Communication Archives - All the Way Leadership Blog

The worst mistake a leader can make on a video call

Wow – the COVID crisis continues with no clear end in sight. I am spending more time in the office these days, but that may soon come to an end if the number of COVID cases continues to rise. I will likely be spending even more hours on video calls, like many leaders. Today I am going to talk about the worst mistake that a leader can make on a video call. Don’t do this.

No – it is not the mute button

Some of you think I am going to say that misusing the mute button is the worst mistake you can make as a leader during a video call. Talking while on mute is a mistake, but it is really not a big deal. All you have to do is come off mute and repeat what you said while muted. Saying something stupid without the mute button on can be bad, really bad. But, I believe most leaders are smarter than that and will not fall into that trap.

The most common major mistake leaders make on video calls

Looking bad on camera is the worst mistake you can make as a leader during a video call. Like many of you, I have participated in hundreds of video calls this year. I am amazed at how many leaders show up on the call looking bad, really bad in some cases. It makes me wonder if they thought at all about what others would see when they turned on their camera. I believe is it better to keep your camera off than it is to show up looking like you just rolled out of bed. Your team deserves better than that. There are several problems that cause a leader to look bad on camera.

Yes – wear pants during your video calls.

Problem #1 – Awkward camera angles

Let’s start with your camera. Have you positioned it well? Or does your team get to experience seeing you at awkward angles? Below is a short list of the most common camera angles mistakes:

Too far away – you look tiny in the frame.
Way too close – everyone gets to see all the wrinkles on your face.
Too low – your team gets to see if you groomed your nostrils.
Not centered – you are in the frame, but nowhere near the center.
Side angle – people prefer to see your face, not the side of your head.

This video goes much deeper about this topic.

Problem #2 – Distracting background

Besides your smiling face, what else does your team get to see during your video calls? What kind of background is behind you that will show up on camera? I highly recommend you use a custom background if you can. Both Zoom and Microsoft Teams allow you to do this. This functionality not only looks better, but it also hides what is going on behind you. Trust me – this cloaking can prevent gaffes if someone shows up unexpectedly behind you. If you cannot use a custom background spend a little time making sure that your home office is not distracting to others. I am not an interior decorator, so I don’t have an expert opinion. In general, less seems better to me. Yes – it is okay to select a custom background that matches who you are.

I use a UVA background some days since it is my alma mater.

Problem #3 – Improper lighting

Lighting can be tricky. Too much light and you look like a ghost. Not enough light and no one can see you. I recommend investing some time and money into configuring your office so that the lighting works well for you. I actually invested in a ring light kit. It costs less than $100. I felt a little silly when I bought it, but I thought it was worth trying out. It makes a big difference. I use the light for all my video calls that I take from home nowadays. It works really well and is both portable and adjustable.

I use this lighting system for my video calls.

Problem #4 – Poor audio quality

It is completely annoying when you cannot hear clearly what someone is saying during a video call. Poor audio quality is usually due to a bad connection or lackluster equipment. Once again, I recommend spending a little money to make sure your audio quality is good. I am a big fan of using headphones for video calls. I bought a Bose pair of noise-canceling headphones that I wear for all my calls. They were expensive but well worth the investment. A good microphone will also do the trick.

These headphones work well for my video calls.

Problem #5 – Improper choice of attire

I am not here to be your fashion advisor. Rather I recommend that you show up on your video calls dressed appropriately for the setting, and in line with your organization’s culture. Of course, what is appropriate will vary greatly. When in doubt be conservative. If you want to be taken seriously dress the part – don’t show up in a hoodie and baseball cap. For heaven’s sake – don’t show up in a robe or your pajamas to a business call. Remember – your customers will get a visual impression based on how you dress. I have been surprised by how informal some people are on camera. Lastly, I recommend you dress your age. No one wants to see someone like me trying to act like I am back in my 20s.

This article includes some good tips regarding attire for calls.

Fix this mistake before worrying about others

Sure – there are many other problems a leader may experience on a video call. Those don’t matter much until after you tackle this one. Trust me – no one will remember if you accidentally talked while on mute. But, they will remember if you showed up looking bad, wondering what in the world happened to you that day. Avoid making this easily fixed mistake.

First impressions matter. Experts say we size up new people in somewhere between 30 seconds and two minutes.
Elliott Abrams

What about you?

How are you showing up on camera these days? If you are looking good – keep it up. If not, do the work required. I know it sounds trivial. However, it is worth investing a little time to show up strong. After all, you used to do this every day before COVID when we worked in offices. Why stop now? Remember the camera captures everything, and so will your team members.

Dress the part – don’t be too informal.

ATW! is designed to make you a better leader

I hope you join me on this journey to raise up the next generation of leaders. The world is in desperate need of more great leaders. Women and men who lead with confidence, clarity, and creativity. It’s time to become the leader that your world needs. Let’s go All The Way!

All The Way Leadership!

How to avoid confusion during your next video call

This month I will share another tactical tip to avoid utter confusion during your next video call – facilitation. If it is your meeting – actively facilitate the call. Don’t expect the participants to know what to do during your calls.

Many are working from home due to COVID-19.

Communicating effectively on-camera is challenging for groups

In case you did not read the last two blogs or watch the videos let’s start with the hard truth first – it is challenging to communicate effectively on-camera, especially in group settings. Three common scenarios happen during many video meetings that can create communication challenges.

Awkward: someone said something completely inappropriate (e.g., yelled at their kids) that everyone heard. What do you do next?
Boredom: no one is talking because they are distracted and not paying attention. Hard to get stuff done if everyone is zoned out.
Confusion: multiple people talking at the same time. Hard to hear much less understand what is being said when this happens.

Many participants can lead to confusion during a video call.

What can you do to improve your performance during video conference calls?

I already shared the most practical tip I can give you to be better on-camera is to turn on your camera as much as possible. I did my best to convince you that the mute button is your friend, and will help you avoid awkward gaffes. Last month I shared the third tip – have a purpose and agenda for your call. This month I will discuss the importance of facilitating your calls so that they do not devolve into confusion. Facilitation is a common technique to maximize participation for in-person meetings. Use it on your video calls for the same reason.

You will not see meetings like this in the near future.

