DO WE SPEAK THE SAME LANGUAGE?

DO WE SPEAK THE SAME LANGUAGE?

It seems a trite subject to bring up and suggest that it’s important, but communication is at the heart of every successful relationship, either personal or business. When communication breaks down, so does the relationship. If communication is not properly established, the relationship is doomed from the beginning.

I speak from experience. I have worked for and consulted for a wide variety of organizations over the last four decades. When I have been successful, it was because the work I was being asked to do was plainly laid out and the lines of communication were clearly established.

About ten years ago a friend asked if I could meet with him and several other principals in their ministry in a private meeting. These were old friends that my wife and I had known for many years. The leaders knew that I was just completing a several-year project for a ministry and asked me to begin to consult for them. Out of sense of friendship and without the normal discussion, I made a mistake based on emotion and said I would accept the work. What I didn’t really take time to do was clearly define what they wanted me to work on and who I would be responsible to. Too much of the limited discussion was in generalities. They didn’t take time to define the need nor did they take the time to properly explain to their staff what my role would be. Foolishly I let friendship cloud my thinking and I didn’t take the time to ask the questions I should have. The relationship was doomed before it began and the consulting arrangement only lasted a few months.

One of the clearest examples of the need for clear communication is in the maritime world. A helmsman is the person who steers a ship, a sailboat or other type of maritime vessel. Clear and exact communication between the helmsman and the officer on the bridge is essential to safe navigation and ship handling. There are standard steering commands, responses by the helmsman, and acknowledgement by the officer on the bridge that are widely recognized in the maritime community. This “language” is practiced in training and in calm waters so that in stormy weather everyone knows instantly what is being said. In stormy weather, unclear or misunderstood communication can lead to disaster.

Another example of the need for very clear communication is in the airline industry. The default language of air traffic controllers is English. In every nation of the world, pilots know that they can talk with air traffic controllers in English regardless of the local language.

In the Christian organizations and churches that so many of us serve in, the responsibility for “speaking the same language” lies first with two groups of people, the leadership and the staff. Those in leadership have a two-sided responsibility: they are responsible to be understood (to speak clearly) and to understand (to answer questions). Likewise, the staff has a two-sided responsibility: to understand (to ask questions when in doubt) and to be understood (to learn to speak the language of the culture). This understanding can happen only if everyone is speaking the same language—and I don’t mean English or Spanish.

What do I mean when I say they must speak the same language? Within every organization or group there is a language, a jargon, a vocabulary that is meaningful to the group and to perhaps no one else. Yesterday in church a guest speaker used the term “incarnational” which probably sailed over the head of the majority of the crowd. Driving home later I mentioned to my wife that the word “incarnation” in its various forms is one of the current buzz words, a part of the jargon of those that are really cool and with it (or some very deep and dry theologians).

As a leader, you must take the time to make sure that everyone on your staff is well versed in the language of your organization. This begins with the mission statement of the organization which (hopefully) lays out very clearly why the organization exists. Communication then follows, along with a Corporate or Accountability Flow Chart that pinpoints each staff member’s position, who is responsible to whom, and fundamentally how communication should flow. Additionally, every position should have a job description. New staff members need to go through an orientation that includes the language of the company. New languages take time to learn, so don’t expect staff to be fluent right away. Don’t assume that because the new employee has worked for a similar organization, they will automatically understand the language. Each organization has its own personality and, therefore, it nuances language accordingly.

Not long ago I spent several days with the staff of a moderate-sized organization. The leader asked me to spend time with each staff member to get to know them and perhaps make some recommendations to help them improve their performance. During the interview process, I asked each one if they had a job description and how long it had been since they had gone over it with one of the leaders or their immediate superior. Just about half of the staff said they had a job description; the others said they didn’t have one and had never had one. Not one of them could put their hands on the job description. Most of them had not had a review for at least a couple of years. I call this a communication breakdown. This is a staff and leadership on the verge of not speaking the same language.

I have been married for 43 years. Carol and I have a good marriage; no, strike that, we have a great marriage. One of the primary reasons is because we have worked at our communication. Good communication is hard work but worth the results. If your organization or church or mission is going to succeed, clear communication among the staff is essential but you are going to have to work at it. Not everyone is a quick learner when it comes to a new language, so be patient and be thorough.

If clarity is not articulated from leadership, remember that the confusion that follows is not coming from the hand of God!