Model:
Summary:
As business goals or projects increase in complexity, the importance of explicit communication becomes paramount. Clear and direct communication ensures that all team members understand the multifaceted elements of the project and their specific roles within it. This reduces the risk of misinterpretation and errors, facilitates coordination among different teams, and helps in the tracking of progress against objectives. When expectations, milestones, and potential issues are articulated explicitly, it enables a more efficient allocation of resources, timely decision-making, and ultimately contributes to the successful achievement of the complex business objectives. Explicit communication acts as a scaffold, supporting the structure of complex tasks by ensuring everyone is working with the same information and towards the same ends.
- Implicit in Business:
- Indirect Communication: Implicit strategies in business might involve suggesting ideas or goals without stating them outright, relying on employees to understand and act upon these hints or suggestions.
- Inference and Interpretation: Employees or teams are expected to infer objectives or strategies from the general guidance or from the observation of other decisions and actions within the business.
- Subtlety in Strategy: Implicit approaches can include subtly steering a team towards a goal without explicit instructions, relying on the company culture, precedent, or the unspoken understanding of the team's direction.
- Examples: An executive might implicitly indicate a shift in strategic focus through changes in resource allocation or praise of certain projects, rather than stating the new focus directly.
- Explicit in Business:
- Direct Communication: Explicit strategies in business involve clearly stating goals, expectations, and procedures. There is no ambiguity in what is expected or desired.
- Clear and Specific Instructions: Businesses use explicit communication to outline specific targets, roles, responsibilities, and methods to ensure everyone is on the same page.
- Straightforward Approach: Business objectives, policies, and rules are communicated in a straightforward manner to avoid misinterpretation and ensure that all team members have the same understanding.
- Examples: A manager setting specific sales targets for their team, a company handbook detailing policies and procedures, or a direct statement from leadership about the company’s strategic direction are all examples of explicit communication in a business setting.
In the business context, the difference between implicit and explicit approaches often reflects the level of directness and clarity in communication and strategy implementation. Implicit methods rely on interpretation and subtlety, while explicit methods are direct and clear.
Resources:
Scaling People - Claire Hughes JohnsonQuotes:
“Unspoken expectations are premeditated resentments.” — Neil Strauss