Clear Communications. Is it asking for too much?
Clear communications, is it asking for too Much? Apparently so.
I did not hear that…
I thought you meant something else…
I forgot…
I told you I couldn’t…
The manager said to do….
The client said….
I could not finish on time so I ….
You never told me that so I …
And on it goes…costly time consuming, client destroying, profit eroding errors, because we do not communicate carefully, clearly, specifically, adequately.
I am not going to teach you how to communicate successfully, we all know how, we just do not do it. However I will point out to you some frequently missing components, ways to prevent bad communications and support clearer communications.
Why not:
- Ask If the directions were fully understood.
- Ask the listener to repeat them to make certain the communication was received as intended.
- Do it in writing, what a novel thought, takes time but prevents failure in the long run.
- Have systems in place, in writing, that assure successful repetition.
- Create interim inspections of the process to assure accuracy. ( isn’t that a managers job?)
- Train, train, train, do not reinvent the wheel for every situation.
- Develop key indicators, and quality control benchmarks to support success and to make reporting more effective. It does not have to be an investigation every time someone gets confused.
- Organize teams so no one has to do it alone, each team member can help each other…team success, is more valuable then individual success.
- Incentive based rewards for successful performance works.
It can be done. Effective communications can be a hallmark of your business which will result in greater success and a more profitable business model. It is basic but if we are not succeeding in communicating successfully, how can we possibly succeed as a business.
