The Most Important New Year’s Business Resolution – Communication
How many times have you sat in a brainstorming session, or received the recommendations from a cross-functional task force, or had a conversation with a front line employee and were dismayed to find out that most of the people who work for your company think that “no one ever tells them anything”?
One of the most common problems in business is poor internal communication. It is almost ironic in today’s world with more ways to communicate than ever before, but it is still true.
To be successful, businesses need all employees to work with energy and focus toward a common goal. For employees to do so, they need to know these things about the business:
- Why does the business exist?
- What are the company’s core values?
- What value does it provide its customers?
- What is the strategy for success?
- What are the key indicators of success?
- How does my role impact our success?
- What rewards will I reap from our success?
- What are the expectations of me and how will my performance be evaluated?
Ask yourself, or better yet, ask your employees if they know all the answers to these questions. If not, it’s time to improve communication within your business. It is one of the most important things you can do, and it does not need to be as complicated as most people think. Here are some suggestions to get you started:
: Craft your message by answering the above questions in as few words as possible. Make it simple and genuine.
: Schedule regular employee meetings. The best way to communicate your message is in person in a setting that allows for questions and discussion. If your company is small enough to get everyone together in one room once a month, then do it. If not, other options are to hold a series of smaller group meetings on a quarterly basis; or if your employees are spread out over multiple locations, you can hold monthly conference calls. Large companies with multiple locations often use webinars.
Each meeting should contain a short, simple and genuine update on the foundational questions listed above. It is also a good time to bring attention to best practices exhibited by employees or departments.
The operative word here is “regular”. Many companies that begin holding employee meetings allow them to fall by the wayside. This is a mistake. Holding regular employee meetings is an investment in time that will pay off in productivity and quality as long as the message is communicated simply and genuinely.
: Create an electronic repository of information that you want your employees to have. This can be as simple as putting documents into a shared file on your server or as sophisticated as creating an intranet. The important thing is that your mission, your core values, your Hedgehog Concept if you have one (and at the Vann Group, we recommend that you do), key indicators, etc. are easily accessible electronically.
If you or anyone in senior management cannot answer the foundation questions above, or if senior managers have different answers to them; then call the Vann Group. We will help you craft a strategy that sets you apart from your competition, articulate your core values, identify your key indicators and align your business operations so that everyone understands the role they play in your collective success.
Capitalization
Hopefully, you are kicking off 2008 with a strategic plan that will serve as your blueprint for success, and your company is properly capitalized to execute your strategic priorities.
If you have questions about capitalization, you’ll find two white papers on our website worth reading. The first, “The Art of Obtaining OPM (Other People’s Money)”, and the second is the recently posted “How to Obtain Bank Financing”. You’ll find them at http://www.vann-group.com/learning_center.asp.
If you have any questions about these white papers or anything you’ve read in this edition of the Vann Group Journal, please call:
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