What We Got Here is a Failure to Communicate
Last week I waited forty-five minutes at a “quick” oil change station. So much for quick. During that forty-five minutes, I observed four employees. Two of whom were doing what I’ll describe as nothing. As evidence, the car in front of me sat unattended for ten minutes AFTER the traditional new-oil, dip-stick display. No action and no indication of action from anyone. What is happening, I wondered. With no evident answer to that question and no indication of how long I might need to wait, I gave up, and drove away without getting service.
Later that same day, I visited another oil service station. Here again I was in-line behind another car. Yet the experience was so different. As I waited, I heard the technician calling off checks--”Clear on one,” “Air filter housing secure,” “Dip stick secure,” “Skid plates checked.”
I waited as the team completed service on the car ahead. Yet my waiting was different. I knew something was happening. I saw and heard action. It was reassuring to know that progress was occurring; work was being done; results were on the way. And I was content to wait. Which I did until I was waved into the service bay, listened for the instructions, heard the work done, and got my oil changed. I’ll be back again in about five thousand miles.
Two very different experiences; two different results.
Why? Communication? Yes, but more precisely their communication and my expectations. The first service center may have been very competent in their work. My expectation was that I would see that competence. They didn’t communicate it. The second station? I expected it and I saw it.
So why does this matter? It demonstrates a key element of leadership: understanding expectations. But it’s hard to know what someone expects, right? No, actually, it’s not. You just need to ask. You may think you’re communicating one thing (by your behavior or words; or non-behavior or non-words) but something else entirely may be interpreted. How can you avoid this gap? Ask yourself:
What needs visibility? (Do I need to show progress or just outcomes?)
Who needs to know--up, down, and outside the organization? (Who cares about this?)
How frequently do they need to know the status? (Should I push information or wait to be asked?)
What is the best means to communicate 1 & 2? (Does our organization have tools? Does an email update work? Does my boss hate texts? etc.)
How will you know if the information is not just “sent” (or even received) but understood? (Ask for feedback in the form of open ended questions: “Does this work?” “What more do you need to know?”)
Execute what you learned. Repeat.
We’re all guilty of sending that email update and assuming “everyone understands.” Often it is not the case. And it can lead to more than just misunderstanding. Poor communication leads to missed accountability, which leads to misalignment, which ultimately means failed results. Each organization has its own communication culture and affinity for or aversion to reports or checklists. You don’t always need to show how the oil is changed. But you need to show that it will get done. Or another oil change station will.
Notes:
Title reference: Cool Hand Luke (book and movie)
Find more insights on the Forty-Two Consulting “Thinking Out Loud” blog
