D is for Diligence

 

Fun fact for Spanish speakers: the word "diligencia" can sometimes mean a simple errand or administrative task.
But in English, "diligence" carries a much richer meaning. It combines four closely related ideas:
• applying steady effort,
• paying careful attention to detail,
• persevering over time,
• and, in business, carrying out the careful investigation we know as "due diligence".

There is another meaning worth considering: the diligence we bring to the way we communicate.

We all develop habitual ways of communicating. Over time, these habits either strengthen communication or create unnecessary friction. They influence the quality of collaboration, the strength of our working relationships and, ultimately, the outcomes we achieve together.

In international environments, where English is often the shared language, diligence might look something like this:
1. Repairing communication as soon as you notice misalignment.
Misunderstandings are inevitable. Diligence means recognising them early and restoring clarity before they begin to affect collaboration or decision-making.
2. Avoiding reinforcing habits that cause communication breakdowns.
Every interaction strengthens a habit. Which habits are we, perhaps unintentionally, encouraging?
- Making assumptions instead of checking understanding.
- Responding before fully understanding what is being asked or said.
- Avoiding clarity when greater precision requires more thought and care
- Listening only to reply instead of listening to understand.
The more often we repeat these habits, the more they shape the culture of communication in our organisations.
3. Deliberately cultivating habits that strengthen communication.
Listening carefully, asking better questions, checking understanding, choosing words thoughtfully and remaining open to other people’s perspectives are all habits that fortify productive communication. Over time, they build trust, strengthen working relationships and create the conditions for more effective collaboration.
4. Sustaining the habits that make communication effective.
Communication is shaped less by occasional breakthroughs than by the habits we practise every day. Over time, those habits become part of the way we express ourselves.

Diligence is not about more effort. It is about more thoughtful and careful intentionality in the way we work and communicate.

In what ways has diligence had the greatest positive impact on the way your team works?