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In any relationship or situation, business or personal, communication is a key factor. If your team communicates well, your chances of success are infinitely higher.

How can you, as a leader, communicate effectively?

Here are three important considerations.

1. Consider who will be impacted.

This includes your leader, team, customers, partners, and possibly outside vendors. It may also include your family and friends if, for example, your focus on work will impact your normal exchanges with them for a time.

While you may not see the need to communicate with so many; the fact is, if they will be needed to help facilitate the outcome or impacted by a decision, communication is required well before the point of impact.

The worst method of communication is when an employee hears from an outside source that a company decision has been made that will affect them personally. Communication must come from within – tell your people first.

2. Consider how they will be affected.

One company made three major changes in the course of a year – an attempted merger, a major relocation, and a new company-wide accounting and IT system that affected every single department and facility in the company.

While arguments could be made for the merits of each of these changes, the company failed to consider the impact this level of change would have on its highly experienced workforce. The company leaders failed to prepare the employees for the changes ahead and provide resources to accommodate those changes.

Instead, the decisions were announced and the leadership team took off full steam ahead, excited about all the changes. Employee morale tanked as the added workload ensued for many, along with the need to travel a longer distance to work, along with the fact that they were having to adjust to working within a questionable company structure.

For many, it was too much. And the company’s failure to consider the impact resulted in the loss of key employees who had simply lost confidence in its leadership.

There are two lessons here: one is to prepare your people for change by communicating with them and finding ways to help them adapt and embrace it; and, two, be wary of making too many major changes at one time.

3. Consider why they need to be included.

In a word, it is all about respect. Open communication with others signals respect for their time, input, and value as a person.

Plainly and simply, lack of communication indicates lack of respect.

In a marriage where the partners do not communicate well, a lack of respect begins to fester. If not addressed, it will be followed by mistrust. And for any good relationship, trust is bedrock. When that erodes, there is nothing left.

Relationships in the workplace have similar needs. Where there is communication, it conveys respect. When someone feels respected, they are more committed to the work, trust leadership decisions more, and genuinely care about the organization’s success.

If you are a leader leading through change, addressing these three simple considerations may determine your ultimate success.

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For more resources on how you can you can communicate well and see amazing results, click here to learn about the Maxwell Method of Communication Impact Report.

As the CEO of Strength Leader Development, Deb Ingino is a highly sought-after international executive mentor, coach, trainer and speaker. Deb is well versed in global business operations and helps business leaders and their teams to discover and leverage their strengths, so they can create highly collaborative teams that deliver great results. With a refreshingly direct style, Deb helps leaders and their teams to deliver profitable results. Connect with Deb to learn more about her mentorship and coaching programs to equip you with advanced strategies to elevate your results.