Ronny Zaman: The Importance of Effective Communication in Business Leadership

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As chairman of Anowara Pharmaceuticals, Anowara Construction Ltd and Gas One, Ronny Zaman has amassed an impressive portfolio of businesses spanning various market sectors. This article will look at business communications and its role unifying teams around a shared purpose,  motivating employees through the clear communication of a business vision and the steps necessary to achieve it.

Kristen Getchell is an associate professor of business communications at Babson College. She highlights the importance of clear communication in creating a sense of purpose and belonging among team members, ensuring that all employees feel valued and integral to collective success. As Ms Getchell points out, the best leaders help people to see the future and make that future concrete. In addition, they also help people to understand how the team will reach that future, underscoring the importance of each member’s role in collective achievements.

Great communicators are active listeners who pay heed not only to words but also to non-verbal context and cues. Active listening is a skill that involves interpreting not only what is being said but how it is being said, considering the conversation’s broader context.

Clear communication requires clarity, avoiding jargon to ensure messages are understood without ambiguity. Great communicators demonstrate integrity, building credibility and trust, as well as empathy, enabling them to connect with other individuals on an emotional level, fostering understanding.

Another crucial component is adaptability, enabling the communicator to tailor their communication methods to the unique preferences of their audience, inviting constructive feedback and adjusting their communication style based on audience and context.

Where businesses fail to implement change in response to feedback, employees lose faith in their ability to follow through. Inviting feedback and acting on it not only helps leaders to grow their skills but also instils trust among employees, letting them know they are heard, their perspective is valued and the business is serious about improving.

In a survey conducted by the American Management Association, over a third of participants said that they ‘hardly ever’ knew what was going on within their own organisation. In terms of breaking down communication barriers, transparency can go a very long way. By speaking openly about a company’s opportunities, challenges and goals, business leaders build trust among teams, fostering an environment where all employees feel empowered to collaborate and share their ideas. Simply acknowledging mistakes and encouraging experimentation can go a long way towards creating a safe environment for active problem solving.

When communicating with teams, it is vital for leaders to speak in specifics, defining the desired result of a strategic initiative or project and setting clear objectives to be achieved by the end of each milestone. Where goals are not being met, leaders should try simplifying their message further or asking employees how they can provide additional clarity or help. The clearer leadership is, the less confusion will arise around priorities, ensuring that every employee knows what they are working towards – thereby helping them to feel more engaged in the process.

One particularly effective means of gauging employees’ thoughts, motivations and goals is asking open-ended questions. The Currence Group President Jennifer Currence advocates use of the TED acronym:

·       Tell me more

·       Explain what you mean

·       Define that term or concept

Ranked as one of the most sought-after leadership skills for success, empathy helps business leaders to better understand and acknowledge the experiences and feelings of employees, making them feel more heard and valued. In a recent Businessolver study, 96% of respondents agreed that it was important for their employers to demonstrate empathy, yet 92% said it remained undervalued. For businesses to improve communication and build stronger, more productive teams, empathy must be a priority.