Latest / Ignoring the Rules: Leadership That Actually Works / Speaking In Short Sentences

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Speaking In Short Sentences · Ignoring the Rules: Leadership That Actually Works

0:00
All right, let's be real. Too many managers love
0:04
to hear themselves talk, rambling on with vague
0:07
instructions that frequently leave everybody
0:10
guessing. That ends now. I'm diving into why
0:16
short, sharp sentences aren't just more efficient.
0:19
They're actually a game changer for your team.
0:22
Say goodbye to confusion and missed deadlines
0:25
and hello to clear, actionable direction. Hey,
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the following story is fictional because I need
0:54
to keep actual experiences confidential, but
0:57
it illustrates the key issues that I've seen
1:01
in a rise in getting projects done. And today
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I have a story of transformation and how one
1:08
project manager turned her communication struggles
1:11
into a recipe for success. So this is the story
1:18
of a project manager named Emma. A leader with
1:21
a talented team who found herself up against
1:24
a major unexpected obstacle, communication. And
1:29
now you might think that in a world where we've
1:31
connected 24 -7, more communication would solve
1:35
project problems. But as Emma discovered, this
1:39
wasn't the case. In fact, she learned the hard
1:42
way that more talking doesn't always lead to
1:44
more clarity. It sometimes leads to more confusion.
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Now, she was what you'd call a proactive communicator.
1:52
She led a sharp, talented team and believed that
1:56
frequent communication was the best way to stay
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on top of her projects. She'd send emails, hold
2:03
meetings, and check in with her team members
2:06
regularly and always kept everyone updated on
2:10
every detail. And this level of communication
2:13
was keeping the team aligned. But... Here's what
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Emma didn't get. While her intentions were fantastic,
2:23
her team was feeling overwhelmed and, ironically,
2:28
disconnected. Deadlines were missed, morale was
2:33
at an all -time low, and confusion just seemed
2:36
to be constant. The very communication that she
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thought would keep them on track was actually
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throwing them off balance. Her team didn't know
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how to tell her. that her approach was causing
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more harm than help, because they were afraid
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of creating tension or seeming ungrateful for
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all of her hard work. So there she was, leading
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a team that was highly skilled, but increasingly
3:02
stressed, not because of the work, but because
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they felt unsure of what was expected, and this
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uncertainty was eroding the confidence Emma worked
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so hard to build with her team. So, finally Emma
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decided it was time to call a meeting. A very
3:22
different kind of meeting. She gathered her team
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and asked them to be brutally honest about what
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was and what wasn't working in their approach.
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And let's be real about this. The feedback session
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was not easy for Emma. Listening to her team's
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honest perspectives felt like a wake -up call,
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sometimes felt like a slap. Her team shared that
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her instructions often came across as vague,
3:56
and the constant flow of updates and open -ended
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discussions made it hard for them to focus, and
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they even admitted that sometimes they left meetings
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more confused than when they went in. They needed
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clear, actionable direction. not just more information
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so emma realized that they didn't feel comfortable
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asking for clarification they felt embarrassed
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or worried that it would slow things down or
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make them look bad and as tough as this was for
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emma it actually was a pivotal moment so after
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that meeting and a lot of time spent sitting
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thinking she was determined to make a change.
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And she went back to the drawing board and did
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her homework on effective communication within
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Teams. And she learned that it wasn't about more
4:48
communication, but meaningful. So she tried something
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in the next meeting. She limited her updates
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to key points only and focused on setting clear
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actionable goals and instead of launching into
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open -ended discussions she provided concise
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instructions and allowed time at the end for
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questions and more importantly she emphasized
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that her door was always open for anyone who
5:19
needed more clarity no question was too small
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And that change did not go unnoticed. Her team
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felt the difference right away. They had a clearer
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picture of what was expected. They felt more
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confident about their roles, and they knew they
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could come to Emma if they needed guidance. Soon
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deadlines were starting to be met, and morale
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was starting to rise. Her team was re -energized,
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not because she was communicating less, but because
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she was communicating better. Her journey revealed
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the truth. Effective communication isn't about
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frequency. It's about clarity. So let's explore
6:01
how Emma took her team from confusion and frustration
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to confidence and success by putting their needs
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at the forefront. So after that feedback session,
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Emma took a long look at her approach. She had
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to go beyond clarifying her communication style.
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She had to make sure each of the team members
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felt secure, respected, and most importantly,
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successful in their roles because many employees
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don't feel good about themselves or their work.
