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have communicated to them.

The problem with communication is the illusion that it is complete. George
Bernard Shaw.

Although no one can know with complete certainty how his or her message
is being received, the best communicators usually have a strong awareness
of the situation in which they find themselves, and are good at reading the
people with whom they are communicating. The key is their ability to

adapt their message to their “audience” without missing a beat.
Furthermore, good communicators value brevity and clarity, working hard
to make their words count.

Exercise 15: Assessing Communication Competence.

Go to the following website to self-assess your communication
competence using the Spitzberg & Cupach quiz:
http://www.austincc.edu/colangelo/1318/interpersonalcommunication
competence.htm.

Demonstrates a collaborative orientation

The traditional hierarchy of leadership in organizations has been focused
on commanding and directing staff. This is increasingly evolving into staff
empowerment. With this empowerment comes the need to figure out how
to get people to “grab hold and run with the ball that is being handed to

them.” 114 This requires developing a collaborative structure that facilitates
team-based decision-making. Collaboration is a competency that usually
needs to be developed, since it is not part of our normal way of dealing
with organizational activity (or even our personal relationships).

The attitude and competency of a leader in dealing with others can greatly
help set the tone for collaboration and teamwork within a group or within
the organization as a whole. For example, a leader can bring the group
together to discuss ways to work more effectively as a team, such as:

114 Ken Blanchard, Self Leadership and the One Minute Manager, William Morrow & Co.: New York,
2005, p. xiii.

David Kolzow 103