Communication is the Responsibility of Leadership

Communication isn't someone else's responsibility, it's yours. As the leader, the buck stops with you. Embrace communication as an important part of your job and understand that poor communication in the company overall is ultimately on you.

Be Accountable for Communication with Your Employees

Whether it’s in your detailed job description or not, leaders at every level of an organization have an important and specific role to connect the dots between the big picture and what it means for employees. No one is more influential than you, the leader.

• Seek out and provide context for organizational information. Your job is to help teams and individuals make sense of what they read and hear
• Make information relevant so every employee knows how he or she fits in, and the valued role each has
• Provide job-related information so your team receives essential information that helps them do their jobs even more effectively and efficiently
• Provide information and inspiration, which could include feedback on individual performance, recognition of achievements, celebration, and so on

Many leaders underestimate the power they have and empowerment they can provide by how they lead and the accountability they take.

In what ways do you show accountability for the communications in your organization?

—David Grossman

To communicate well, you must plan your communication—whether it's to a colleague, your team or company-wide. Click the image below to download your copy of this free communication planning tool—Take 5™ Planning Template—to help plan your communication in as little as 5 minutes.