Communicating to Reduce Anxiety

While taking friends to the airport in Tampa I was struck by the excellent communication that tends to reduce anxiety. As we pulled in there were signs indicating what departing airlines should follow red signs and the departing airlines you can get to with the blue signs. There is also an incredible cell phone lot equipped with bathrooms and overheads signs showing all arriving airlines and instructions about when to pick up your visitors. Inside the terminal there were clear instructions regarding where to go for baggage pickup, and rental cars. Clearly this would make travel, which today is stressful, less anxiety producing. Would this work just as well in an organization? You bet!

Recently I wrote about the importance of communication during onboarding, but communication needs to be done relentlessly. It is a core leadership function and one that leaders often do not understand. Many leaders tell me things like “I already told them” and expect the message was received loud and clear, but not everyone understand information in the same way. Leaders need to utilize different modalities to reach all of their employees. Think about your purpose then choose your medium carefully. Think of what you are trying to accomplish then repeat it with a different modality. Communicate consistently through different means.

Ask for clarification to ensure your intended message is what they heard. Listen intently and welcome comments. Create a culture of safety and learn to just listen without feeling you must respond. Build teams that communicate openly and honestly with one another without finger pointing. Reward honest communication and recognize people who communicate honestly. Show how their communication helped the organization, and continue to communicate in a manner that engages and motivates your employees. The reward will be that you will have the correct information to make business decisions and your employees’ anxiety and stress will be reduced. A win-win for all.