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They're nervous. She started with something simple,
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but frequently overlooked, and that was listening.
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She scheduled one -on -one meetings with each
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team member to understand their individual needs,
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challenges, and even their career goals. And
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through these conversations, she learned a lot
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about what each person needed to feel successful.
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Some team members felt overwhelmed by the sheer
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volume of updates and meetings, while others
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were struggling to see how their individual tasks
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contributed to the larger goals. And her realization
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People don't just want to work. They want to
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know that their work matters. They want to feel
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a sense of purpose. They want to feel a sense
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of clarity. They want to feel a sense of confidence
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in their contributions. So Emma decided a new
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approach focused on four key principles. Clarity,
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purpose, recognition, and support. All right,
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let's talk about clarity. Emma's team had been
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dealing with vague instructions and constant
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open -ended discussions that left them feeling
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unsure. To address this, she started setting
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very specific, achievable goals for each team
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member. And those achievable goals are really
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critical. She avoided broad, complex objectives
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that could easily be misinterpreted. Instead,
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she broke down tasks into smaller, manageable
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steps. so that each person knew exactly what
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was expected of them and when it was due and
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how it fit into the bigger picture. But she didn't
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stop there. She knew that deadlines alone wouldn't
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bring success unless her team members felt secure
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in reaching out when they needed help. She began
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every task assignment by encouraging questions
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and emphasizing that she was available for any
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clarification, big or small. It took time, but
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eventually her team members began to trust that
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they could ask questions without fear of judgment.
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Secondly, she emphasized purpose. During her
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one -on -one sessions, she realized that some
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team members felt detached from the project's
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goals. They were completing their tasks, but
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they didn't see how their individual contributions
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were moving the project forward. She addressed
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this by what she called project alignment sessions.
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And in these sessions, she would walk her team
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through the project's objectives, showing them
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the roadmap from start to finish, explaining
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how each task was critical to the project's success.
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And she didn't just tell them what to do. She
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showed them why it mattered. These sessions had
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a powerful impact because suddenly her team could
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see themselves as integral to the project's success.
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They felt they weren't just doing work. They
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were contributing to something bigger. Their
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motivation surged. They started taking more initiative,
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suggesting ideas and improvements because they
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truly understood the project's mission. For the
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third principle that she was doing, recognition.
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Emma noticed that she'd often taken her team's
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hard work for granted. And sure, she thanked
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them in passing. But she hadn't realized the
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importance of celebrating wins, both big and
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small. And her team members were feeling undervalued
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and showed up in their morale. So Emma made a
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commitment to change this. She started holding
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weekly wins meetings every Friday, where she'd
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highlight individual accomplishments, from small
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progress on a difficult task to a major breakthrough.
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She'd give genuine, specific praise, letting
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each member know that their work was seen, appreciated,
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and crucial to the project's success. And this
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recognition had a huge ripple effect. Team members
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felt appreciated, and that appreciation transformed
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their work ethic. They became more enthusiastic,
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not just because they were getting acknowledgement,
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but because they felt valued, not just as workers,
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but as contributors. The last item was support.
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She wanted her team to feel they could rely on
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her and each other, especially when things got
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tough. Not if, but when they did. And she realized
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that open communication was far more important
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than just giving instructions. It meant fostering
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a culture where team members felt comfortable
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sharing their challenges and asking for help.
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So she implemented something called peer support
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rounds. Every week, team members would pair up
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to discuss any difficulties that they were facing
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and share advice. These rounds weren't about
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assigning blame or creating extra work. They
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were about building trust and reinforcing the
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idea that the team was a unified force working
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towards a shared goal. Now, to be honest, at
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first the team members were hesitant. Peer support
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felt strange in a culture that had always emphasized
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individual responsibility. But as Emma encouraged
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openness and vulnerability, team members started
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to see the benefits. They shared knowledge. They
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learned from each other's experiences. They became
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stronger together. And the team was no longer
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a group of individuals working in silos. They
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were a cohesive unit, fully committed to helping
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each other succeed. So through these four principles
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of clarity, purpose, recognition, and support,
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Emma transformed her project. Deadlines were
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beginning to get met. Productivity soared. But
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most importantly, her team felt empowered and
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motivated. They weren't just working anymore.
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They were thriving. Emma had done more than complete
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a project. She had built a culture where her
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team felt secure, appreciated, and successful.
