Communication and Leadership
Communication & Leadership
September 12, 2013
Communication & Leadership Communication is essential in every aspect of life. Communication is the exchange and flow of ideas or information between people. It involves thinking of an idea and transmitting it to a receiver. There are many physical and physiological barriers to communication that can lead to problems in the workplace. Learning how to communicate effectively to your team is an important task for leaders. Leaders must train, counsel, supervise, and evaluate their team daily. The communication process involves three primary steps or skills that are used by everyone; thought, encoding and decoding (Clark, 2013). A leader’s ability to communicate effectively has evolved over time as the new generation has entered the workforce. Characteristics, age, and technology all play a role in how leaders communicate today.
Bridging the Age Gap As “Baby Boomers”, people born between the years of 1946-1964, begin to retire, the new generation is stepping into their shoes. Generation X (born between 1965-1976) and Generation Y or Generation M.E. (born between 1977-1998) are a new generation of leaders who have entirely different characteristics than their elders. They balance their time between home and work. The new generations want rewarding, intellectually stimulating work. They thrive on a more individualized approach to management. Creativity, independence, and forward thinking are all equally important to these new generations. The Baby Boomer generation believes in “paying your dues” (Mindtools.com, 2011) and showing your loyalty by working long hours. They have traditionally felt that working is life, and if you hate your job, well then that is just part of life. It is easy to see there are many differences between the generations and adjustments must be made based on the different characteristics and leadership styles.
Leadership styles. The new leaders who
September 12, 2013
Communication & Leadership Communication is essential in every aspect of life. Communication is the exchange and flow of ideas or information between people. It involves thinking of an idea and transmitting it to a receiver. There are many physical and physiological barriers to communication that can lead to problems in the workplace. Learning how to communicate effectively to your team is an important task for leaders. Leaders must train, counsel, supervise, and evaluate their team daily. The communication process involves three primary steps or skills that are used by everyone; thought, encoding and decoding (Clark, 2013). A leader’s ability to communicate effectively has evolved over time as the new generation has entered the workforce. Characteristics, age, and technology all play a role in how leaders communicate today.
Bridging the Age Gap As “Baby Boomers”, people born between the years of 1946-1964, begin to retire, the new generation is stepping into their shoes. Generation X (born between 1965-1976) and Generation Y or Generation M.E. (born between 1977-1998) are a new generation of leaders who have entirely different characteristics than their elders. They balance their time between home and work. The new generations want rewarding, intellectually stimulating work. They thrive on a more individualized approach to management. Creativity, independence, and forward thinking are all equally important to these new generations. The Baby Boomer generation believes in “paying your dues” (Mindtools.com, 2011) and showing your loyalty by working long hours. They have traditionally felt that working is life, and if you hate your job, well then that is just part of life. It is easy to see there are many differences between the generations and adjustments must be made based on the different characteristics and leadership styles.
Leadership styles. The new leaders who
References: Clark, D. (2013). Communication and leadership. Retrieved September 12, 2013 from http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadcom.html Mindtools.com. (2011) Leadership by the new generation. Retrieved September 12, 2013 from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_59.htm