Video calls are harder to start than standard conference calls

I believe it is more difficult to start a video call than a standard teleconference call. For a voice-only conference call, you can normally bring everyone onto the line at the same time. Most platforms will usually give an audio indicator (e.g., beeps) when a participant joins. It is easy to kick-off by simply announcing your name and beginning the meeting. The first few minutes of a video call can be confusing. Participants usually join at different times. Some of them will use their cameras, others won’t. Some may announce their presence or say hello when they join. Others will say nothing at all. It is rare that everyone is ready to go right away. If it is your meeting – start facilitating when you join. Let everyone know when you will start the conversation and then announce that it is time to begin. Given the current COVID crisis I think it is okay to let participants banter a bit before you begin. Some of them will be happy to see others on the video.

You will need to wait for others if you are first to join the call.

Start your video call on a strong note to avoid confusion

Kick-off your call by explaining the purpose to everyone. As I wrote about last month never host a meeting that has no purpose. Be a strong leader who begins the call by explaining the purpose clearly and succinctly. Everyone on the call will appreciate giving them a clue about what will happen during the meeting. This tactic is particularly appropriate for one-off video discussions. If the participants do not meet on a regular basis, it is your job as the leader to explain why the meeting was scheduled and what you hope to achieve during the call. No need to spend ten minutes explaining the purpose – a simple explanation will do.

Start your session by stating the purpose.

Facilitate the call so that others can follow along

If it is your meeting, facilitate the video call so that others can follow along. At a minimum let everyone know the agenda, and general flow that you expect during the call. Guide the discussion to ensure that all the topics on the agenda are covered and you get the right amount of input from the participants. Don’t expect others to know the right time to chime in. If you are using slides for the discussion pause at the appropriate time to let others make comments, ask questions, and provide their feedback. Your calls will get boring real quick if one presenter drones on and one while others struggle to pay attention. Monitor your audience to recognize when they want to contribute to the meeting. Participants may not feel comfortable talking so you may need to ask them for their input. This challenge is particularly true for video calls with many participants.

Video calls with a lot of participants are challenging to facilitate.

Consider the number of call participants when facilitating

Bottom line – the larger the number of participants on your call the more challenging it is to facilitate. Plan accordingly. Anytime you have more than ten people on a call it may be difficult to guide a meaningful discussion. Three tactics to help with larger meetings. First, use verbal cues to let participants know when you want to hear from them. If you pause for input leave plenty of time for people to come off mute and talk. Sure the seconds of silence may seem awkward. But it is better to provide a pregnant pause than rush to the next topic. Second, avoid trying to pack too many agenda items into one meeting. It is really difficult to fly through a long agenda with a large group. Consider breaking the agenda into multiple meetings, or reduce the size of the audience if you want their participation. Third, leave a dedicated portion of the meeting for inputs from the audience. I have sat through many video calls that are scheduled for an hour and save practically no time for Q&A. For example, don’t let presenters talk for 55 minutes straight and then try to power through five minutes of questions. Instead, stop the presentation at 45 minutes and leave 15 minutes for interactive dialog. Trust me – your participants will appreciate it.

The chat function can help avoid confusion during discussion

Another technique to help facilitate video calls is to use the chat function that many modern collaboration tools provide. At first, I was skeptical of using live chat during a video call. Now I am a big fan. It is an effective way to add another communication channel without disturbing the meeting flow. Simply let everyone on the call know that you will be using the chat function during the session. Chat allows participants to chime in without interrupting a presenter or talking at the same time as others. They simply type their input for others to see. The chat function is also a clever way to facilitate Q&A during a presentation. Participants can type in their questions during the session. Others can sometimes answer the question without taking air time during the call. They simply respond to the chat.

You can share comments and links in the chat window.

Finish on time to prevent confusion at the end of the call

If your call goes longer than planned confusion may happen at the end. Most participants will not hang around if the meeting goes past its scheduled finish time. No – they will drop from the call and move onto their next activity. If several participants leave at the same time chaos may follow as you try to figure out who is still on the call. I don’t even consider it rude if someone drops from a call because it goes long. Avoid this scenario by being a better leader. End your call on time, or even early if you are done with the agenda. I cannot recall any time in my career when someone complained because a meeting was shorter than scheduled.

Participants will leave if your calls go long.

Last word of warning

Like many leaders, I have participated in hundreds of video calls during the last six months of the COVID crisis. Some of them were really productive, while others were a complete waste of time. The ones I enjoy the most start on time, have a clear purpose and agenda and are actively facilitated. The result is a meaningful dialog with the participants. Be the type of leader who hosts those kinds of video calls. Not the ones that are awful where everyone watches the clock hoping that the call will end soon. If your video conference calls are torture, participants will vote with their feet and stop showing up to your meetings. They have better things to do than watch you flounder on camera.

Peter Drucker was not a fan of meetings.

ATW! is designed to make you a better leader

All The Way Leadership!

A third practical tip for a successful video call – purpose and agenda

Millions of employees continue working from home, participating in a lot of video teleconference calls. To help you, I am going to share a third practical tip for a successful video call – have a clear purpose and agenda.

Many offices remain closed due to Coronavirus

Communicating effectively on-camera is challenging for groups

Awkward: someone said something completely inappropriate (e.g., yelled at their kids) that everyone heard. What do you do next?
Boredom: no one is talking because they are distracted and not paying attention. Hard to get stuff done if everyone is zoned out.
Confusion: multiple people talking at the same time. Hard to hear much less understand what is being said when this happens.

It is easy to get bored if the meeting has a lot of participants.

What can you do to improve your performance during video conference calls?

Many leaders, including myself, wonder how do I get better at video conference calls? The last thing that any of us want to do is look stupid in front of others. We can ill afford a meeting full of awkward moments. I already shared the most practical tip I can give you to be better on-camera is to turn on your camera as much as possible. Last month I did my best to convince you that the mute button is your friend. Now I will share a third practical tip – have a purpose and agenda for your call. It will help others stay engaged and avoid being easily distracted. Participants will notice the fact you thought about the purpose and flow of the call beforehand.

It is tough to sit through a meeting with no purpose.

Kick-off your call by explaining the purpose to everyone

Never host a meeting that has no purpose. Be a strong leader who begins the call by explaining the purpose clearly and succinctly. Everyone on the call will appreciate giving them a clue about what will happen during the meeting. This tactic is particularly appropriate for one-off video discussions. If the participants do not meet on a regular basis, it is your job as the leader to explain why the meeting was scheduled and what you hope to achieve during the call. No need to spend ten minutes explaining the purpose – a simple explanation will do.

