The Real Meaning of 'Situational Fluency'

Chances are that if you've engaged with peers and acquaintance about their skill sets and capacity to communicate with other leaders and stakeholders, the notion of 'situational fluency' may well have come to the fore.

So what exactly does 'situational fluency' mean, after all?

Well, as with many executive leadership attributes, it's a matter of perspective. Only in this case, perspective is what defines how a business manager views a condition in the enterprise, how they engage with those involved, and what they do to adapt their experience and know-how in the search for solutions and answers.

Being situationally fluent in some circumstances may amount to nothing more than knowing when to speak up, and knowing when to listen. In people terms, it may well determine how a leader should engage with others to get to the heart of a challenge or to enlist their support and inspire them to higher performance. Still, in others, it's a matter of applying part of oneself and what one knows to an issue that requires far more intelligent and specialised voices to frame next steps.

Being fluent means far more than being willing to add something to the conversation. It requires a leader to be committed to learning about the situation and leveraging his or her perspective to create breakthroughs that deliver improved business results.

It's easy for anyone to say they bring situational fluency. Yet particularly in times like these, talk is cheap and such measures of personal leadership are far better measured through the eyes and experiences of others.

Ideally, if one is truly capable of dealing with people, on challenges and in forums with myriad and complex possibilities, he or she is smart enough to know that a continually informed perspective and an open mind are the keys to elevate the conversation.

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