Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Effective Communication

Brittanie Seele, the BYUSA vice president, spoke to us last Wednesday about the importance of effective communication in developing leadership attributes. She specifically talked about seven qualities that great communicators work to acquire: built integrity and trust, involving others, translate messages to fit the audience, takes initiative, analytical skills, innovation, and positive optimism.
I will examine a few of these principles and how I am currently (attempting to) applying them in my leadership positions.

Involving Others: As most of us know from classes, a lecture isn't always the most effective way to communicate; the students are not actively involved in the learning process. Often you see students falling asleep in lectures where discussion is not part of the class. For my Gospel Doctrine class, I have found this principle to be crucial to not only maintaining the attention of the students, but also to more effectively teach the principles in the lesson. In teaching this class, I make sure to plan time for discussion, for students to share their stories that relate to the topic, and sometimes I even have an object lesson. Involving the people I lead in that class helps those I teach realize that I value their opinions and insights into the lesson, even if I am the teacher.

Translate Messages to Fit: Every audience is different in size, character, and values. As a leader, one's communication strategy must first consider who the audience will consist of. I have found this to be incredibly vital in my role as a tutor. I have to consider if I am working in a study group or if I am helping someone one-on-one, what the needs of each individual are, and what subject matter will be covered. I also have to realize what kind of communication to use at various points; sometimes a more forceful voice is necessary while other times a more tender approach is needed. While the goal is to teach or communicate to the people I am leading, I still have to allow the people I am leading to exercise their own agency. I can only help increase their understanding of the message; it's up to them to decide what to do with the information. For me, that is probably one of the hardest parts of communicating as a leader, knowing that what I share may be completely ignored. But when the message is tailored to fit the group of people, I have much more success.

Positive Optimism: This is fairly simple for me to apply as I tend to be an optimistic person. As a leader, I need to make sure that I am communicating messages that are positive, hopeful, and inspirational. Such messages are far more motivating to those I lead than one that has a negative tone. Granted, a leader should always be honest and share what is really happening. But that leader can still inspire hope in the people around him or her. This is particularly true in both my tutoring and Gospel Doctrine classes. As a tutor I may need to point out what a student is doing wrong, but I can still offer solutions to the problem rather than just complaining about the errors of the tutee. In Gospel Doctrine, some of the stories can be a little depressing, so it is important for me as the teacher to point out the principles being taught and what the class can learn from the more negative stories. People are drawn to leaders who can smile through a rough time and maintain an optimistic outlook on life. That positive optimism is vital to developing as a leader.

We need to remember that the overall goal of communication is to unify those we lead and to ultimately bring them closer to their Heavenly Father. By looking to Christ as our example and following his teachings, we can learn to communicate as Christ did; loving, instructive, and uplifting. As we develop these qualities in our own communication, we will be more successful and draw more people to ourselves, and therefore, our Savior.