Participants will drift if there is no clear purpose and agenda

Think about the last time you participated in a video call that did not have a clear purpose and agenda. At best, you probably spent the first part of the call trying to figure out what it was about. You were asking yourself a series of questions like – do I need to pay attention during this call, or can I multi-task? Will I need to talk at all during the call? When will it be over? What time is it? If these questions are entering your mind, you can bet that others are thinking about similar questions. Worst case – participants will get bored. Next thing you know – everyone is zoned out and nothing gets accomplished during the call. A complete waste of time.

Avoid boring participants during your meetings.

Send out the purpose and agenda beforehand if you can

Let’s get truly tactical. I recommend you send out the purpose and agenda before the video call if you can. It does not have to be complicated. Providing this information in advance helps participants decide if they should attend. Many people are super busy these days, juggling multiple calendars invites on a regular basis. They may need to skip your meeting if something higher priority conflicts with it. Give them enough preview material to make an informed decision. A best practice is to include the agenda in the calendar invite. Another technique is to attach a word document or PowerPoint slides to the invite. Yes – you read that right. Send out the slides before the meeting. Some of you are shaking your head right now, so let’s talk about using slides for meetings.

Include an agenda in your meeting invites – not like this one.

Guiding the agenda with slides may be appropriate

Many people hate PowerPoint. It is the bane of their existence. I understand their disdain for slides. With over thirty years of experience, I have created thousands of slides and seen probably a million or more. Some companies and organizations won’t even allow their employees to use slides. Not me – I am a fan. PowerPoint is a useful tool for meetings. I am not saying that because I work for Microsoft. Rather I truly believe it. Slides can help make many meetings more productive. If you put in the proper effort when pulling together slides for a meeting, then the group will benefit. If you throw something together willy nilly then all will suffer the dreaded disease known as death by PowerPoint. Avoid that trap.

A few cautions about using slides

Perhaps I opened up a can of worms by mentioning slides. My main recommendation when it comes to slides is to spend the appropriate amount of time to create compelling content. This post is not all about slides so I will stop there with best practices. Instead let me provide a few cautions when it comes to using slides for a meeting. Avoid these three major mistakes.

Too many slides – no one wants to sit through thirty slides for a thirty-minute meeting. Basic math – take the total number of minutes available and divide by three or two to calculate the number of slides to include.
Too many words – everyone can read faster than you can talk. Don’t include too many words on your slides. No one wants to read a book. Never ever read the slides to others. It is not kindergarten.
Worthless slides – if you are in doubt whether or not to include a slide, then get rid of it. Slides that do not communicate the point are worthless. Participants will not complain if you go light on the number of slides.

Your audience will spend too much time trying to read this paragraph instead of listening.

Be timely and follow the agenda when leading your video calls

Another tactic to consider is keeping track of the time as the call progresses. I highly recommend you do your best to start and finish your video calls on time. All the participants will appreciate it. Granted, company culture may dictate if you actually start meetings on time. Some organizations, like the military, are strict about being on time. While others are more casual. Adjust accordingly. Sometimes you may need to wait for important participants to join a call. This situation is not hard to manage – simply let everyone know you will start in a few minutes after others arrive.

Always be on time. It is a simple demonstration of discipline, good work habits, and most importantly respect for other people.
Anthony Bourdain

End on time, or early if you can

Having said that I have yet to encounter a professional organization that believes meetings should run long. In fact, the opposite is true. Most participants will not hang around if the meeting goes past its scheduled finish time. No – they will drop from the call and move onto their next activity. I don’t even consider it rude if someone drops from a call because it goes long. Avoid this scenario by being a better leader. End your call on time, or even early if you are done with the agenda. I cannot recall any time in my career when someone complained because a meeting was shorter than scheduled, or canceled because it was not needed.

Last words of warning

I want to share last one bit of advice. Invest some time and energy up front in your video calls to get the results you are seeking. Simply put – the better you are at leading video calls the better participation you will see. If there is no clear purpose, or agenda, participants will skip the session because they cannot tell if it is worth their time. Do your best to follow the agenda and stay on time. Otherwise, don’t be surprised if people avoid your video calls because they are chaos. This fact is especially true for long meetings. Don’t worry the more you practice the better you will get. Trust me.

A friendly reminder – people will avoid useless meetings.

ATW! is designed to make you a better leader

All The Way Leadership!

Another practical tip for a successful video call – the mute button

The global COVID crisis continues with no end in sight. It is becoming more important than ever that leaders communicate effectively during video calls and meetings. To help you, I am going to share another practical tip for a successful video call – the mute button.

Many businesses are still closed due to COVID.

Communicating effectively on-camera is challenging for groups

In case you did not read the last blog or watch the video let’s start with the hard truth first – it is challenging to communicate effectively on-camera, especially in group settings. Three common scenarios happen during many video meetings that can create communication challenges.

Awkward: someone said something completely inappropriate (e.g., yelled at their kids) that everyone heard. What do you do next?
Boredom: no one is talking because they are distracted and not paying attention. Hard to get stuff done if everyone is zoned out.
Confusion: multiple people talking at the same time. Hard to hear much less understand what is being said when this happens.

The bigger the meeting the more problems you will experience.

What can you do to improve your performance during video conference calls?

Many leaders, including myself, wonder how do I get better at video conference calls? The last thing that any of us want to do is look stupid in front of others. We can ill afford a meeting full of awkward moments. I already shared the most practical tip I can give you to be better on-camera is to turn on your camera as much as possible. Now I will provide another practical tip for a successful video conference call. There is an easy way for you to avoid awkward gaffes. I will convince you that the mute button is your friend. Simply put – better to be on mute than caught in an awkward “hot mike” moment. Trust me – you will thank me later.

Spend a lot of time on mute

The mute button is there for a reason. Don’t ignore it. Make the mute button your best friend during video conference calls. My main advice is to start every meeting on mute and remain in that mode until it is time for you to talk. When you are ready to make a brilliant comment of meaningful contribution to the meeting, go off mute, say your piece, and then return to mute. Don’t leave your microphone open. Mute it. Five simple steps to follow – listen, think, click, talk, and press. Here they are in order again:

Listen to the meeting while on mute.
Think about what you are going to say.
Click on the mute button to turn on your microphone.
Talk clearly and concisely into your microphone.
Press the mute button and keep listening.

