Judo and the art of Communication

Being a good communicator requires a Zen like presence. You need to facilitate without disruption. In Judo, movement is about knowing how to utilize the power of others to your advantage; know when to push; know when to step aside for the best result. Let it flow, and you will succeed. Here are some tips to make your communication better:

Keep it accessible. Make sure everyone knows where to find project information, and be diligent about putting documents there. Lack of information access is a major failure point in any endeavor. If they can’t find it, they’ll make it up, and nothing wastes time like people reinventing information.

Know when to shut up. This is one of the most difficult things to learn as a manager. There comes a time where others need to execute and you must step aside. Let them. Don’t hound them for constant status. Don’t set up meetings that sap their time. Not knowing where a task stands for a few days is NOT a failure of your management skills. This might mean that you are underutilized for a period of time, but that is OK. Asking too often communicates a lack of trust. Not giving trust often means not getting trust, and that will tank your project. If you need to ask, ask if there is anything you can do to make the task go smoother; don’t just be a status taker. Allowing yourself to be out of the loop takes a bit of Zen, but when you find yourself uncomfortable about not knowing everything about your area, just close your eyes, breathe and let it go.

Seek out bad news. Listen to how the team is feeling. Listen for that high pitched, wavering voice that means discomfort, or worse. There is a time in Judo when contact must be made. When this time comes, do it forcefully. Wrench the bad news out of them. Dig, and then dig again. People often don’t like to give bad news, make them. In the end they will feel better and you will know about looming problems earlier. That just might save you.

Keep it up. Communicate everything multiple times. Send things in writing, and then send them again. People are busy. Your project might not be at the top of their minds. Stay in front of them by communicating over and over again. Remember that just because you told someone something, does not mean that they understood it and retained it. Whether giving or getting information, play it back to make sure it is communicated correctly. Knowing that all of the information is precessed and retained allows the information to do the work for you.