Ex-British envoy avails Nigerian leaders of communication enhancement tips

Nigerian business leaders have been urged to enhance their communication skills and maximise their impact in multinational settings in order to succeed in complex times.

Giving the advice while answering questions on the website, www.texem.co.uk, which belongs to United Kingdom based leadership development firm, TEXEM UK, a former British Ambassador, Charles Crawford said finding the right tone to communicate is essential.

Crawford said that this requires careful thought about what exactly leaders want to say and where they want the emphasis of their message to fall.

“Do you want to be reassuring – but realistic? Or realistic – but reassuring? All very subtle, the more so in national, regional and global contexts where deep cultural norms and expectations might not be obvious,” he said.

Crawford who also spoke on the coming hybrid programme of TEXEM tagged “Effective Leadership In a Distributed World: Pioneering Enduring Legacies”, shared insights on how leaders can engage stakeholders more effectively.

On what practical tips executives could take away to enhance their communication skills and maximise their impact in multinational settings, he said there are plenty of such.

“A core idea is knowing how to make everything big. Your ideas, your delivery of them, your audience and your events.

“Part of that is all about finding just the right tone.
This tone has to be conveyed by speeches or interviews given by corporate leaders and supported by just the right sort of messages and interaction on social media.

“This requires careful thought about what exactly you want to say and where you want the emphasis of your message to fall,” Crawford said.

He also spoke on the rapid pace of technological advancement, and how leaders can ensure that their communication strategies remain relevant and impactful in a constantly evolving digital landscape, especially in emerging economies like Nigeria.

“This is a challenging task – technology is galloping ahead far faster than we puny humans can keep up!

“But at least leaders can aim at being consistent and (as far as possible) transparent in what they say and do.

“That requires consistency of message, consistency of tone and a personalised communication. It also requires segmenting your communication to countenance differences in demography,” Crawford said.

He said that for instance with respect to younger audiences, social media might be great platforms while for older ones television and newspaper might be more apposite.

“So while communicating you have to consider a mix and how to deploy technology to enhance the effectiveness of the message.

“Hence, leaders can ensure consistent messaging, maximise their reach, and inspire diverse stakeholders more effectively in Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.

“This can be by embracing omnichannel
communication, including a blend of social media, email, mobile apps, and traditional media,” Crawford said.

He said it also means understanding how the Internet and Artificial Intelligence work and what challenges (‘deepfakes’ and so on) are coming fast.

“It also requires listening by monitoring and then adapting feedback.

“Leaders who attend TEXEM’s forthcoming programme on Effective Leadership in a Distributed World will glean actionable strategic insights to make better decisions, inspire innovative practices, and position their organisation for success and win,” Crawford said.

The programme of which Crawford is a faculty, comes up from March 9 to March 23 online; and between March 25 and March 27, in the UK. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Razak Owolabi