Unmute when you are ready to talk.

Use the mute button to avoid embarrassing moments

If you spend a lot of time on video conference calls, you have most likely witnessed someone say something inappropriate that everyone on the call heard. Perhaps that has happened to you. It might be a minor misstep like answering another call or talking to someone else who is not part of the meeting. Let’s say one of your kids comes into your office to ask a question, and you answer with the mute button off. Everyone gets to hear the answer. Hopefully, it is something trivial like what is for dinner.

Kids can be a distraction during a video conference call.

It is difficult to recover from a major gaffe

A much worse scenario is if you or someone says something provocative that no one should hear. Dropping an “F-bomb”, or remarking that someone in the meeting is an idiot. or that what your boss just said is the stupidest idea you have ever heard are good examples of major gaffes. Each could lead to problems for you…really big problems. In fact, I know leaders who lost their jobs for saying something stupid for all to hear. They played with fire and got burned. Use the mute button to avoid embarrassing moments. No one can hear you if you are muted. Plain and simple solution.

Don’t drop an F-bomb. Everyone will remember it.

You can recover easily from the talking into the mute button

Some of you are still not convinced. You are thinking, but what if I forget to come off of mute when it is my turn to talk. If you are like me, you have probably spoken while still on mute many times before. We all do it at some point in time. No big deal. No one is perfect when it comes to video conference calls, and I don’t think meeting participants expect perfection. Once you realize your error – correct it. Simply apologize for being on mute and repeat what you said originally. Sure it may be somewhat annoying to other meeting participants. But, I would much rather deal with this situation than try to correct the previous example we just walked through.

It is easy to forget to unmute when on a call.

Help others who forget to click on the mute button

Sometimes other participants will forget to use the mute button appropriately. What should you do if someone else is trying to talk and he forgot to unmute? Help the person out. Simply say – I cannot hear you. You may be on mute. What about the opposite situation – they are talking about something inappropriate and should be on mute? Many video conference tools will let you mute a participant. In fact, Microsoft Teams allows you to mute anyone and everyone on the call, even at the same time if you need to. Sounds extreme – I know. However, this functionality may be useful when starting a large meeting, everyone is chatting, and you are not sure how to get their attention. Trust me – they will recognize it is time to pay attention when you mute another user. I know because it has happened to me before.

You may have to mute other participants if they are not paying attention.

Last words of warning

It is worth noting that you should check every now and then during a long meeting to make sure you are still on mute. The worst thing that can happen is that you press the unmute button without knowing it and say something stupid. The scenario may not sound likely, but I have heard it happen many times. Remember – everyone will hear it, and you cannot “erase the tapes’. My last words of warning are to treat your microphone like it is always on, even after you hit the mute button. The most prudent method for avoiding a “hot mike” situation is to not say anything inappropriate ever while you are on a video conference call. Stay silent. It may save you all kinds of headaches down the road.

Microsoft Team allows you to mute and unmute participants as needed.

ATW! is designed to make you a better leader

All The Way Leadership!

The most practical tip to be better live, on-camera

Leaders are on camera a lot more these days. The global COVID crisis impacted practically every organization in the world. Most stores, offices, and other places of work closed their doors the past few months. Millions of employees are working from home these days and participating in a lot of video teleconference calls. As a result, many more leaders are spending hours on camera – talking with their teams, meeting with their customers, and engaging with their stakeholders. It is becoming more important than ever that leaders communicate effectively live, on-camera. If they do not, it could negatively impact their performance.

The COVID crisis is changing how leaders communicate.

Communicating effectively on-camera is challenging

Leaders, let’s face the hard truth upfront – it is challenging to communicate effectively on-camera. Three reasons explain why this mode of communication can be daunting for leaders. First, you must understand the technology. Technical difficulties will ruin your day if you are clueless. Second, others can see you up close, and personal. Some of us (I fall into this category) have a face for radio, not the camera. Third, it is easy to get distracted, especially if you are on a laptop computer or phone. Trust me – if you are distracted, you can bet others are as well.

Make sure you are proficient with the technology.

What can you do to improve your performance on-camera?

Many leaders, including myself, wonder what can I do to improve my performance on-camera? How do I get better at this critical communication skill? The last thing that any of us want to do is look stupid in front of others. We can ill afford a stumbling and bumbling performance. The simple solution to this challenge – practice. The most practical tip I can give you to be better live, on-camera is to turn on your camera as much as possible. Don’t hide from this challenge.

It takes twenty hours of practice on-camera to get proficient

According to Josh Kaufman’s TED talk (viewed over 20 million times) – it takes roughly twenty hours to learn anything new. Communicating live, on-camera is a brand new skill for many leaders. Before COVID – participating in teleconference calls was more the norm, than video teleconference calls. The new normal is here. I am convinced that from now on, leaders will be expected to communicate live, on-camera a lot more than in the past. It is a reality that we leaders all face. Take it head-on by turning on your camera as much as possible so that you can become comfortable communicating on-camera. Start practicing – it will take twenty hours.

People want to see their leaders

Some of you remain unconvinced. You are asking – why in the world should I turn on my camera? You are thinking – I am horrible at communicating via a video camera, and no one wants to see me. Dismiss those thoughts. People want to see their leaders, and you should want that kind of visual interaction with your team, other leaders, and stakeholders. Remember this, according to several studies, non-verbal communication is as important as verbal communication when engaging others. Body language and facial expressions alone can communicate how you feel about a topic.

The most important thing in communication is to hear what is not being said.
Peter Drucker, leadership expert and management guru

You will get better with practice

Turn your camera on as much as possible. Practice, practice, practice. Based on my own recent experience, you will get better over time. We all know leaders who are awful on-camera. They are nervous, and so is everyone else. It is difficult to watch, much less pay attention to a leader who cannot communicate well on camera. I bet you he does not practice and does not turn on his camera unless there is no alternative. Some of us are lucky enough to know leaders who are excellent on-camera. She communicates effectively with her stakeholders. Everyone enjoys participating in her meetings. The latter leader will have a distinct advantage over the former in the future. Be that kind of leader – you can do it.

Several leaders are standing out during the COVID crisis.

