The Game of Telephone - 4 Tools for Effective Communication

Photo by Tom Willa

Do you remember that game "Telephone" we used to play as kids? One person would start with a message that he'd whisper into the ear of the next person and so on and so on until the message reached the end of the line. Yet, when the last person proclaimed the statement out loud, it had completely transformed from the original. How does that happen?!

Well, here we are as adults and wouldn't you know it, that same thing happens in the real world. Not only in our personal lives, but in the workplace as well. 

I recently had the privilege of leading a 9-person staff in a Team Alliance Day, where the goal was to improve communication and trust as well as strengthen the team bond. Through the course of the afternoon they learned that even when working together as a team for a common goal, communicating the message can still be tricky. So how can you equip your employees to consistently and effectively get the right message across?

1. Start with a clear and concise message. If the members of your team don't fundamentally understand what the message is, there's no chance of them consistently or effectively communicating it. Zero. With that said, do you fundamentally understand the message? Is it clear, brief, and does it make sense with how your organization operates?
2. Repeat the message. Even if a person can get the message right the first time she hears it, memory is a funny thing and often evolves over time. Make sure the message is communicated to the staff on a regular basis. That may look differently for every company, but ultimately, if the message is truly a part of how the company operates, it will naturally reoccur.
3. Repeat it again. Give each team member a chance to repeat the message back to you. This opens an opportunity for clarification where needed and lets each individual personally connect with the message, by hearing it in his own voice.
4. Trust your staff with the message. Once you've given a clear and concise message to your team, repeated the message and allowed each member a chance to repeat it to you, you must trust that they will do the job of effectively communicating it down the line. You cannot babysit the message all the through the pipeline - watching for mistakes or inconsistencies - and then expect your staff to demonstrate effective communication. Trust your team; if you've truly given them the first three tools then this part will be easy. When they know and understand the message and see your trust, they will take on the responsibility of making sure the message is communicated consistently and effectively.

Does the communication in your workplace end up like the game of telephone? Contact Renatta Emerson Events by calling 206.92.EVENT or email renatta@renattaemerson.com and find out how we can help deliver these tools to your team.