According to the Harvard Business Review, 71 percent of senior executives in major global companies ranked horizontal boundaries as their biggest challenge. Chris Ernst says that working across barriers of function and expertise, rather than above or below them — were the main worry of senior executives.
For leaders, during a merger, in coordinating disparate functions, in integrating a foreign division, a conversation across the fence was more effective than a "do it or else" series of commands to subordinates.
Seems that "Silo busting" has become crucial for success in today’s business world.
While 86 percent of the senior executives said that it is extremely important that they collaborate across boundaries, only 7 percent considered they did it effectively. I think that to be able to collaborate across boundaries, leaders need to know how to use effective business communication. Unfortunately, many leaders lack the skills that would encourage open dialogue and collaboration.
I want to offer a condensed version of what I consider the most important skills that facilitate those vital conversations.
Stop to suspend, pause and listen.
This is probably one of the most difficult but vital skills to develop. As I recently wrote, slowing down has many advantages. What do you need to stop for? You have to suspend assumptions, biases, and expectations; you have to pause, be silent, think, and reflect; you have to listen to understand, connect, and appreciate.
Start to inquire, share and cultivate.
To go anywhere, you have to start somewhere. Inquiring with an attitude of curiosity, opens the door for discovery and learning. It’s the only way that breakthrough and innovation will emerge.
You have to be willing to become vulnerable and share the complexity of your thoughts, feelings, and dreams (mind and heart). Then, others will feel safe to share, and the dialogue will be enriched. Yet, for this to happen, you have to cultivate openness, curiosity, and flexibility. Opening your mind to new ideas, methods and opinions; showing the curiosity of a child; and having flexibility of thought, will take you to unexpected places.
Sustain to build, embrace, and evolve.
For effective business communication to be sustainable, you have to build a strong “container” where people feel free to share. Therefore, you have to build trust, respect and competence.
Trust creates strong relationships that facilitate dialogue. Respect smooths the path to dialogue. Competence facilitates the process. If you build the dialogue together, teams will work more efficiently, relationships will be smoother, and productivity will increase.
You also have to be willing to embrace the mutuality of the process of communication, and the honesty it requires. Some time ago I proposed that honesty is essential for successful leadership. I still think it is.
When you embrace mutuality and honesty, you can also embrace the resulting ideas. Then, positivity and appreciation will make working together a joy.
Finally, dialogue leads you to evolve. If you are not evolving, you and your organization are in decline. Therefore, it is imperative to accept the reality of where you are now, make a feasible plan to keep growing, and persevere until you get the liberation and exhilaration that positive transformation brings.
Effective business communication will transform the way you interact with others and take you to amazing success!
What do you think?
I would like to know your thoughts. What is your experience with lateral business communication? In thinking about communication skills, which are the ones you find most helpful? Share your comments with us.