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Ken Blanchard. in his book. The One Minute Manager said communication us the breakfast of champions. He was right. I can’t think of a more valuable skill for team members, supervisors. managers or leaders than the ability to communicate effectively up. down and across the organization. Communication is everything. If the other person doesn’t receive your message the way you intended – then whatever you said will mean absolutely nothing. Listen to my latest Confessions of a Reformed Control Freak Podcast to learn the secret to communicating with others regardless of gender or generation
Category Archives: management
You Can Learn to Speak With Authority and Influence
Ken Blanchard, in his book – The One Minute Manager, said that communication is the breakfast of champions. He was right. I can’t think of a more valuable skill for team members, supervisors and managers than the ability to communicate up, down, and across the organization. Communication is everything. If the other person doesn’t receive the message as intended, then whatever you said will mean absolutely nothing. Effective communication takes two – you, the sender and the receiver. We aren’t born knowing how to communicate in a way that everyone will understand. You can learn to speak with authority and influence.
Worth Remembering – One of the indispensable functions of informal organizations is communication. – Chester Barnard.
The Communication Process.
. The sender must be clear on what message they want to send, and how they want to send it.
. The message needs to be sent in a language the receiver will understand.
. The receiver must interpret the message’s meaning and purpose and decide how to respond to the sender’s message.
And if that’s not challenging enough, throw into the mix the five different generations that make up today’s workforce, and how each generation communicates differently, you can begin to understand why communicating effectively can be difficult.
Worth Remembering – I know you understand what you think I said, but I’m not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant. – Robert J. McCloskey.
Generational Communication Differences.
Baby Boomers, those born between 1946 and 1964, prefer to communicate in person. Most aren’t big on writing notes or mailing cards
Generation X, those born between 1965 and 1983, prefer to communicate directly and immediately. They want answers, and they want them right now.
Millennials, those born between 1984 and 1996, prefer to communicate electronically via email, text, or phone.
Generation Z, those born between 1997 and 2012, prefer digital, instant, and visual communication, favouring messaging, social media, and short-form content.
Generation Alpha, those born between 2012 and 2024, are the first generation to grow up entirely in the digital age. They are rooted in technology and, like Generation Z, they prefer instant messaging, social media, and interactive platforms like Zoom.
If you want to be a more effective communicator, learn to communicate in a way that the receiver prefers. If you can, they are more likely to be receptive to what you are saying. You can learn to speak with authority and influence.
Copyright 2026 – Brian Smith – Power Link Dynamics. Not to be reproduced without permission. Are you searching for a keynote speaker for your next event, or planning an in-person training session? Brian works with people who want to communicate and interact more effectively, build collaborative teams, resolve conflicts or motivate others to perform at their best.
Become The Leader Your Team Needs
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Trust me, the workplace has changed, and if you don’t adapt to those changes you will be left behind. I recognize that not everyone is born a great manager, or has the skills needed to lead others. But I do believe that given the right set of circumstances and an environment conducive to learning, you can become the leader your team needs. Listen to my latest podcast to learn about the four skills you must master.
Become The Leader Your Team Needs
Trust me, the workplace has changed, and if you don’t adapt, you’ll be left behind. Today’s managers and leaders must master these four skills. They must be able to connect with others to build collaborative teams, communicate up, down and across the organization in a way that everyone will understand, educate their team on the skills needed to accomplish their work, and delegate often to free up their time to do what only managers and leaders should do.
Worth Remembering – For all the fashionable hype about leadership, it is unfashionable management that is being practiced, and it’s fundamental characteristics have not changed. – Hale.
Today’s managers and leaders must master these four skills.
Connecting. Your success, and your organization’s overall success, will depend on your ability to bring people of diverse backgrounds together. Relationships are important. If you cannot connect emotionally with those you work and interact with, you’ll have difficulty building a cohesive, collaborative team. Teamwork makes the whole thing work.
Communicating. I can’t think of a more valuable skill for managers and leaders than the ability to communicate up, down, and across the organization in a way that everyone understands. The words you choose, and more importantly, how you say it and go about doing it, will be the catalyst for action or inaction. Choose carefully.
Educating. Managers and leaders will not be judged by what they know; they will be judged by their ability to teach others what they need to know. The purpose of learning is growth, and our minds, unlike our bodies, have the capacity to learn new things. Adults can learn new things. Create a positive, nurturing environment that is conducive to learning.
Delegating. Delegation should be a relatively simple process of assigning tasks to others. The ability and willingness to delegate effectively are essential for carrying out your duties and developing the people around you, but few managers and leaders do it well. If you fail to delegate some of your responsibilities to others, you are robbing them of the opportunity to grow, and you won’t have time to do the things you should be doing.
Worth Remembering – You establish some objectives, provide them with some incentives, teach them what they need to know and don’t direct the detailed way they do their work. – Packard.
I recognize that not everyone is born a great manager or leader, nor does everyone have the skills to manage and lead others. But I do believe you can learn how. Your success in managing and leading others will not be based on your technical ability. It will be based on your ability to connect, communicate, educate and delegate. Become the leader your team needs.
Copyright 2026. Brian Smith – Power Link Dynamics. Not to be reproduced without permission. Are you searching for a keynote speaker for your next event or planning an in-person training session? Brian specializes in soft skills training and leadership development. He works with people who want to learn to communicate and interact more effectively with others, build collaborative teams, resolve conflicts or motivate people to perform at their best.
Brian Smith - Power Link Dynamics 