One of the most critical skills that you need to develop as an effective Coach is 'ingenious creativity'. Ability to demonstrate effectively your 'TPV" - the teachable point of view !
It all began yesterday in this one-on-one coaching session, where the appreciative feed-forward for my friend was dealing with the expectation from his team for him to communicate more. He asked me in exasperation - ".....but what do you communicate if you do not have a strong message to convey ? Whenever there is something critical, I communicate."
I was conveying to him the point that messaging is about messages, Communications is more about the spirit and the relationship. Well, it went on for a while and then I told him..."Ok, let me demonstrate this point to you tomorrow on Linkedin, Ravi". Thus this post.
I have a very strong bond of relationship with my readers on Linkedin. We joke, we argue, we fight on blogs. We even hit out...and then make up. It is a relationship that has gone much beyond the initial 👍or 👌.
Now, if on a given day, I do not have prompt of a strong theme to write on and therefore do not post a message, my friends visit and come back disappointed. This is fine maybe for a day...may be for two. But thereafter, they write and start enquiring "Why no messages posted ? ...Was I travelling?...Am I unwell ?..etc"
It is much more missing of the relationship than missing of the messages because actually they don't even know what topic they will be reading on in the post the next day !!! Thus logically they can't be missing the message.
Now, if I did not have a strong message and instead of remaining silent I posted this young man (who you see in the doodle) with a placard saying..." sorry, no post today" OR "Cant think of something great to share !".....Which according to you reaches out and touches the heart better ? Which fulfils expectations of a relationship better ? Silence or a Communicative placard saying something as innocuous as 'No Message Today' ?
When you at your work-place communicate with your people only when there is a critical need or a strong message to be conveyed ...you are wrong. That is critical messaging. When your staff looks up to you as you pass by, your smile communicates. As you walk past, your nod or a smart wink communicates. Your reassuring pat on the back, communicates.
You have to keep messaging when critical messages have to be conveyed. You have no options there.
But you have to keep communicating regularly. And that is what engages and builds those strong bonds of relationships between you and your people.
Even if you do not have something to say, you can effectively communicate ! That is the message, Ravi.