Is your communication a strategic lever or an obstacle to your transformations?

Our latest live event on the Innovation, Agility, and Excellence PRO Community highlighted the critical importance of this skill for any leader.

Bernard Motulsky, Isabelle Gazania, and Petra Heusel, our invited experts, enriched our reflections on this essential subject for strategic action.

The questions discussed:

1. How can organizational communication truly influence strategic performance?
2. What communication skills must leaders develop today?
3. How do you prepare to convince a board of directors to initiate a transformation?
4. Of what cognitive biases must we be at least aware to improve our communication skills?
5. We are moving from “VUCA” (volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous) to “BANI” (Brittle/Fragile, Anxious, Non-linear, Incomprehensible). In this context, how should we rethink our communication, or at the very least, where should we begin?
6. What is the innovation or novelty in communication that we should be interested in?

Communicating effectively is crucial for guiding change, influencing others, and increasing the impact of our ideas and projects.

Here are some of the key takeaways from our discussions:

• Clarity, structure, and trust: Clear and structured messages are fundamental. Petra Heusel rightly reminded us that authentic and structured communication fosters trust within teams.
• Active listening: Communication is an exchange of information. Bernard Motulsky emphasized the importance of active listening to understand our audience's perspectives and tailor our messages accordingly.
• Emotional intelligence: Understanding the emotional impact of our communications is vital. Petra highlighted the alignment of our mental, emotional, and physical presence for effective and authentic communication.

Adaptability is key. Bernard used the analogy of a pilot in turbulence to illustrate the need to provide clear guidance in times of uncertainty.

Finally, Isabelle Gazania stressed the importance of reassuring and giving meaning, especially during a transformation. It is about creating a shared sense of urgency, without dramatizing, and personalizing responses to emotionally and rationally engage all stakeholders. Active listening and mastering nonverbal communication are essential for maintaining high engagement.

By mastering these aspects, it is possible to inspire our teams, drive change, and achieve organizational success.

The message, the messenger, the communication channel, and the audience must be aligned to communicate effectively and have an impact.

A big thank you to our experts who came to share and discuss with us in the Community.

Eric L'Heureux

PS. We are in the process of migrating our English newsletter to Substack to better integrate it with the coming English version of our podcast. Stay tuned!

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