Don’t turn your camera on all of the time

Let me finish by pointing out that it is not always appropriate for you to turn on your camera. At times, it is prudent to avoid being “caught on camera” in an awkward situation. Three simple examples come to mind.

You are in a place full of visual distractions – if you are working from home with your kids or pets running wild nearby. Don’t turn on your camera, unless you want to risk an embarrassing situation.
You are driving – stay safe on the road. Keep your eyes on the road, not on your phone, or laptop. Don’t ever turn on your camera while you are in the car unless it is parked, or someone else is driving.
You are late to the meeting – no one walks into a normal meeting and deliberately causes a major disruption by bringing attention to themselves. Don’t make the same mistake by arriving late with your camera live. Instead, join and decide what makes the best sense.

Kids are cute, but not during important business meetings.

ATW! is designed to make you a better leader

Turn your camera on as much as possible.

All The Way Leadership!

More lessons learned for how to communicate clearly

I was running behind schedule. I hate being late, especially to my own meetings. A business lunch with a colleague took longer than expected. A horrible reason for being tardy. I ran to my car and dialed into the meeting. My entire team was on the line waiting for me to join. I apologized profusely for not showing up on time. I expect members of my leadership team to be punctual, and hold me to the same standard. My military experience factors into my leadership expectations. If you are not ten minutes early, then you are late is one of the many lessons learned from my military days.

Give the people you work with or deal with or have relationships with the respect to show up at the time you said you were going to. And by that I mean, every day, always and forever. Always be on time. It is a simple demonstration of discipline, good work habits, and most importantly respect for other people.
Anthony Bourdain

Things went from bad to worse

I gave my opening remarks to kick off the meeting. It took me longer than usual. My nerves were getting the best of me. “Let’s start” I finally said. Then I heard silence. No one spoke at all. I looked down at my phone and noticed that I was no longer connected. I was talking to no one. Damn – not my day. I dialed back into the meeting. By now we were running ten minutes behind schedule which is inexcusable. Once again, I apologized to my team. They could tell by the tension in my voice that I was frustrated.

Make sure your team can hear you on conference calls.

Learn from your mistakes to avoid repeating them

The first presenter jumped in right away to start the meeting. He did an excellent great job getting us back on track. The rest of the meeting went fine. Most of my team members forgot about my performance. I did not. I needed to learn from my stupid mistakes that day. With that thought in mind, I want to share more lessons learned for how to communicate more clearly. In case you missed it – the first lesson is simple. Show up on time. Don’t leave your team waiting impatiently for your arrival.

Lessons Learned #2 – Provide insights to your team about your communication style

As a leader, you have a certain communication style. All leaders do. I recommend that you provide insights to your team about your communication style. How do you prefer to interact with them? Let them know so that they are prepared. For example, I used to host a weekly leadership call every Friday morning. It was a virtual meeting. I would send out a slide packet beforehand. I used the slides to guide our discussion. It also provided information to anyone who could not make the meeting. They would send me an email letting me know they could not attend and review the charts on their own. The system seemed to work well for everyone.

Other leaders have their own communication style

My weekly meeting was short – only 30 minutes. Typically, I would talk for the first half, answer questions, and then we would go “around the horn” so that every team member was able to contribute to the conversation. My team knew the deal, and it worked well. Other leaders I know would never use slides for a team meeting. They hate slides. They prefer an open-ended conversation – which is fine. There is no right answer – you need to figure out what works best for you. Then, communicate it to your team.

Some leaders prefer no slides at meetings – just conversation.

Lessons Learned #3- Know your boss’ communication style

Your boss possesses a communication style. It is important that you know it. I worked for many leaders over the years, and they all had their own communication styles. It was particularly true when it came to receiving status updates. I worked for several who were fine with “drive-by” interactions. The ones where you simply show up and give a quick update without coordinating a meeting time in advance. Others closely followed their calendars. They only met and communicated at pre-arranged times. Once I gave a drive-by update to a boss who only met with others who were on her calendar. That was a mistake. One of the shortest, and worst meetings of my life. She kept looking at me like there was something wrong with me. There was. I didn’t understand her communication style. Stupid mistake on my part. I never did another drive-by with her.

A hallway conversation is sometimes the best way to catch up.

Lessons Learned #4 – Ask for feedback, especially on conference calls when you cannot see anyone

Conference calls are challenging, especially with large groups. If you are leading one make sure you ask for feedback from participants at appropriate times. The reason to ask for participants to chime in is a practical matter. You want to answer three basic questions.

Can they hear you? Perhaps you are on mute, have a bad connection, or dropped from the call. Easy to do, especially in your car.
Are they paying attention? It is easy to get distracted, or multi-task. The longer the meeting, the more important it is to ask for feedback.
Do they understand what you are saying? See if they have any questions or feedback to offer. Silence is not concurrence. It may be a sign your audience does not understand you.

Video conferencing is becoming the new normal.

Video teleconference calls (VTCs) are not much different than conference calls although there are a few more things to consider. I plan on discussing best practices and lessons learned for video teleconferencing in upcoming blogs. It is a timely topic given the current health crisis with many of us working from home these days.

Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something.
Plato

Bottom line – think before you open your mouth to speak

I love the quote from Plato. It is a great reminder that what you say as a leader is important. Your team and stakeholders are listening. Don’t disappoint them by saying something stupid. Don’t be a foolish leader. Instead, take the time to think about what you are going to say beforehand. Not after. When in doubt. Don’t say anything. It is usually better to hold your tongue than to insert your foot into your mouth. Trust me. I know from personal experience that your words can get you into trouble. Look around and you will see way too many leaders violating this principle.

He should have thought before speaking to the crew. It cost him dearly.

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How to communicate more clearly with your stakeholders

I logged into my laptop to check email. I noticed a recall message in my inbox. What did I do next? I read the note it referenced, of course. Everyone does. The only reason someone sends a recall message is that the email contains something that others should not see. I scrolled down until I found the faux pas. Wow – it was a doozy. Flaming your boss in an email is never a good idea. I predicted the sender would lose his job over this misstep. I was right. He was gone by the end of the week. He made a stupid mistake and paid the price. That leader did not understand how to communicate more clearly with his stakeholders, especially in email.

