Advice For New Managers – Communicate and Cast a Vision

New managers head straight for problems when they fail to communicate. Good communication involves sending a clear message about priorities, conveying important values, and clearly defining expectations.

Lack Of Communication Undermines Effectiveness
If not done well, the new manager will create a vacuum of understanding and a distant connection with people which in turn will undermine their effectiveness. Why? Because no one associated with the organization views the transition of a new manager with indifference. Everyone is judging their actions and words closely and critically, hunting for signals of direction, purpose, motives, and, especially, for the answer to “who is this person?”

Leaders begin down the path to failure when they do not gain control of communication. People will fill in the blanks themselves, and often in ways that are not correct, supportive or productive. New managers effective at communicating get their messages across, shape morale, and gain the confidence of people reporting to them.

Vision
One of the most important things that you will communicate as a manager is a vision. The term “vision” as it relates to organizations has become a haggard cliché to many people. It can mean everything or nothing. It is often used to describe the high-level objectives leaders want to achieve, and other times, is actually used interchangeably with “mission statement.” Often these are but slogans or lists of desired objectives or “values” that are put up on the wall and left on tables in the lobby, but do not impact behaviors and attitudes. A new manager at any organizational level must create and communicate a vision to their direct reports.

What is a Vision
An effective vision is a vibrant mental image depicting your view of the desired future state of the organization in an inspiring way. It is not a statement of mission, a set of objectives, or a list of values. It is a word picture of what will be seen, heard, and felt when the organization fulfills its mission, and achieves results. It is about the culture, environment, and values. If not inspiring, then is not a vision.

Vision Casting is Not a One Time Event
Once you have communicated your vision, the next obvious communication is the tasks and objectives that need to be done in order to achieve the vision. But don’t neglect the vision. Vision leaks. You may fill your team with the vision for the company or department, but a few months, or even weeks, later you’ll find that your team isn’t quite as inspired and may have started loose focus of the vision. You need to continue to inspire and continue to remind people of the vision. Do you best to connect every task and goal to the vision. This will help remind your team of the vision and help them see that goal or task’s place in the greater vision and understand its importance.

Keep Communicating
Communication never stops. It’s a two way street and traffic should be flowing down that street all the time. If communication breaks down, so will the project, the team, and the vision. Good communication is key an effective team and to realizing a vision.