Sands Academy Presents Communication for Leaders During Elevate Series

Sands Academy, in conjunction with Las Vegas Sands’ effort to remain committed to Team Members and their advancement in the hospitality industry, conducted a workshop highlighting Communication for Leaders as part of their Elevate Series for Managers and Supervisors.  The course covered team building, effective coaching and effective feedback.  

“It’s not just words, it’s the body language that you use and the tone when communicating,” Ian Thompson, Director of Talent and Organizational Development said.  “You must speak clearly.  If not, people will make assumptions of what you mean.  There are various social styles for each leader and department.  When delegating, what are your expectations for the task?  Make sure you state exactly that.”

Thompson spoke about the various types of managers.  While most leaders are amiable, relationship focused leaders, some are drivers where they only focus on getting things done, while others are expressive brainstormers.  Amiable leaders always want feedback on how they are doing as leaders, while drivers want to know what to do and they’ll just do it.  Managers must also be active listeners.  They must learn to listen with intent and associate it more with the receiver than the leader.

“Think about what they need to learn and what issues or problems Team Members may encounter,” Thompson said.  “What questions would you ask for clarity if you were in a Team Members situation?  Leaders tend to over communicate which can cause confusion.  In the words of Robert Greenleaf, many attempts to communicate are nullified by saying too much.  It’s not a competition, just listen for a while and then chime in.  Focus on what the other person is asking and then respond as directly as possible.”

The seven ways to listen better consist of listen, don’t talk; avoid interruptions; 80/20 listening/talking; related conversation; do not offer advice unless asked; be aware of your environment; and take appropriate notes if required.  A manager must try and seek to understand the other person.

“I had a boss that was a bully.  I worked for him for 4 or 5 years.  I didn’t do paperwork properly and he attacked me in front of my team.  I responded, he rebutted.  I was humiliated.  My credibility and authority was discarded,” Thompson said.  ““If you go home and think about something, you need to deal with it and address it.  You can’t not deal with it.  I solved it by saying not to do it in front of others, that he should address issues with me in private.  When emotion is removed, it won’t be confrontational at all.”

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