Public Service Articles in the pursuit of
Recreational Boating Safety

Communication; Part II
Inter-personal communication increases performance
By Wayne Spivak
National Press Corps
United States Coast Guard Auxiliary

If you were to examine the Coast Guard’s Leadership Competencies list, a single, sometimes invisible thread, connects each item within each group. This thread then connects each group of competencies to another. This invisible thread, winds its way thru the weave and the warp, held together by a frame, that we call the Coast Guard.

What is the philosophical thread? It is the most basic and simple building block of a society, yet it can be the most difficult to master. It is called communication. Communication is the ability to impart ideas, values, mores, and concepts to an individual or a group. Communication, and the ability to convey one’s vision, is at the heart of leadership.

Communication is written, verbal, can also be visual. The lack of communication causes loss of vision; disenfranchisement with the cause; confusion and ultimately a breakdown of the fabric of the group. It is paramount that a leader, at what ever level, be it a section, a flotilla, a group, or a district, understand this basic concept.

Lack of communication with the team leads to low morale, a loss of identity with the group. In today’s age, the high cost of communicating to large groups has effectively been eliminated. The Internet has enabled us to communicate with the many faster and cheaper than ever before.

Our Commandant, Admiral Collins, has used several of these mediums to impart his vision of Team Coast Guard’s mission. The admiral has used the ALCOAST’s, position papers, speeches and even the video “Commandant’s Direction 2002”. Each venue reaches different types of audiences in different ways. All are effective in striving to keep Team Coast Guard on an even keel.

It is up to every individual, every leader to follow this example, not necessarily the venue’s, that the admiral employs. The section leader must make use of those mediums which best work in the given situation of a small group. Communicate, and provide the ability to receive feedback. Because feedback is the chief way, in which you will be able to ascertain whether your communication was effective and/or your vision is sound.

Leaders, need to make sure all constituents, whether they are active duty or civilian, reserve or auxiliary, understand the needs of the unit, the rules, and the direction the group is striving to achieve. They also need to understand, that each group has different channels of communication. Leaders must be aware of these channels and strive for though dissemination of the message.

Inter-personal communication, spanning the gamut from one- to-one communication to one- to- many, is the key to improving productivity, mutual understanding and a shared vision of what the mission is all about. Our leadership competencies are built on communication, because without this vital thread, the backbone of not only the competencies will break, but that of the Coast Guard itself.