Talk Much?

Undermining your presence with too much noise.

Dear Leader,

When we met for our 1 on 1, your supervisor abruptly interrupted us. He had reached out to a customer to follow up, but was pressed about a more recent order that you had taken. Putting his phone on mute, he was on the spot and needed a lifeline. You thoroughly explained the situation, the iterations, the late delivery, the negotiation on price. He thanked you and hurried back to the phone.

You feel that you are being thorough, but the truth is, you are over explaining. You feel that the lengthy explanation was justified. "He needed the context." "There is more to the situation."

The truth is that you were anticipating what might later become a reprimand. You could already hear it "This is our most important customer!" You wanted to avoid the accusations of moving too slowly or not paying enough attention to this customer.

You are attempting to communicate the landscape, a full picture. What is heard are excuses for a lack of progress. Saying too much is undermining your authority, sowing doubt. You appear unsure. And, generally, you are unsure, hedging. And, while this example is about the boss, it happens with the team too. Don't worry, it's not just you. 🙂

In the military, there is a saying. Bottom Line Up Front. Let's remember it as BLUF. Essentially this means that your final sentence, summing up your report should be placed at the beginning of your communication. And everything else? Should be dropped.

The second concept is that your report should not prompt more questions. It should answer the question thoroughly and satisfy the need of the requester. This may take some practice. Start tuning this skill by taking a breath before you answer.

In our situation, there was only one thing the boss cared about. That this customer's order was being actively attended. In this example, the correct answer was "Their order will be completed today" along with a touch to a copy of the order on your desk. That's it.

This behavior can feel dismissive and curt, maybe even disrespectful. But what you will find is that your ability to quickly and concisely answer questions instills confidence in all with whom you interact. Avoiding unimportant detail. People can move on quickly. Less to interpret and less opportunity for misunderstanding. Progress retains it's rightful place at the center.

Park Wiker

P.S. Let silence be your goal for the most part; say only what is necessary, and be brief about it. - Epictetus

This is part of the Letters to Leaders series available on 
Substack in written form and audio: wiker.substack.com 

Podcast on Apple, Spotify and Youtube Podcasts as "Letters to Leaders"