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And so her journey shows us that true leadership
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isn't about controlling every aspect of a project
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or setting strict rules. It's about setting your
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team up for success. By giving them the tools,
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giving them the trust, and giving them the support
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that they need to flourish. When you create an
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environment where people feel valued and purposeful,
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success naturally follows. And so if you're a
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project manager listening today, or you want
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to be a project manager someday, if you want
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to achieve greatness, don't just focus on the
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tasks. Focus on the people. When you make the
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lives of your team members better, you'll find
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success comes with far less struggle. So, communication
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is the backbone of any successful organization.
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And as a manager, the way you communicate will
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greatly impact your team's performance and morale
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and overall success. And one of the most effective
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ways to ensure your message is clear and understood
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is to speak in short, simple sentences. Let's
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take a look at why that's so important. When
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you use short, simple sentences, you minimize
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the risk of misunderstandings. Complex language
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and long -winded explanations can confuse your
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team members, leading to mistakes and misaligned
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expectations. By keeping the communications clear
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and concise, you ensure everyone is on the same
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page. So, let's look at some examples here. Instead
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of saying we need to ensure that the project
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timeline is adhered to without any deviations,
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how about just stick to the project timeline?
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It's direct, easy to understand, and it leaves
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no room for misinterpretation. Also, establish
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clear... communication channels. Decide on the
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primary tools that you will use, whether it's
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Microsoft Teams or Slack or something else. Make
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sure we're all together on this. And it's a great
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way of tracking information. Then you set the
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clear expectations in clear, short sentences.
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And doing this from the outset is important.
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Outlining the roles and responsibilities and
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the deadlines for each team member. But not only
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giving this to them, but talk to them to make
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sure they understand what the tasks are and expect
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of them. But I want to warn you about something.
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Be very careful. Don't let it morph into micromanagement.
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You're here to help them, not to micromanage
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them. For instance, during your project kickoff
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meeting, go over the project plan in detail and
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discuss each member's role, the timeline, and
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the deliverables. Everybody then is on the same
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page, as they say. Now, encourage open communication
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where the team members feel comfortable in asking
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questions and seek clarification. This is really
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important because one of the things I've found,
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team members are terrified about looking stupid.
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And it just depends on how you answer any questions
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they have or bring up anything. That has a huge
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impact on whether you'll get some more clear
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communication from them. Regular check -ins on
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one -on -one and also team meetings are great
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for this. You can review progress, address issues,
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answer questions, and make sure that you encourage
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team members to speak up if they need help or
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don't understand something. When a team member
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came to me and explained they had made a mistake,
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or describing some other problem. My only comment
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was a question. How do we fix it? The only time
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I would explode in frustration is if they had
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hid something for several weeks, and now it was
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a much bigger problem. Then I would get kind
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of wild. Other than that, never blame, never
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upsetness. Just let's get to this. And as we
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talk... Using simple direct language, avoiding
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jargon and overly complex sentences go a great
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way to help. Here's one. We need to synergize
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our efforts to optimize the project outcomes.
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Huh? How about let's work together to achieve
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our goals? A little easier to figure out. Now,
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this is something that I wasn't as good on as
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I could have been, but I did develop over time.
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confirming understanding always confirm understanding
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especially for the important instruction or decisions
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after discussing a task or decision ask the team
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member if they truly understand what you just
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said because maybe it was clear to you and not
18:23
to them so are you clear and what the next steps
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are maybe you even quiz them what do you see
18:31
as the next steps This next part is not fun for
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me. Documentation. Because it's the key to reducing
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misunderstandings. Document decisions, action
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items, and next steps after meetings. Share these
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documents with the team so everybody has this.
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And after a meeting, send out a summary email
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with some key points. Not a long -winded email
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that I'll never read, but a short one with some
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bullet points. This is not mandatory, but you
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can use visual aids like charts or diagrams.
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Use it sparingly because it takes a lot of work
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to do those. Make sure it really helps. And this
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one is maybe me. I think I have ADD. I don't
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know for sure. Never been diagnosed, but sometimes
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I think I do. Our brains process and retain information
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better. when it's given to us in bite -sized
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chunks. Long sentences overwhelm team members
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and cause them to lose focus. Also, long meetings
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are the same thing. For those of you who've been
19:42
in three - and four -hour meetings, good luck
19:45
trying to keep track of everything. Not possible.
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So, if you're explaining a new procedure to the
19:55
team, break it down into simple steps. First,
19:58
log in. Check your tasks and update your status.
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Done. It makes the information more digestible,
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but also helps your team retain it longer. One
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of the most effective ways to help your team
20:15
is setting these clear goals and priorities.