Tactical tips to communicate more clearly

All The Way Leadership! believes that clearly communicating is what strong leaders do. It is important that leaders ask whether they can clearly communicate with their stakeholders. In the last blog, I described powerful questions to better communicate with stakeholders. In this post, I am going to share some tactical tips (TTs) for ways to communicate more clearly with your stakeholders. Practical advice for new leaders.

Tactical tips are worth jotting down for future use.

TT#1 – Use a consistent pattern with your team to communicate more clearly

People like patterns. They help minimize the amount of thinking required to complete tasks. The first tactical tip for communicating more clearly is to use consistent patterns as much as possible. What does that mean? Make sure your meetings follow clear agendas. If you have any recurring meetings – follow the same flow for each one. For example, I led a proposal team a few years ago. Every morning I hosted a call with the team. We followed the same agenda and flow every single day. It helped keep all of us focused, and created efficient communication flows. We live in the age of distraction. It is hard enough already to pay attention in meetings or on a long conference call. Consistent patterns help your stakeholders know what to expect and minimize the brainpower they need to use for meaningful engagement.

Have a clear agenda for your team meetings.

TT#2 – Give your audience clear guidance about providing feedback

You need to know what your stakeholders think and how they feel. It is critical that you get inputs from others in order to build consensus and move your team forward. Make sure you give your stakeholders clear guidance about how they can provide feedback. Pause during meetings to see if anyone has a question. If you sense your team does not understand something seek feedback. Call on team members by name if no one speaks up. They will respond. The bigger your audience the harder it is to gather feedback. If you do not want questions until the end, let your audience know. Make sure you save time for Q&A if you use that technique. I am not suggesting that there is one method that is the best for getting inputs. Rather, I am recommending that you think about how to ask for stakeholder feedback so that you get it.

Q&A is an effective way to get feedback.

TT#3 – To communicate more clearly less is usually better in emails

In the office, email is a necessary evil. I do not know any leader who truly enjoys spending hours writing and responding to email messages. But, it is still in wide use these days. I do not think it is going away anytime soon. Email can be an effective way to communicate with stakeholders. It can also result in big miscommunications. My main recommendation is to keep it short. Less is usually better. No one wants to read a really long email from their leader. No – they are going to scan it, at best. Spend some time writing a clear title to the message, and put the most important content in the beginning. BLUF – bottom line upfront. Many of your stakeholders will likely read your email on their phone which makes it even more important to keep it brief. Long messages are hard to read on a mobile device. Don’t be the kind of leader who confuses your stakeholders by droning on and on in an email. Get to the point if you want a response.

There are many Dilbert cartoons about email.

Warning – Emails get legs and can spread like wildfire

One final warning about email. Be careful what you say in email messages. Remember – you have almost no control over an email after hitting the send button. Don’t flame your boss, say bad things about others, or share a strongly worded dissenting opinion. Pick up the phone instead. Like the story I started this blog with – don’t be surprised if any controversial email you send gets legs and spreads like wildfire. I have seen this happen more times than I care to remember. And for heaven’s sake – don’t hit the recall button after you realize you made an error in judgment. Everyone is going to read the note if you use recall. I guarantee it. Instead, hope for the best, brace for impact and work on your resume.

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Powerful questions to better communicate with stakeholders

She started slowly. The first slide displayed on the screen. She spoke the opening lines of the presentation with strength and conviction. She was a powerful communicator. It was a conference room packed with her leadership team members. She was rolling out the biggest change initiative her team had ever seen. This was the moment to share the plan and build consensus with them. If she did not deliver a convincing presentation the new strategy would stall. She knew what was required. Next slide. Her tone and intensity increased. The energy in the room went up dramatically. She smiled at her key stakeholders knowing full well that the presentation was working. They clearly understood her vision.

Powerful communicators connect with their teams.

I am not a communications expert

All The Way Leadership! believes that clearly communicating is what strong leaders do. First, you should ask yourself the question, can you clearly communicate with your stakeholders? If the answer is no, then you have work to do. If the answer is yes, I recommend you still spend some time thinking about the best way to communicate clearly with your stakeholders. I am not a communication expert and do not pretend to be one. If you want to go deep into that topic find someone who is. Instead, I simply advise that all leaders ponder a few powerful questions to better communicate with their stakeholders. These Points to Ponder (PP) are found below.

Avoid making your team suffer through poor communications.

PP#1- How well do you know the person or stakeholders you are communicating with?

Most leaders communicate with different audiences throughout the day. The first point to ponder is how well do you know the person or stakeholders you are communicating with. Crucial conversations with someone you do not know well is a hard thing to do. Leading a meeting with your team who you interact with on a regular basis is much different than communicating bad news to your senior leadership team. Don’t be shocked if you end up communicating with stakeholders who do not know you at all. Prepare accordingly. Simply understanding the audience can make or break your ability to communicate clearly with your stakeholders.

An excellent resource for communication skills.

Powerful communicators tailor their message to the audience

Leaders who are powerful communicators tailor their message. They think about the setting in advance. If you are meeting with your team it is probably okay to be less formal and spend more time talking. When you are briefing senior leaders about a tough topic you will want to keep your communication succinct. Don’t muddy the waters by using too many words. If you only have a few minutes on the agenda, then take only a few minutes. Don’t expect more time. Weak communicators disregard the audience. They do not prepare ahead of time and say whatever pops into their minds. Don’t be like that. I have witnessed many leaders say something stupid simply because they did not tailor their message to the audience, nor prepare beforehand.

PP#2 – Do you get a response, inputs, or feedback from stakeholders?

Leaders need to know what their stakeholders think and how they feel about many topics. Do they understand your vision? Does the strategy make sense? What are their thoughts about the implementation plan? You will not receive a response or gather sufficient feedback from stakeholders if you do not ask for it. It is critical that you get inputs from others in order to build consensus and move your team forward. If all you do is broadcast when communicating and do not spend time listening to your stakeholders then you are doomed as a leader. No one likes a leader who does all the talking. Getting buy-in and ideas from others is critical for success.

Put down the megaphone and ask for feedback.

Powerful communicators know how to ask their stakeholders for feedback

Leaders who are powerful communicators know how to ask their stakeholders for feedback. They pause during meetings to see if anyone has a question. If they sense their stakeholders do not understand something a strong leader will seek feedback. Is this the right approach? Does it make sense? The bigger the audience the harder it is to gather feedback. Some stakeholders are reluctant to engage until you ask them, especially in a large group. In other situations, you may receive more questions than you have time to answer them. I am not suggesting that there is one method that is the best for getting inputs. Rather, I am recommending that you think about how to ask for stakeholder feedback beforehand. The best leaders I worked with over the years were masters at getting the thoughts, ideas, and feelings of their stakeholders.

