Communication, The Key to Life - Part 6
Business Communications
This is the final part of this series on Communication. Here are the links to Parts 1-5 for convenience. These should be read first and in sequence, as each part builds upon the previous, like building blocks.
https://josephkerner.substack.com/p/communication-part-1?sd=pf
https://josephkerner.substack.com/p/communication-part-2?sd=pf
https://josephkerner.substack.com/p/communication-part-3?sd=pf
https://josephkerner.substack.com/p/communication-the-key-to-life-part?sd=pf
https://josephkerner.substack.com/p/communication-the-key-to-life-part-762?sd=pf
Getting Agreements in Business
Agreements are the glue that hold together families, businesses and even nations.
Without agreements, life and business are full of conflict and problems.
Gaining agreements reduces potential stressful situations.
If you are a business owner, executive or manager, there is a 13-Step process that works very well in getting full agreement and cooperation from your people.
This process and resulting agreements minimize or even eliminate a great deal of potential stress in the workplace.
Process to Get Agreement and Commitment from Teams
Step 0 - Have the Right People
This process works well on around 80% of the population. This process doesn’t work on the remaining 20%.
Therefore, make sure you have only the right people in your business.
There will be two articles on this very important topic within the week. They will be entitled 8 Steps to Hire the Right People and The Single Greatest Mistake Executives Make.
Step 1
Define for yourself the exact situation or problem.
Get all the information you can to determine the actual situation or problem.
This is your “diagnosis” step. Just as an inaccurate or incorrect diagnosis can lead to a worsening health condition or even death, so will an inaccurate statement of the exact situation or problem lead to the wrong actions (or inaction) being taken, which in turn harm the company and make the situation worse.
Step 2
Ask each person on your team for their information and observations. There are two benefits to this:
Team members will be more engaged, interested and productive in the process
You will get more accurate and complete information if everyone contributes their observations, experience and data.
Step 3
Work out the exact outcome you want create.
What is the exact end result you want to achieve?
What are your objectives and intentions?
Get the exact picture in mind. If the intended end results and outcomes aren’t clear, the team will be unclear as well.
Step 4
Then present the current situation or problem gathered in Steps 1-3 to the person or team.
Present the entire situation to your people. Inform them, get them to see the whole picture.
Step 5
Allow the team to ask questions. Answer all questions honestly and completely. Hold nothing back from your teams.
Continue this until everyone understands the situation, problem or change completely.
Step 6
Don’t try to convince.
Present the situation factually and completely, and allow the team to process the information and completely understand the situation.
Step 7
Ask questions that make them think - more than “Do you have any questions?”
Ask questions that make really think, that get them to consider the situation or problem from all angles.
Questions that make them come up with their own ideas.
Step 8
Invite the person or team to contribute their thoughts, ideas, and possible solutions.
Maintain a safe space for all ideas with no insults, criticisms or competitive attitudes allowed.
Create a “mastermind” environment in which everyone is encouraged to express their thoughts and ideas.
Step 9
Exchange points of view back and forth with the team members.
Step 10
Communicate directly and forthrightly with understanding and patience. Always be real.
Very often, the leader will gain new insights, new information, and good ideas from his or her people.
Until you make the ultimate decision, allow the team to help solve the problem, allow them to contribute their own knowledge, ideas, and expertise to the discussion.
Step 11
If you learn new information, or if your team has come up with good ideas and solutions, then take these ideas or information, and rework the statement of the situation and plan. Go through Steps 1-9 again with the revised “diagnosis,” desired end results and plan.
Step 12
Once you decide on a course of action, present this to your team. Present the complete situation or problem again if needed - this could be the second or third presentation.
Present the plan - especially the end results and goals you are expecting to achieve.
Step 13
During this entire process, observe your people closely.
Look for signs of disagreement, resentment, objections, or outright mutiny. Keep your ear to the ground, your eyes wide open, your antennae out all the way and your senses on full volume.
The worst sign is not a person openly expressing any disagreements or objections. A good leader wants people to tell him or her what they are truly thinking. At least you know where they stand. You won’t be fooled.
It is the unexpressed and hidden resentments, disagreements, objections that are the most dangerous.
These must be brought out into the open, then HANDLED immediately. Even ruthlessly if necessary, as hidden resentments and disagreements quickly become deadly cancers within the group.
Thousands of organizations, armies and nations throughout history have been destroyed by hidden resentments and mutinies that were allowed to continue unabated.
Internal Communications Within A Business
Not only is communication the most vital skill and tool for any leader and executive, but the quality of the communication between management and teams is equally and vitally important. It can be argued that the quality of the communication that occurs in an organization determines the very quality, efficiency, and productivity of the entire organization. By quality of communication, we mean
Frequency of communication. How often do the owner and managers communicate with everyone in the company?
Quantity of information. How much information do the leader and executives give to everyone in the group, how well informed is every staff member at all levels?
