Companies spend a ton of time and money on their structural alignment and performance management. We have big, expensive meetings where we design our strategies for the next quarter or year or decade. We map out our vision, our mission, and our OKRs so we understand where we’re all going and how we’re going to measure it. We assign accountability with things like RACI or any of the myriad project management solutions that are out on the market today. We track performance with KPIs and one-on-ones so we know not just who’s supposed to doing what but how well they’re actually doing it.
And that’s all well and good. After all, it’s important organizations are on the same page and that everyone knows what they need to and how that ladders up to the company’s success and future. But if you take a step back and really look at it, it’s all very operational and process-oriented. We often hope that the operational investments and applications will keep our teams synchronized and collaborating.
You probably don’t need us to tell that that’s not how things work in the real world. Effective teams share responsibility, pick each other up, fill in gaps when someone is out on a long vacation. They collaborate. And there’s simply no collaboration without great communication.
Communication skills coaching
At Lingo Live, we’ve always been passionate about communication. We’ve specialized for years in building language and communication skills coaching for non-native and ESL speakers for whom the nuance of culture and language is a real hindrance to their continued growth, folks who have exceptional technical skills but who need a little help making themselves understood and being their full, authentic selves at work. That mission continues today with our announcement of our newest product offering: Lingo Communication Coaching.
Lingo Communication Coaching is designed specifically for the modern workforce. Our goal is to provide skills-based coaching personalized to not just non-native speakers but the new managers and emerging leaders in your organization. Lot of companies struggle with organizational barriers to communication. And all the investment in project management software simply can’t fix that.
What we do is coaching to improve communication skills. After all, smart, collaborative teams don’t build themselves. They need leaders who foster that dynamic, who create spaces where their teammates can express themselves, and where ideas win because they’re good ideas, not because they came from the highest paid person.
The emerging leaders in your organization often need some help creating that environment and at Lingo Live, we know a thing or two about doing that. We’re not here to force people into a box or create cookie cutter managers, but rather to give the emerging leaders on your team the tools that allow them to create that environment the way that’s best for them. Because each of us lead differently. Some people may be naturally funny while others are data-driven and others are naturally inspirational. But no matter the person, there are smart strategies and skills to unlock the dynamics that lead to fruitful and smart collaboration across your team.
As we mentioned above, modern workforces and teams aren’t hierarchical–sure, they have an inherent structure and responsibilities, but the best teams are ones that are open and honest and communicate with confidence, clarity, and authenticity. They have trust, share their perspectives, debate honestly and openly, and make clear commitments. Those aren’t skills we all have, certainly, but they’re skills we can all learn. And it’s our hope to do so for you and your team.
So how does it work? It works a lot like the Lingo Live you know already. We still use focus areas so individuals can choose what they want to improve first. We still champion our task-based methodology, where learners get tangible work that’s directly applicable to their real-world job and the focus of their coaching. We still know that one-on-one coaching, with someone invested in your success, is the best and only way to give truly personal advice and relevant tasks that help your team grow. And we still champion the idea that when everyone can bring their full, authentic self to work, we all do better work, build better relationships, and create better results in everything we do for our teams and our companies.
Communication Skills Coaching was created with your emerging leaders in mind, and so were the focus areas we’re offering. Currently, we have tracks for:
- Better communication
- Social skills
- Moving from individual contributor to manager
- and Difficult Conversations
You can read more about those here and we’ll be talking a lot more about communication coaches in the coming months. But we wanted to share this news as soon as we could. Many of our current customers have asked for just this kind of coaching and we’re incredibly excited about everyone in your organization communicate more effectively, work more collaboratively, and, ultimately, succeed in whatever they want to do most.
If you’d like to discover Lingo Communication Coaching can help your emerging leaders grow and drive real collaboration and success, read this case study and find out how we’ve helped other businesses in the past!
By Tyler Muse, Co-Founder & CEO, Lingo Live