Don’t expect all the feedback to be positive.

PP#3 – Is this interaction a normally planned activity?

The third point to ponder is whether or not the interaction is a normally planned activity like a regular team meeting. Or is it something different than the usual setting. Perhaps a once and done type situation. For example, it is normal for a leader to talk about performance with their team members on a regular basis. Perhaps you sit down monthly with every member of your team to talk about how they are doing. These interactions are different than sharing the results of an annual review with a team member or letting him know his annual salary increase. The preparation required for normal planned activities is much different than special events. Something to consider if you want to become a strong leader.

Some topics like salaries are sensitive.

Powerful communicators prepare accordingly for special events

Powerful communicators understand that special events require more preparation than normal. They invest the time and energy to make sure they are ready for action when it counts most. For example, I would spend a lot more time preparing for a briefing to my senior leadership team than I would a routine weekly meeting with my team. The senior leaders you work with may not see you in action that often. Make the most of the interaction by preparing so that you are at your best. The last thing you want is to choke in a high stakes situation. Your leadership reputation will suffer. Strong leaders are powerful communicators. They prepare for special events and deliver the goods. It is one of the traits that separates great leaders from good ones.

Public speaking makes many leaders nervous.

Take the time to ponder powerful questions to clearly communicate

Strong leaders understand the importance of clearly communicating and connecting with their stakeholders. They ask powerful questions to better communicate with their stakeholders. Powerful communicators ponder how well they know the audience. They get feedback from stakeholders and make the most of special situations. Be that kind of leader. Ask the right questions before you communicate with your stakeholders. They will help make you a powerful communicator, and stronger leader.

The art of communication is the language of leadership .
James Humes

ATW! is designed to make you a better leader

All The Way Leadership!

Can you clearly communicate with your stakeholders?

Have you ever worked for a leader who is a horrible communicator? No one trained him, and it showed. For example, I worked for one leader who did not know how to clearly communicate. He knew it, I knew it, everyone knew it. The organization put this leader in charge of a big change initiative. He floundered, and we all suffered while this leader struggled. He did not know how to clearly communicate. All his stakeholders were left in the dark wondering what was happening. As you might imagine – it was a painful experience for all of us.

Team meetings are torture with a leader who cannot communicate.

It is tough working for a leader who cannot clearly communicate

Another time I worked for a leader who was a daily disaster when it came to communications. He would speak at meetings, and everyone would cringe. No one was quite sure what in the world he was talking about, and neither was he. The organization ended up in complete chaos as a result of this leader’s inability to communicate and connect with his followers. At times he would explode in a meeting chastising his team for not doing things the way he wanted. Getting angry did not help the situation.

More volume does not fix bad communications.

The leader who replaced him was much better at communicating

Eventually, a new leader was put in place. This leader went to work right away fixing the communication problems plaguing the organization. She was an engaging speaker. She made sure all of her meetings had a clear agenda to include opening and closing comments that she prepared in advance. Her team understood what she wanted. Trust was restored. Performance improved rapidly. I watched in wonder as she turned around a bad situation in less than 90 days. It was a pleasure working for a leader who knew how to clearly communicate and connect with her followers.

The difference between mere management and leadership is communication.
Sir Winston Churchill

A novel framework for new leaders

All The Way Leadership! created a novel framework for new leaders. Fundamentally this framework communicates that it is vital for you to possess integrated integrity as a new leader. Having individual integrated integrity means that ‘who you are’ aligns with ‘what you say’ and ‘what you do’. If you do not demonstrate individual integrated integrity your team will not trust you, and your impact as a leader will be limited. ‘Who you are‘ was covered in previous posts. Now ‘what you say’ will be discussed.

All The Way Leadership! Individual Integrated Integrity Framework. ©2020

Three key components comprise ‘what you say’

All The Way Leadership! believes every leader needs to understand that ‘what you say’ is important. ‘What you say’ as a leader is comprised mainly of three key components – communicating with stakeholders, presenting your ideas, and engaging your team members. Communicating with stakeholders is the topic of this blog. It can be difficult to do, especially if you are a new leader. Also, many senior leaders have a diverse set of stakeholders that brings its own challenges. For now, let’s focus on a simple model for communicating with your stakeholders.

What training do your team members need? — Clearly communicating with your stakeholders is vital for success.

A tool to clearly communicate with your stakeholders

As a leader, it is important that you clearly communicate to your stakeholders. It sounds easy to do. It is not. The amount of miscommunication that occurs on a daily basis in most offices is enormous. Think about how many times this week you participated in a discussion that ended without a clear understanding of what you should do next. One tool to help you is a simple framework for thinking about the best method to communicate with your stakeholders. It is found below. Take some time to select the best method before communicating, not after the fact.

Not all communication channels are the same.

Selecting the best method to clearly communicate

All The Way Leadership! recommends that all leaders take the time to select the best method for communicating. Your stakeholders will thank you later. Four communication methods are found below.

Face to face (in person) – some topics should be discussed in person. This method is best for direct communication. Conduct all crucial conversations in person, if possible. It may be impossible to talk with someone in person. A video teleconference is another option, although it is not the same since you can not read body language.
Instant message – use this method for informal exchanges. It is especially effective if you need a quick answer to an easy question. IM is much more common as a workplace tool nowadays. I know some senior leaders who refuse to use IM. That is a mistake. Don’t be a dinosaur when it comes to IM.
Text message – basically this is IM on your phone. Use this method if you have an immediate need or want to provide a quick update. For example, I will text someone if I am going to be late for a meeting.
Phone (1 to 1) – use the phone for formal discussions that you cannot do in person. Some of your stakeholders may not like talking on the phone much. They may prefer IM. Let them know to answer when you call because it is usually important.

Two methods commonly used that cause the most problems

If you are a leader you are most likely participating in multiple group meetings and conference calls a day. You probably send and receive e-mails all day long. These two methods are effective but can cause problems if you are not thoughtful.

