Building a competitive company

We have three big levers to pull. Our marketing strategy, the people we're going to do this with, and the management systems, (both soft and hard) that will hold it all together. The thinking at the top is most critical. One right decision can effect the entire health of the company. One policy decision, a misunderstanding of customers, a wrong choice in people, all have long reaching impact.

Thursday, 2 February 2012

"Of course I love you. I bought you a house didn't I?"

I always felt people who complained about communication problems just weren't committed. Where there is commitment, communication seems to happen on it's own. Where there is love, people make love. Where there is no love, people go to therapy and engage in communication. Even in our personal life it's never about communication, it's about commitment.

Though that might be true, it's also true that great managers tend to be great communicators. They get their message across and move their team in the direction they want. For that reason, on February 22nd, my subject is "How Great Managers Communicate."

Managers get into trouble over communication in several ways. Most obvious, the team isn't clear on direction and afraid to ask. Closed culture managers where openess takes a back seat to formality. Unassertive managers who think they communicate by avoiding, delaying and dropping hints. Indecisive managers who stock pile their issues for end of the month when they blow up at everybody.

The world seems to agree that 75% of what managers do includes communication. When employees quit, they quit their manager, not their company, making retention a bigger issue than it was last year. Our economy is growing again in 2012. Manufacturing, building trades, engineers, HVAC and other areas suffer talent shortages now and it's going to get worse.

A contractor client, complaining to me about his wife, said, "I told her. I'm not going to keep telling you I love you. I bought you a house and I think that's enough."

He's divorced now. I guess communication plays a bigger role than I want to admit.

See you for breakfast,
Wolfgang

p.s. See brochure information for Feb. 22nd seminar, "How Great Managers Communicate" go to . . . 

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