The tone and mood expressed in internal communications. Are the communications positive, factual and constructive, or negative, casting blame, criticizing, etc.?
The truth and factualness of the communication
The completeness or incompleteness of the communication
How well do leaders communicate to their executives, how well do the executives communicate with their teams and people, and how well does everyone communicate with everyone? The answers to those questions tell you the quality of the entire organization.
Key questions:
What does the organization tolerate with respect to communication within the group?
How much communication does the organization allow or encourage, or discourage?
What emotional and professional levels are allowed or insisted upon when people within the group communicate to one another?
Are people allowed to say whatever they want in any emotional level they want (which creates conflicts and stress), or are there professional guidelines that are laid down and strictly followed?
To create the most productive and successful organization possible, the frequency and quantity of communication and information should be high.
Everyone in the group should know more rather than less.
Certainly there are times to keep certain information contained to a few trusted individuals. Some information at certain times needs to be kept confidential from everyone other than the individuals who must know. But these confidential withholdings of information should be kept to a minimum. An organization that communicates frequently to its people, that keeps all its people well informed, especially as to the organization’s goals and plans, that presents factual information with no alteration or spin, will most likely achieve its goals and beyond.
Here is a Leadership Principle related to communication:
The purpose and mission must be clearly and completely defined, free and clear of any ambiguities, biases, disagreements, or conflicting intentions. Then this purpose is to be communicated throughout the group, known and agreed- upon by every member in the group. Such communication greatly increases the power of the group and greatly increases its power to achieve its desired goals and end results.
Next in importance is all information needed by people to do their jobs well and achieve their individual, team, department, and organization goals. Information should be factual and complete. If people don’t have all the facts or the complete story, they will make mistakes or produce insufficient or even negative results.
Thus we have another leadership principle:
Everyone in the organization should be communicated with frequently and given full,complete, accurate, and uncolored, unaltered information and reports of existingconditions and situation. All such information is to be free of spin, alteration, or omissions done “for the protection of our people.” People are empowered, strengthened, and more willing to contribute if the organization communicates in this manner. Such communication greatly increases the power of the group and greatly increases its power to achieve its desired goals and end results.
If the organization ever finds itself in a difficult or even dangerous situation or condition, it’s best to let everyone in the organization know the full story of what’s going on. Yes, there will be some concern and worry. And yes, a few people might even start looking for other jobs. But 80-90% of people will respond with a desire to help, to contribute to the solution, to work even harder and with more focus. In fact, letting people in your group know the actual, factual information and situation is an excellent test, an excellent screening process that tells the manager whom he or she can count on and whom he or she cannot.
People are actually empowered and strengthened when they are told the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. People will rise to the occasion and work harder and contribute more and better ideas and solutions if they are told the whole story without spin.
The strongest, most productive, and most efficient groups communicate frequently with their people, give them all the information and truth (with the exception of those infrequent times that secrecy is genuinely needed), and keep the tone and mood of the communications positive and professional but without spin and alteration so as to falsely make the information more rosy than it actually is.
Ask your people for their own opinions, help, ideas, and recommendations. Invite your people to contribute to the success and growth of the organization. Again, 80-90% of people will want to help, will care enough about the health of the organization to want to contribute to its success, and will rise to a higher level in their own work ethic and production.
You will be amazed at people’s responses and accomplishments if you simply communicate to them and invite their help and contributions. 80-90% of people want to help, want to contribute, and want to feel a part of something special. The wise, effective, and great leader cultivates this open attitude and encourages his people to rise to any occasion or situation the group faces.
A group is most successful, then, when it communicates as given in this and previous Communication articles.
There is enormous power in following these communication principles as given in this article. Conversely, communication that violates or is the opposite of any or all of these principles is destructive and will cause an organization to struggle.
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I hope you found a pearl or two from this series of articles on Communication, The Key to Life that will improve your life in some way.
Given the importance of communication, I offer personal, one-on-one coaching and training on communication and leadership.
I’ve started, managed and sold several multi-million-dollar businesses. There are a dozen or so ingredients to a successful business. Communication is the #1 ingredient, and the #1 reason for my success in business.
Communication is also the #1 reason I have had a successful and rewarding life, with three terrific grown kids who themselves are successful, well-balanced, healthy and happy.
Now I help others achieve their dreams and goals as much as I can.
I have identified Communication and Leadership as the two most important ingredients to a fulfilling, happy and successful life - all aspects of life, not just in business.
I offer a two-hour video or phone consultation at no charge. This is a get-to-know-each-other meeting. We can talk about your life, goals, dreams, problems, barriers or anything else on your mind. The very least you will gain from this meeting is a new point of view and outlook on your life.
My coaching and training company is called Ikigai Leadership and Communication.
The business website is www.ikigaileadershipcommunication.com (The website explains the name Ikigai)
Take a look at this site to find out what we can do for you.
My business email address is jkerner@ikigaileadershipcommunication.com. You can message me anytime.