Micromessaging: Why Great Leadership Is Beyond Words

Who among us hasn't been in a workplace or other environment where it seemed like people were playing favorites? How was it conveyed that some people were "more equal" than others? Stephen Young does a great job of pointing out the many ways that "micromessages" are sent - the head nodding, the way people are introduced, the "great idea" vs looking at one's watch. Most importantly, Young provides a language and framework for noticing and talking about these behaviors so that they can be confronted and dealt with. As Young points out, this doesn't mean that we need to pretend, be nice, or treat all people as though they were brilliant. It is about greater transparency and directness, so that the messages are less covert and more helpful. I recommend this Micromessaging to leaders and future leaders as a way to audit and, most likely, fine-tune our communication styles. A more detailed look at the consequences of the way many managers and leaders deal with performance issues can be found in Set-up-to-fail Syndrome: Overcoming the Undertow of Expectations. Although not limited to micromessaging, Manzoni and Barsoux include some fascinating research on the ways opinions are created and communicated and the ways these opinions and behaviors can either turn into self-fulfilling prophecies or have paradoxical effects (the "problem" employee becomes even more problematic). Micromessaging and The Set Up to Fail Syndrome complement each other nicely and should lead to improved communication, leadership, and performance within your organization (and perhaps even at home).

This book is something that everyone should read. It puts a name and a description on something everyone has felt at some point in their lives. It also gives concrete techniques and tools to assist the reader in managing the ways they communicate and send messages. I am very glad to have read this book and hope everyone else does as well. It is a great resource for the corporate world, the classroom, and your personal life. Micro messages are a critical component and understanding the ways you send these messages and controlling them will benefit you professionally and personally!

Great book. Common sense put into action!! I read it aloud to my wife while driving on vacation. She loved it also.

Micromessages are those subtle - and sometimes not-so-subtle - nonverbal messages that people send through body language, tone of voice and the way they inflect words. Micromessages signal at an immediate gut level how people feel about each other. You can use nice words when speaking to other people, but if at the same time you inadvertently send out negative micromessages, those nonverbal signals will have a more enduring impact than anything you say. Managers, supervisors and other leaders should become avid students of their own facial expressions, styles of personal engagement, body language and other nonverbal communicative attributes. Then they should try to send positive micromessages, not harmful ones that breed resentment and undermine performance. This book is easy to read and understand, but we believe that it delivers an important lesson: Micromessages matter, so mind your unspoken communications. Those small signals have a large reverberation.

I bought this book to help me understand business or the way people interact in a business setting. As a middle manager of a small business that is now part of a big business (aka recently acquired), I have been struggling with change in management, management style and culture. What this book is helping me understand is the messages that come from people in authority and how it impacts the rank and file; and likewise how my own emotions, thoughts and feelings impact the people who report too me. While I have not yet finished the book, it does have me hooked and thirsting for more. As a technologist it also helps bridge the communication gap between technology and business. Being exposed to this subject matter has already opened my eyes to the fact that management and leadership are two very seperate skills. I now understand the power of effective leadership and has given me new thought in developing my career.