One key to effective communication is selecting the right channel for relaying the message. A channel is a medium by which a communication message is carried from sender to receiver. A leader may discuss a problem face-to-face, use the tele- phone, write a memo or letter, use e-mail, send a text message, post a message on a blog or Web page, or put an item in a newsletter, depending on the nature of the message.
The Continuum of Channel Richness
Research has attempted to explain how leaders select communication channels to enhance communication effectiveness.47 Studies have found that channels differ in their capacity to convey information.Channel richnessis the amount of information that can be transmitted during a communication episode. The channels available to leaders can be classified into a hierarchy based on information richness, as illustrated in Exhibit 9.6.
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EXHIBIT 9.6 A Continuum of Channel Richness
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Channel
a medium by which a com- munication message is car- ried from sender to receiver Channel richness the amount of information that can be transmitted during a communication episode
CHAPTER 9LEADERSHIP COMMUNICATION 275
The richness of an information channel is influenced by three characteristics:
(1) the ability to handle multiple cues simultaneously; (2) the ability to facilitate rapid, two-way feedback; and (3) the ability to establish a personal focus for the communication. Face-to-face discussion is the richest medium because it permits direct experience, multiple information cues, immediate feedback, and personal focus. Face-to-face discussions facilitate the assimilation of broad cues and deep, emotional understanding of the situation. Tony Burns, former CEO of Ryder Sys- tems, always preferred handling things face-to-face. “You can look someone in the eyes,” he explains. “You can tell by the look in his eyes or the inflection of his voice what the real problem or question or answer is.”48 Telephone conversations are next in the richness hierarchy. Eye contact, gaze, posture, and other body language cues are missing, but the human voice still carries a tremendous amount of emo- tional information.
Electronic messaging through e-mail, text messages, and social media such as Twitter is increasingly being used for communications that were once handled over the telephone. Although these channels lack both visual and verbal cues, they allow for rapid feedback and can be personalized. Blogs provide a way to get infor- mation to a wide audience and also permit rapid feedback.49
Print media such as notes and letters can be personalized, but they convey only the cues written on paper and are slow to provide feedback. Impersonal written media, including fliers, bulletins, and standard computer reports, are the lowest in richness. The channels are not focused on a single receiver, use limited information cues, and do not permit feedback.
Each communication channel has advantages and disadvantages, and each can be an effective means of communication in the appropriate circumstances.50Chan- nel selection depends on whether the message is routine or nonroutine. Routine communications are simple and straightforward, such as a product price change.
Routine messages convey data or statistics or simply put into words what people already understand and agree on. Routine messages can be efficiently communi- cated through a channel lower in richness. Written or electronic communications also are effective when the audience is widely dispersed or when the communication is “official” and a permanent record is required.51 On the other hand, nonroutine messages typically concern issues of change, conflict, or complexity that have great potential for misunderstanding. Nonroutine messages often are characterized by time pressure and surprise. Leaders can communicate nonroutine messages effec- tively only by selecting a rich channel.
Leaders should select a channel to fit the message. Following layoffs, for exam- ple, people are fearful and worried about their own jobs. Many leaders, not know- ing what to say, send out a written notice and hide in their offices. Good leaders, on the other hand, know face-to-face communication is the way to keep morale and productivity high. At one construction company that had to lay off employees, the CEO called employees together and told them how the mortgage crisis and down- turn in the housing market was affecting their company. He acknowledged that he couldn’t promise there wouldn’t be more layoffs, but as he explained the situation the emotions in the room became calmer because people felt they knew what was going on.52 Particularly in times of change, if people don’t hear what’s happening from leaders, they rely on rumors and will often assume the worst.53
When a message is highly important, leaders often use redundant communica- tions by sending the same message using different channels. For example, one leader explained a request to an employee in person, then immediately composed NEW LEADER
ACTION MEMO
As a leader, you can choose rich forms of communication, such as face-to-face or the telephone, when an issue is complex, emotionally charged, or especially important. For a routine, straightforward message, you can use a written or electronic form of communication.