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When they know what they need to achieve and
20:22
what the priorities are, they can direct their
20:25
energy. towards the most important tasks. So,
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for example, what I've done is at the beginning
20:33
of each week, outline key objectives and deliverables
20:36
for the team, making sure everyone understands
20:38
their responsibilities and avoid distractions.
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Large tasks can be overwhelming. Yes, big time
20:48
overwhelming. and can lead to procrastination.
20:53
So help your team by breaking down complex projects
20:56
into small little chunks. Then it makes them
21:00
feel more achievable and also helps them feel
21:03
successful because they knock those things down.
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And encourage the team to create a step -by -step
21:10
plan for each project task. So how about this?
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Instead of tackling a major report all at once,
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Break it down in sections. The research or the
21:22
outline or writing or editing. Completing smaller
21:26
tasks gives you a great feeling of progress and
21:29
motivation. Very important. Now, this is for
21:33
me because maybe I have ADD. Distractions are
21:38
a major barrier to focus. And if you're a leader,
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you can help minimize distractions in the workplace.
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And encourage a cultural focus by setting guidelines
21:50
for a communication workspace. One that I've
21:55
done very effectively is focus hours, where team
21:58
members can work without interruptions. I've
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also had a certain team member go away for three
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days. A big report needed to be updated. Go.
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Don't come to meetings. Just go. And you know
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what? It worked very effectively. And so during
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these focus hours, never have a meeting. or non
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-urgent emails, unless something's really critical.
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Now, this one almost feels counterintuitive.
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But regular breaks are essential for maintaining
22:33
focus and retention. Make sure your team takes
22:37
short breaks throughout the day to recharge their
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mind. You've probably seen the Pomodoro technique.
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I don't find it works for me. But hey, adapt
22:48
it to whatever works for you. It involves working
22:51
for 25 minutes and then taking a five -minute
22:53
break. Some people like 50 minutes and take a
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10 -minute break. After four cycles, take a longer
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break. I don't care what you do. Just find some
23:02
method, some cycle that works for you. Also,
23:08
continuous learning and development can enhance
23:11
focus and retention. Provide opportunities for
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your team to attend workshops and training sessions.
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Encouraging a growth mindset not only keeps your
23:21
team engaged, but helps them retain new information.
23:25
So, for example, you could do monthly learning
23:29
sessions where a different team member shares
23:31
insights from either a course or a seminar or
23:35
something they've come across. Great stuff. This
23:40
one I haven't found to be so useful, and that
23:43
is visualization and mind mapping. There's powerful
23:46
tools out there. You may want to look into it.
23:48
Lots of information on how to break down complex
23:52
information into simpler stuff. I've played with
23:56
it. I'm not sure that I'm excited about it. A
24:00
positive work environment impacts focus and retention.
24:04
So create a supportive atmosphere. where the
24:08
members feel valued and motivated and they will
24:11
focus better. And of course, we've talked about
24:13
this before. Celebrate achievements. Big, big,
24:16
big. Provide constructive feedback. Encourage
24:20
teamwork. So when these team members feel appreciated
24:24
and supported, they are more likely to stay focused
24:27
and committed in their work. And this one here
24:33
is really important. As a manager, Your behavior
24:38
sets the tone for the team. Demonstrate good
24:41
focus and retention habits yourself and show
24:45
that you prioritize important tasks, take breaks,
24:48
and continuously seek to learn and improve. If
24:53
you do, your team will be more likely to adopt
24:56
these habits, especially as they see you do them.
25:00
Share your strategies for staying focused and
25:03
retaining information. and encourage an open
25:07
dialogue about what works for each team member.
25:12
Very, very important. Enhancing focus and retention
25:16
in your team is essential for productivity and
25:19
success. By keeping the sentences short, setting
25:22
clear goals, breaking down tasks, minimizing
25:25
distractions, encouraging regular breaks, all
25:29
this can help your team achieve the best work.
25:34
Hey, we're out of time. I had to go so quickly.
25:37
Hey, thanks for tuning in to Ignoring the Rules.
25:41
If you found this episode helpful, please share
25:44
it with your colleagues and subscribe to more
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go to WayneRobertson .com for the latest new
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new world of getting projects done. And you can
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I don't have all the answers. And so I'm always
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happy to see your comments and information because
26:18
we are all in this together. And the more we
26:22
share information, the better off we all will
26:24
be. And so let us all know what you found that
26:28
works in your projects. Until next time. Keep
26:31
ignoring the rules and watch how fast things
26:34
change.