Clint Padgett on Leadership & Team Management: “You have two ears and one mouth: Use them in that ratio.”

In this week’s TechInnovation Talks article, we introduce Clint Padgett, author of How Teams Triumph: Managing by Commitment.

With the world becoming more remote and teams becoming more distant, one thing that companies are struggling with the most is regaining a foothold on effective communication. And it hols a tight relation with leadership and team management.

Clint Padgett is businessman, author of the book “How Teams Triumph: Managing by Commitment“. In this week’s TechInnovation Talks he joins Bruna Lopes, Head of Innovation at MJV, to address several topics on team management and leadership. Read on.

Horizontal Communication: The Importance of Conversation Rather Than Communication

“The single greatest problem with communication is the illusion that it is taking place” – Bernard Shaw.

This is one of Clint’s favorite quotes and it precisely address one of the key issues remote teams are facing in the home office. In order to fix a problem, you must first understand that it exists, and communication is something that teams have struggled with even before being relocated to their living rooms. The way he sees it, the biggest disconnect we have is our relationship with the terms communication and conversation

Clint explains here that the problem with the way we interact within the digital workplace is that communication often takes the form of one-way streets: one side sends a message or updates the other without the key elements that a back-and-forth conversation provides. This can lead to slow responses and, often, misunderstandings between team members.

Clint finalized this point by stating, “It’s always been an issue, but when you start working in the virtual world, where everything is remote, it’s even tougher.”

Clint Pagett on communication: “You have two ears and one mouth. Use them in that ratio”.

So what can we do about these issues involving miscommunication? The solution is actually rather simple, and it all boils down to something we as a society dearly lack: the ability to listen to one another.

Bruna and Clint have extensive experience with leading teams and managing intra-team communication. While no one is a complete stranger to the ups and downs of communication, it’s important to note that this issue occurs in almost every company, no matter how small it may be.

Our difficulty listening might stem from bad habits, but that’s not the only place where behavior like this is consolidated. Most of our actions within a team or company are centered around one crucial pillar: culture. This means that it’s up to leaders to foster positive team culture within their companies. But how do we accomplish that? Bruna Lopes had an excellent solution to that very question:

Regarding leadership and team management, the answers to our problems might seem simple: Listen more than we speak, engage in active conversation, and give feedback or praise whenever appropriate. But the nuances behind applying these practices go far beyond their face value. It takes time, effort, and patience to lead properly, and nowadays, it seems that patience is running thin, effort is fleeting, and time is always running out.

Leading Teams The Right Way: Watch The Full Episode

What we’ve put together for you here is just a taste of this episode of TechInnovation Talks. If you want more, and trust me, there is much more to see; then I suggest you check out the full episode here.

Or, if you’re looking for more top technology and innovation content in general, you can always visit our YouTube channel.