276 PART 4THE LEADER AS A RELATIONSHIP BUILDER
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a follow-up e-mail to the same employee that summarized the request in writing. For companywide changes, leaders might hold small group sessions to talk with employ- ees about a new policy, post an article on the intranet and in the newsletter, and use social media to make sure everyone gets the information. By using redundant commu- nication, saying the same thing more than once via multiple channels, leaders add weight to the message and keep the issue at the top of employees’ minds.54
Most leader communication by its very nature is composed of nonroutine mes- sages. Although leaders make good use of all channels, they don’t let anything substi- tute for the rich face-to-face channel when important issues are at stake. However, some companies, such as Cisco Systems, are also using new forms of electronic com- munication to enable rich, ongoing conversations across the organization.
IN THE LEAD
John Chambers, Cisco Systems
John Chambers knows that effective organizational communication happens when leaders talkwithemployees, not justtothem. To transform communication into a two-way conver- sation, Cisco implemented several innovative strategies using state-of-the-art technology.
Cisco uses its own next-generation video conferencing, called Telepresence, to facilitate interactive conversations among leaders and employees all across the organization. Telepre- sence is a three-screen system that simulates in-person meetings by beaming video feeds between locations. This allows for a natural dialogue among people, no matter the time, place, or type of computer system. It also allows people to look one another in the eye, overcoming one of the primary limitations to most electronic communication channels.55
Leaders at Cisco also keep in touch with employees using other communication technologies. Chambers, for example, records a video blog about once a month to deliver brief, improvisational messages and invite feedback from employees via video or text messaging. Social media is also an important part of Cisco’s commu- nications strategy.56Social media will be discussed later in this chapter.
Effectively Using Electronic Communication Channels
Electronic communication has become a fact of life in today’s organizations. New technologies provide highly efficient ways of communicating and can be particu- larly useful for routine messages. Text messaging, which allows people to share shorthand messages instantly, has rapidly grown in use and has become more com- mon than e-mail in some organizations. Many of today’s leaders also use blogs to keep in closer touch and rebuild trust among employees, customers, shareholders, and the public.
Electronic communication has many advantages, but there are disadvantages as well. The proliferation of electronic media has contributed to poorer communica- tion in many organizations. Employees who work in offices down the hall from one another will often send an e-mail or text message rather than communicating face-to-face. One employee reported that he was fired via e-mail—by a manager who sat five feet away in the same office.57 Even for less traumatic messages, elec- tronic methods can increase the potential for communication errors. Leaders can come across as sounding cold, arrogant, or insensitive when they attempt to discuss
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delicate or complex issues via e-mail. Things that might be handled smoothly in a face-to-face conversation or over the phone turn into massive problems by fostering resentment, bitterness, and hard feelings.58
Another equally disturbing concern, one psychiatrist argues, is that the growing use of technology for communicating, particularly social media, has created hidden problems for both individuals and organizations by depriving people of the “human moments” that are needed to energize people, inspire creativity, and support emo- tional well-being.59 People need to interact with others in physical space to build the connections that create great organizations. Electronic communication is here to stay, and the key for leaders is to benefit from the efficiencies of new technolo- gies while preventing their unintended problems. Here are some tips for effectively using electronic communication:
• Combine high-tech and high-touch. Never allow electronic communication to take the place of human connections. People who work together should meet face-to-face on a regular basis, and leaders should get to know their followers in real as well as virtual space. Many companies that use virtual workers require that they come into the office at least once a month for unstructured face time.60 A real-estate developer in Boston has a free-pizza day once a week when widely scattered workers can come by, sit around the table in his office, and just talk.61
• Consider the circumstances. People who know one another well and have worked together a long time can typically communicate about more complex issues via electronic means than can people who have a new working relationship.62When people have a long-term working relationship, there is less potential for misunderstandings and hard feelings. In addition, when all parties involved have a good grasp of the issues being discussed, electronic channels can be used effectively. A leader of a longstanding, well-functioning team could thus use e-mail more extensively than the leader of a team that has just been formed.
• Think twice before you hit “Send.” Many people feel pressured to respond to electronic messages quickly, which can create unintended problems.63Citigroup recently sent a memo to all employees reminding them to “think before writing, read before sending.”64 Slow down and consider whether the message is some- thing you want out there in cyberspace where anyone might read it. Never send an electronic message when you are angry or upset. Always read your messages at least twice.
Exhibit 9.7 lists some further dos and don’ts concerning subjects appropriate for electronic mail.