GCIOSGF Newsletter 會訊:
領導者只要有效運用這項美國「股神」巴菲特重視的技能，就有助於把想法變成清晰的訊息，並為行動設定正確的期待
溝通，也就是清楚表達自己想法的能力，正是企業教練史萬提斯（Marcel Schwantes）過去輔導一些高階決策者時，親眼見到的領導力問題。
巴菲特（Warren Buffett）多年來一直在強調這件事。有人曾問巴菲特，如何提升自己的職場價值，巴菲特給一名年輕創業家的答案出乎意料地平凡：溝通。
「如果你不會溝通，就像在黑暗中對一個女孩眨眼，什麼事都不會發生。你可能擁有全世界最聰明的頭腦，但你必須有辦法把它傳達出去。而傳達靠的就是溝通。」
領導力專家史萬提斯強調，如果身邊的人無法理解你想表達什麼，那麼你的聰明才智所能發揮的價值就非常有限。
當領導者在組織中爬得愈來愈高，溝通的重點就愈不只是「傳遞資訊」，更是要「創造理解」。
你可以舉辦公司大會，瘋狂重複公司的優先事項直到每個人耳朵都長繭，但員工不一定真的瞭解你希望他們做什麼。
（Harvard Business Review）曾在一篇探討如何溝通公司策略的文章中，指出這項問題。作者認為，領導者經常沒有提供員工足夠的背景脈絡，讓他們真正理解那些策略聲明真正代表什麼。員工需要了解策略背後做了哪些選擇、為什麼這些選擇很重要，以及自己的工作與這些策略有什麼關聯。
不要滿口官腔、空洞的術語
很多高階主管講話時，喜歡把簡單的概念弄得太複雜，讓人一下子就失焦、聽不下去。例如句子開始愈拉愈長，策略則淹沒在「最佳化」、「轉型」、「綜效」、「最佳實務」之類的迷霧裡，再加上一堆這一季簡報流行的企業術語。
略溝通的分析指出，只有28%高階主管與經理人，能正確列出公司的三項策略優先事項。這個數字相當耐人尋味。如果負責執行策略的人自己都沒辦法把策略說清楚，代表溝通流程的上游有環節出了問題。
最優秀的領導者會不斷問自己一個很殘酷的問題：如果我不在場，比我低三個職級的人，能不能把我剛才說的內容解釋清楚？如果答案是否定的，就代表你必須努力調整你的訊息。
閉嘴也是溝通的一部分
巴菲特關於溝通的建議，還有一點經常被領導者忽略。
研究指出，「傾聽」是一種被低估的領導工具，並建議領導者提出釐清問題、給予對方完整的注意力，創造一個讓人能不受打斷好好說話的空間。
這件事之所以重要，是因為執行長非常容易活在一個資訊泡泡裡。員工往往會淡化自己的不同意見，結果高階主管聽到的，大多只是員工以為主管想聽到的話。
擅長溝通的人會刻意戳破這個泡泡。
他們會問「我漏掉了什麼？」他們會邀請別人挑戰自己的假設、一直傾聽別人講話直到發現想解決問題根本不是真正的問題。
位階愈高，你的話份量愈重
高階領導者還應該記住，執行長在說話時，大家聽的方式也不一樣。
一句隨口說出的話，可能突然變成公司的優先事項，讓30個人立刻忙得團團轉。一句措辭不當的評論，也可能引發領導者原本無意造成的焦慮。
因此，高階領導者必須更審慎地選擇說出口的話。隨著職位升高，他們的言語在組織中的份量也會愈來愈重。
所以，巴菲特要傳達的道理，不只是要你學會公開演講的技巧。領導力本身就和傳遞訊息有關，你的願景必須能從你的腦海傳遞到另一個人的心裡，讓他能夠理解。你的期待必須能轉化成另一個人的行動，否則就像巴菲特說的，你只是在黑暗中拋媚眼而已。
下一次進行重要談話、簡報或發布公司公告之前，先問自己一個問題：「我希望大家理解清楚什麼事情，即使我不在場，他們也知道該怎麼採取行動？」然後好好傳達這件事情，並消除所有妨礙理解的障礙。
Leaders who effectively utilize this skill, valued by Warren Buffett, can transform ideas into clear messages and set the right expectations for action.
Communication
Communication, the ability to clearly express one's thoughts, is a leadership issue that business coach Marcel Schwantes has witnessed firsthand while coaching senior decision-makers.
Warren Buffett has emphasized this point for years. When asked how to increase one's professional value, Buffett's answer to a young entrepreneur was surprisingly simple: communication.
"If you can't communicate, it's like winking at a girl in the dark—nothing happens. You may have the brightest mind in the world, but you must know how to communicate it. And communication is key."
Leadership expert Schwantes emphasizes that if those around you cannot understand what you are trying to say, the value of your intelligence is very limited.
As leaders climb higher within an organization, the focus of communication becomes not just "transmitting information," but also "creating understanding."
You can hold company meetings and repeat company priorities until everyone's ears are ringing, but employees may not actually understand what you expect them to do.
A Harvard Business Review article discussing how to communicate company strategy highlighted this problem. The author argued that leaders often fail to provide employees with sufficient context to truly understand what those strategic statements represent. Employees need to understand the choices made behind the strategy, why those choices are important, and how their work relates to these strategies.
Avoid bureaucratic jargon and empty terminology.
Many senior executives like to overcomplicate simple concepts when speaking, making it difficult for listeners to focus and follow along. For example, sentences become increasingly long, and the strategy is buried in a fog of "optimization," "transformation," "synergy," and "best practices," coupled with a bunch of the season's popular corporate jargon.
Analysis of communication techniques indicates that only 28% of senior executives and managers can correctly list the company's three strategic priorities. This figure is quite intriguing. If the person responsible for implementing the strategy can't even clearly articulate it, it indicates a problem upstream in the communication process.
The best leaders constantly ask themselves a harsh question: If I weren't present, could someone three levels below me explain what I just said clearly? If the answer is no, it means you must work on adjusting your message.
Keeping quiet is also part of communication.
There's another piece of advice from Buffett about communication that's often overlooked by leaders.
Research indicates that "listening" is an underrated leadership tool, and suggests that leaders clarify issues, give the other person their full attention, and create a space where people can speak undisturbed.
This is important because CEOs are very prone to living in an information bubble. Employees often downplay their differing opinions, resulting in senior executives hearing mostly what employees think executives want to hear.
Skilled communicators deliberately pop this bubble.
They ask, "What am I missing?" They invite others to challenge their assumptions and listen attentively until they discover that the problem they're trying to solve isn't the real problem at all.
The higher your rank, the more weight your words carry.
Senior leaders should also remember that people listen differently when a CEO speaks.
A casual remark can suddenly become a company priority, keeping 30 people scrambling. A poorly worded comment can trigger anxiety in a leader that was unintentionally created.
Therefore, senior leaders must be more careful in choosing what they say. As their position rises, the weight of their words within the organization increases.
So, the lesson Buffett is trying to convey is not just about mastering public speaking skills. Leadership is inherently about communication; your vision must be effectively communicated from your mind to another person's, ensuring they understand it. Your expectations must translate into action; otherwise, as Buffett says, you're just winking in the dark.
Before your next important conversation, briefing, or company announcement, ask yourself: "What do I want everyone to understand so that they know how to act even when I'm not there?" Then communicate that clearly and remove any obstacles that might hinder understanding.
