{"id":20,"date":"2011-02-19T10:48:18","date_gmt":"2011-02-19T18:48:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/encouragement.com\/blog\/?p=20"},"modified":"2011-02-19T10:48:18","modified_gmt":"2011-02-19T18:48:18","slug":"the-big-voice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/encouragement.com\/wordpress\/?p=20","title":{"rendered":"The Big Voice."},"content":{"rendered":"

In an encounter with an Iraq veteran, the soldier mentioned his tent was located right beneath the \u201cbig voice.\u201d I took this to mean a loudspeaker, because he said the frequency of announcements made it extremely hard to get a restful sleep. Night and day it blared its messages, broadcasting them far and wide.<\/p>\n

No trouble finding the voice in that camp.<\/p>\n

The upside \u2013 constant communication kept people awake, aware, and informed \u2026 probably safer as well. The downside \u2013 people don\u2019t work well if they can\u2019t get some sleep. Keeping a balance of enough information, with enough time to let it sink in, would be a reasonable goal. This place seemed to have too much of a good thing.<\/p>\n

I guess it shows it\u2019s possible to over-communicate, but that seems to be an exception, not the rule. All of the employee surveys I\u2019ve ever read say that people want more information, not less. Even where leaders have focused on increasing the frequency and depth of their messages, workers regularly report they\u2019re not getting enough information.<\/p>\n

There is a widespread hunger to be in-the-know.<\/p>\n

Where this intersects with leadership is that it\u2019s your responsibility to measure the \u2018informed-ness\u2019 of your employees. Not only the quantity of information they\u2019re getting, but the quality, as well. The only way they can truly follow is when the path forward is well laid out, described in detail, and put out there. Please don\u2019t confuse long speeches with saying something. Learn how to communicate directly, without the superfluous.<\/p>\n

For some people, especially those more introverted, or shy, communication is difficult. Finding their voice may be a bit more challenging \u2026 but not impossible. People respond when you speak from the heart, with the intention to inform them, not impress them. You don\u2019t need eloquent phrases \u2026 you need eloquent clarity. I saw a recent survey suggesting that high performing, proactive teams may actually be better served by introverted leaders. Would that mean that lower performing, less proactive teams may need a leader that\u2019s a little more \u2018out there\u2019 in terms of his\/her presence? Can\u2019t say for sure, but it\u2019s important to develop your \u2018big voice,\u2019 not in terms of volume, but in terms of the confidence you have in what you say, and the number of channels in which you project it.<\/p>\n

Captain Michael Abrashoff, in taking command of the U.S.S. Benfold, developed a \u2018big voice\u2019 by making constant, off-the-cuff announcements to his crew about something he just learned (most times from a crewmember) and that from now on that\u2019s how things will be done. He took the time to meet and interview every member of the crew (over 300 men and women). He regularly spent time on the crew decks during meals too meet and connect with them. He often brought high-profile, senior leaders into contact with his crew. He gave the crew\u2019s spokesman a seat-at-the-table during the formal leadership meetings. The \u2018big voice\u2019 in this situation was not only the words he used, but the regular interactions he facilitated. He gave relatively inexperienced sailors big responsibilities \u2026 and backed them up when they made mistakes. He trained, and trained, and trained them. Credibility was an outcome. So was performance. The U.S.S. Benfold became the \u201cbest darn ship in the Navy.\u201d (\u2018It\u2019s Your Ship,\u2019 book authored by Captain Michael Abrashoff).<\/p>\n

So speak with the intent to connect. It\u2019s not just information. It\u2019s a relationship.<\/p>\n

It will take some work, but your voice can grow. Give up control. Gain command. Go big.<\/p>\n

\u2013\u00a0 Jerry<\/p>\n

For more information about our leadership development programs, please visit www.JerryStrom.com<\/a>. Subscribers receive notice of new articles automatically (see the \u2018Register\u2019\u00a0link in the right hand column).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In an encounter with an Iraq veteran, the soldier mentioned his tent was located right beneath the \u201cbig voice.\u201d I took this to mean a loudspeaker, because he said the frequency of announcements made it extremely hard to get a … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-leadership-articles"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Big Voice. - Encouragement for Leaders<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/encouragement.com\/wordpress\/?p=20\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Big Voice. - 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