in times of a pandemic
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Monday, 2 november 2020 | Redacción CEU

Getting across messages is an essential tool for leaders. How else can they convey their vision, values and goals? Even so, despite its importance, this skill is often neglected. Not paying attention to this aspect may have consequences: misunderstandings, conflicts between colleagues, high staff turnover, unachieved goals, etc. Furthermore, in the pandemic context, communication becomes, if possible, even more important. In many cases, teams are geographically separated and linked only through screens. This might make it difficult to carry out an organized and coordinated job. In turn, the uncertainty scenario may bring about a climate of tension, stress and anxiety. Which is why for leaders to communicate well and have a positive impact on their environment, it is more than ever important to know how to show closeness, regardless of whether they are kilometers away from or sitting next to their subordinates. What other keys do they need to know how to communicate well in a context like this?


Before delving into these keys, it would be appropriate to talk about how leaders communicate at present, and, if possible, even try to predict how they may do it in the future. That is the work carried out by a team of researchers, psychologists, technology experts and data analysts at LLYC consultancy. Using different techniques of AI, Language Processing and Machine Learning, they studied the differences between current leaders and those of new generations.

For this study, they analyzed the communication and speech patterns of the leaders of three different generations: baby boomers, generation X and millennials. Their goal was not to compare the different generations, but to understand how the current leadership can differ from that of the future leaders. In the report, they concluded that the profile of future leaders will be marked by a tendency to action and cooperation and by a positive, passionate and emotional character. They have reached this conclusion by going over the words they use in their posts, texts, videos, etc. What words are those?

Today's leaders use the verb "say" more often than "do”. Just the opposite occurs in the case of future leaders (the youngest), who have a greater predisposition to action. The latter are also more likely to use adjectives related to the collective and the common good such as "global", "educational" or "climate". In their speeches, they resort to concepts such as "family", "team", "support" or "people" and to verbs related to cooperation such as "share" or "participate". Another characteristic of these leaders is the use of terms related to digitization. They also use 45% more emotional words in their speeches compared to current leaders.
 

 Five keys to communicating in times of a pandemic

Conveying is not just saying words

Once we know the trends that will most likely mark the speeches of the new leaders, it should be noted that words are only words when there is no effective communication. That is, leaders will not have real influence just by using certain words in their speeches.

There are many aspects that influence how well a person can communicate and, therefore, their ability to exercise real and inspiring leadership. Below we collect some keys that can help improve communication, especially in the current context of the pandemic:

  • Goodbye ego: Communication is a two-way street. When there is only a sender and a receiver and the roles are never exchanged, the message ends up fading away. Good communicators are capable of listening carefully to their interlocutors, enriching their speech with contributions, being able to change and to adapt their messages to their audience. Humbleness is essential to achieve this goal. On the other hand, giving importance to what others have to say may help leaders improve their strategy and adapt to the new scenario.

 

  • Do not make closed messages: Good communicators need good argumentation and knowing well what they are talking about. Otherwise, in the course of a conversation, they may end up losing their credibility. Leaders do not have to change messages, but rather pay attention to what surrounds them. They need to be prepared to respond and react to unforeseen events and to adapt to changes. In this way, they will be more prepared to lead in an uncertain and changing scenario.

 

  • Details really matter: gestures, tone and manners are not a minor issue, especially now that communication is often online. Good leaders must know when to speak in public or privately, understand when a situation may be sensitive to an employee and be acutely aware of the impact of their tone and words when conveying something important. They can work on all of this from empathy, by putting themselves in their coworkers’ shoes.

 

  • Attention to hidden messages: Another key skill of a good leader is discernment. It is an important skill for team management, but also when it comes to building a relationship with clients, suppliers, partners, etc. Leaders have to be able to interpret the information they receive both explicitly and the one that is hidden between the lines. How to know it? Empathy helps a lot. As does the ability to observe as well as self-knowledge and self-awareness. In this VUCA context, leaders have to be more intuitive than ever and be prepared for change.

 

  • Leading by example: Leaders can make great speeches, with solid arguments, providing new perspectives and taking into account the emotions of their interlocutors and yet not succeeding in convincing their audience. This usually happens when leaders lack credibility. They are role models, so their actions are observed, analyzed and contrasted with their speeches. Conveying is more than saying. To inspire, they also have to be consistent and honest. In turbulent times, this premise is even more important.

 

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