CSC Innovation & Technology Culture

What’s one key communication habit you’ve developed and encouraged among your team? 

A leader’s most powerful tool is frequent, transparent communication. Transparency can go a long way in building trust, breaking down communication barriers and creating a healthy workplace culture. Direct, open and honest communication helps teams trust each other and be more effective in their roles. 

A great example of this was when I decided to move to India from the United States to accept a new, short-term leadership role in enterprise technology. Since this career and lifestyle change was both a professional and personal commitment, I relied on the trust I had in my leadership team to stay engaged during this transition. Candidly, my family and friends thought I was out of my mind to take on this challenge, but it has been so rewarding that I’ve happily extended my time, residing in India for two and a half years.

What effect has frequent, transparent communication had on the way your team works and collaborates?

Transparent dialogue builds trust and develops partnerships to inspire positive changes. Open communication also promotes creative and critical thinking within my team, where team members feel safe sharing ideas, collaborating and voicing their concerns. Trust and honesty have helped my team feel valued and respected while enabling them to be more receptive to my ideas and perspectives. Together, we’ve created a collaborative, progressive and innovative global culture.

What advice do you have for other engineering managers who are looking to create healthy communication habits among their teams?

Engineering managers need to clearly convey the organization’s goals, opportunities, and challenges to build trust and foster a safe, collaborative, problem-solving environment for their employees. They should also be active listeners and empathetic with their verbal and nonverbal cues to engage, influence and inspire their team effectively. Finally, to be successful, they should be adept at conveying complex concepts and designs to departments and stakeholders as well as gaining support for their ideas across the organization.