Communicate Like a Rockstar

One of the cornerstones of a happy, healthy organization is top-notch communication. Whether you’re a leader seeking to understand and be understood by your employees or part of a team looking to work better with your teammates, straightforward, assertive, constructive communication is essential.

As with many aspects of leadership and teamwork, we can learn a lot from rockstars. 

Sure, when you think of a rockstar, “good communication” probably isn’t the first characteristic that comes to mind. You may think of passion, energy, charisma, or many other descriptions, but “good communicator?” Probably not. 

Turns out, you just need to look a little bit closer to understand that musicians can help us work better. 

Communicate Like a Rockstar

Let’s look to three of history’s greatest musicians/bands for some helpful communication lessons. 

Engage in Active Listening

Too often, leaders focus on being heard rather than listening to their employees. They may invite constructive criticism and feedback, yet when it comes to actually receiving it, they become defensive. In most cases, this immediately severs the flow of communication as employees are either afraid of being punished for speaking up or quickly lose faith that it will do any good. This is worse than never asking for feedback in the first place. 

Fans of the Beatles know that (like any team dynamic), band members didn’t always see eye to eye. However, thanks to a dedication to open lines of communication and listening and taking the other person’s opinions to heart, Paul McCartney and John Lennon created a songwriting partnership that produced some of the most iconic songs of the last 100 years. 

To improve your listening skills, you can:

• Give the speaker your undivided attention. That means no phones, computers, side conversations, watching television over their head, etc.
• Watch their nonverbal cues closely. According to psychologist Albert Mehrabian, 93% of communication is nonverbal. What the person is saying is important. However, it is also essential to pay attention to how they are saying it and their body language while speaking. 
• Check-in occasionally and paraphrase what you heard them say. What we mean to communicate and how other people take it are often two entirely different things. Checking in throughout the conversation will ensure you receive what they intend.
• Listen with an open mind. Too often, we are preparing our rebuttal in our minds while the other person is still speaking. Instead of focusing on what you will say next, hear them out. Seek to understand, with no biases, what they are telling you. Once they are done, it’s time to formulate your response. 

"We were each other’s greatest critics. We’d make suggestions for each other’s songs, and John would be the first to say, 'That’s crap!' or 'That’s great!' It kept us honest and pushed us forward." – Paul McCartney

• Avoid interrupting. There’s nothing that shows disrespect quite like interrupting someone. When you cut someone off or speak over them, you are very clearly stating (whether you intend to or not) that what they have to say doesn’t matter, and you don’t value them or their input. 
• Ask open-ended questions to gather more information. Often, you’ll need more details during a conversation than what is provided. Don’t be afraid to ask questions like “Can you tell me more about that?” to draw out more information and get clarification. This helps you understand the other person and shows them you are paying attention and interested in what they have to say. 
• Manage your emotions by checking in with yourself for feelings of defensiveness and disagreement. If you find any, calm yourself and refocus on the speaker.

Read these tips before you go into your next conversation, and see how you can apply them. 

Conclusion

While you won’t become a perfect communicator overnight, the more you practice active listening and seek to understand those around you, the better you’ll get at it. 

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