Conference calls – an efficient method for group discussions. Several modern productivity tools make it easy to get a group together for a virtual meeting. If it is your meeting – lead the discussion. Don’t let it devolve into a circus. The video below is funny, but also accurate about what can happen during a conference call. Be prepared.
E-mails – an effective method for both formal and informal communication with your stakeholders. It is a great way to loop others into a conversation and make virtual introductions. BTW – read your emails. How do you know what is happening if you have hundreds of unread emails? Don’t ignore your inbox and hope for the best.

This video is sadly accurate about conference calls.

Why selecting the proper method to clearly communicate matters

As a leader, you will participate in many different kinds of conversations. Some will be quick like getting a status update from one of your team members. Others will be more serious like sharing bad news with your boss. Take the time you need to select the proper method for clearly communicating with your stakeholders. For example, don’t talk about sensitive personal topics on a large conference call. Save that discussion for later when you can discuss the issue with the person directly. Trust me – selecting the proper method will save you many headaches. In the next blogs, I will share tactical tips and lessons learned about communicating with stakeholders.

Sensitive personal topis are best handled in person.

What about you?

Do you pay attention to ‘what you say’ as a leader? Have you taken the time to identify the best method for clearly communicating with your stakeholders? If not, make the investment now. If so, you will enjoy the next few blogs. We are going to explore how to clearly communicate with your stakeholders to include points to ponder, tactical tips and lessons learned.

Great leaders communicate and great communicators lead.
Simon Simek

ATW! is designed to make you a better leader

All The Way Leadership!

Clearly communicating is what strong leader do

Take a moment right now and think about a strong leader you know. Someone you truly enjoyed working for. Ask yourself a simple question about this leader. Did she clearly communicate to her stakeholders? I bet the answer is yes. Now think about a weak leader you know well. Someone you did not enjoy following. Ask yourself the same question. Did he clearly communicate with you and others? Your answer probably changed to no. It is difficult to follow someone who communicates poorly.

President Reagan was known for his effective communication.

Three hard truths about your personal integrity

All The Way Leadership! believes that integrity is a non-negotiable attribute for leaders. Simply put – if you do not demonstrate integrity your team will not trust you, and you are dead in the water as a leader. In a previous post, I advised that you never forget these three hard truths about your integrity

Your team is watching your every move – what will you do to build their trust?

A novel framework for new leaders

All The Way Leadership! created a novel framework for new leaders. Fundamentally this framework focuses on the fact that it is vital for you to possess integrated integrity as a new leader. Having individual integrated integrity means that ‘who you are’ aligns with ‘what you say’ and ‘what you do’. If you do not demonstrate individual integrated integrity your team will not trust you, and your impact as a leader will be limited. ‘Who you are‘ was covered in previous posts. Now ‘what you say’ will be discussed.

All The Way Leadership! Individual Integrated Integrity Framework. ©2019

A constant leadership challenge

Clearly communicating is a constant leadership challenge that requires attention. Strong leaders invest their energy and brainpower into clearly communicating with their followers. They do it in small ways like sending thoughtful emails, not just blasting off rapid responses that are confusing. And in big ways like properly preparing for meetings and presentations. No one ever enjoys suffering through an endless meeting that accomplishes nothing. Don’t be that kind of leader. Stakeholders will skip your meetings if you fall into this trap.

People expect their leaders to communicate with them

After spending decades in leadership positions you start to notice certain patterns. One that is readily apparent is that most people do not like being kept in the dark. They want to know what is going on. Make sure you share the big news of the day with your team. Talk about the top priorities and discuss what do you expect them to do. Your team members may not like everything you have to share with them, but they will appreciate the fact that you are keeping them in the loop. Team members trust leaders who clearly communicate with them on a consistent basis. Don’t be the kind of leader who puts on your headphones and ignores everyone in the office.

Headphone culture is affecting communication at workplaces.

A strong leader will communicate consistently

Leaders know that they should spend time communicating with their stakeholders. The real question is how much communication is necessary. All The Way Leadership! believes that the key to clearly communicating is consistency. Do you meet with your team on a regular basis? Is there a well-understood agenda that you actually follow? People prefer predictable patterns when it comes to meetings. Make meetings less painful for your team by thinking about the flow and format in advance. It is your job as the leader to facilitate your team meetings. Nothing will suck the energy out of a team meeting more than if you show up and ask “what are we here to talk about?”. You should know – it is your meeting.

Boring meetings drain morale and stifle innovation.

Make sure you stay synchronized with your boss

It is important that you and your boss are “on the same sheet of music”. Strong leaders make sure they are synchronized with their boss. How often do you meet with your boss to discuss priorities and your activities? I am not suggesting that there is a right answer regarding how often you need to communicate with your boss. In some situations, it may be daily. Rather I am suggesting that you think about it, and put a system in place to execute. For example, I meet with my boss on a weekly basis, at a minimum.

Consistent face-time with your boss is important.

It is hard to get your team to do what you want if you never clearly communicate it to them

This point seems like a no-brainer, but I will mention it anyway. Mainly because I used to fall into this leadership trap all the time. I would get frustrated with my team members when they did not do what I expected. Turns out the problem was me, not them. I never clearly communicated what needed to be done. Instead, I thought they knew the work and would do it without requiring direction. Basically, I was asking them to read my mind. Once I realized that the problem was my communication style I changed my approach. Performance improved. Having shared this pitfall, I need to mention another one. That is don’t become a micromanager.

Micromanagers are exhausting

Have you ever worked for a leader who is a micromanager? It is exhausting. Yes – it is important that leaders clearly communicate on a consistent basis with their stakeholders. Yes – you need to let your team know what work needs to be completed. No – you do not need to micromanage them. I witness two forms of micromanagement on a regular basis. The first is leaders and managers constantly checking the status of tasks that they assign team members. The second is leaders who always tell their team members how to perform every task. Both are bad. No one wants enjoys being pinged by their boss all day long, or being told what to do all the time. Don’t be that kind of leader.

High performing team members don't need to be micromanaged. — High performing team members don’t need to be micromanaged.

What about you?

Are you building trust with your followers by clearly communicating with them? Do you spend time with your team on a consistent basis discussing what work needs to be done? Do you meet with your boss to stay synchronized? If not, then you have work to do. Don’t worry – All The Way Leadership! is here. The next blog post will focus on a framework for methods to clearly communicate with your stakeholders.

Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something.
Plato

ATW! is designed to make you a better leader

All The Way Leadership!