When it comes to mastering compelling communications, this quote by Pablo Coelho resonates completely. There is a power in doing, in showing up and being, and in displaying your true intent, as opposed to just talking about it. 

As a business leader, I believe that it’s our duty to create a collective ambition. To explain, enthuse and empower. And to create a oneness amongst our workforce, by providing them with a clear and compelling understanding of where they are, and where they’re going. And yet communication battles are rife within the corporate world, with messages between business and staff, business and business, and business and consumers often distorted. But, you can deliver deliberate and powerful communications to those most important to your company or organisation, seizing their heart and mind, and creating a response that's a win:win for all involved.

Many business people-focused tasks are ultimately dominated by language, not least attracting and retaining staff, managing redundancies or letting people go, and motivating or rewarding positive behaviours. And yet we train our teams on process but not on language. Many have spent longer learning how to design a Powerpoint presentation than they have in 'reading' the room and learning to adapt their communication accordingly.

It’s vital to empower your existing employees, to allow them to understand their loyalty is respected, and to understand that the team is united and galvanized. Share information about business decisions and the rationale behind these, as well as the overarching vision, and allow a positive culture to grow with a loyal and empowered team. 

My key piece of advice though is to be vulnerable. Without, you will never be able to allow genuine connections to form. Show, don’t tell, your employees that you have a congruence, a synergy, aligned ethics, and you’re all walking the same path. It’s a mutual win for the business and the employee, but will truly display your authenticity and integrity. 

Listen to the full conversation on the Progressing Lives Everywhere podcast, where Felicity discusses this in-depth with Natasha Crump: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/progressing-lives-through-communicating-your-employer/.