Leaders, when it comes to communication, it’s far better to over-communicate. I recently heard the phrase “be annoyingly clear,” and that really stuck with me. It’s better to be annoyingly clear than to under-communicate.
When you over-communicate, you remove space for rumors, outside voices, speculation or anything else that can create confusion and distraction. By overcommunicating, you own the narrative.
You truly can’t communicate too much. I sometimes joke that I’m not just the CEO, I’m the CRO: the Chief Repeating Officer. Repeat the message. Then repeat it again. And again. It takes people hearing something multiple times before it really sinks in and sticks.
When you don’t do this, when you say something once and assume everyone has it, you leave room for misinterpretation. People start filling in the blanks, sharing their own versions of what they think they heard, and before long, a new narrative takes shape.
Clear, consistent communication isn’t optional for leaders; it’s essential. So remember to over-communicate and be annoyingly clear. Hopefully, I’ve been exactly that in this message.
