Communication Skills
Communication skills are two-fold: effectively listening to others and effectively sharing your views. A good leader must listen, communicate, and connect with their followers. I have always been able to voice my opinions; because of that I know the value of being heard and strive to listen to others. While at the Bush School, I have expanded my understanding of communication basics, and I know I have greatly improved my personal communication skills; focusing on brevity and clarity, in-person communication, and empathy and respect.
"The art of communication is the language of leadership"
- James Humes
Listening
Leaders must be mindful of and listen to individual needs, opinions, and desires in order to effectively inspire, impact, and improve relationships with their followers. While pursuing my undergraduate degree I had the honor of hosting an event & presentation with Darius Gray—a founding member of The Genesis Group. Through a series of fortunate events, I was the only student among numerous professors at a luncheon with Mr. Gray. I was thrilled because I had read Mr. Gray's biography, seen his video, and was in awe of his life's work. Everyone was asking Mr. Gray questions, but eventually he stopped and turned to me saying, "Now, do you have a question for me?" I definitely did! The one thing I wanted to know was, with all his activism and efforts, what was he most proud of in his entire life? He smiled and gave an inspirational response. Immediately after his response a few professors asked me in a demeaning way if I even knew who Mr. Gray was. I was quite shocked, especially since none of them had tried to respond to my questions or comments during the entire luncheon. In fact, no one at the lunch table paid any attention to me or listened to my comments except for Mr. Gray. After lunch, all the professors surrounded Mr. Gray requesting photos. I held back waiting for him to finish (I was in charge of taking him back to his car) when he motioned to me to come take a photo with him. I was so touched that he took the time to notice me, ask me questions, and focus on me although I was only a student. I learned more about listening from Mr. Darius Gray over lunch than I did from any courses I took in my undergraduate education. I will never forget the fact that Mr. Gray recognized that each individual matters by focusing on and listening to what I had to say.
Communication
To communicate effectively one must have brevity and clarity, focus on in-person communication, and have empathy and respect. I have expanded and improved my communication skills in these three areas during my time at the Bush School.
When I meet with colleagues, professors, or Bush School staff, I work to make my questions and comments succinct and brief, while maintaining clarity and content. One professor taught that every single word counted in writing a paper. I adapted this to making every word count in any conversation. In order to accomplish a brief and succinct conversation and to emphasize my points, I discovered that in-person communication works best. My process is to email and ask the person if I could meet with them. Before meeting, I prepare my questions and comments, often writing them down for further clarity and to save time. Finally, when focusing on communication, I try to be empathetic to other’s points of view. Some conversations with potential for push-back require additional time predicting the point of view of the other person. During the conversation, I find that I need to be aware of my responses and my tone in replying, especially where confusion or anger could deteriorate the conversation quickly. I focus on putting myself in the other person’s shoes before making a judgment.Too often breakdowns in communication are because of a lack of understanding and respect. Taking the time to think of the other person's situation fosters inclusion and understanding.