In a new business there are always lots of things going on. At least, there should be if things are moving along. If you are the only one involved in your business then communication is easyyou just look at yourself in the mirror every morning. But it is far more likely that there are several people involved.
Copyright (c) 2009 Soaring Eagle Companies LLC
In a new business there are always lots of things going on. At least, there should be if things are moving along. If you are the only one involved in your business then communication is easyyou just look at yourself in the mirror every morning. But it is far more likely that there are several people involved. These people may be anything from investors to vendors to employees. The more people you have involved, the more effective communication becomes essential.
Effective communication means several things. It means that you are actually communicating what you want to communicate. In other words, you are clear and everyone understands what you are saying. Second, it means that you are reaching everyone that you need to reach and you have someway to confirm that they actually did get the message. Third, everyone is actually getting the message. They are either reading the message, listening to it, or watching it. If, for some reason, they didn't understand the message or they have questions, they know how to get clarification. Effective communication can be particularly challenging when everyone is in different parts of the country, but it is also even more important in those circumstances. Nothing is more disturbing than sitting you home office 1,000 miles away from the main office and not hearing anything for days at a time.
Following up on a message is also critical. You send out a message, everyone gets it, everyone understands it. If the message indicates that you will be doing something in the future, you have to be absolutely sure that you follow-up and do whatever it was you said you would do. If you have to change the plan, you need to communicate that change as soon as possible.
If there are problems of any kind that affect people, the business, or anyone associated with the business, you need to communicate those problems and the reasons for them, as much as you can. There is nothing worse than being in the dark. Lack of communication about problems or potential problems can lead to rumors, and panic. The last thing any new business (or any business for that matter) is fear. Fear in business is almost always the result of rumors and lack of communication.
Communication from the top keeps people from speculating. If you hear a rumor, be sure to address it immediately. If you ignore rumors they can spread like a weeds and take on a life of their own. More than one company has been destroyed by the rumor mill.
It is very easy to get caught up in the day-to-day issues involved in running a business and just feel like you are too busy to talk (or communicate) with anyone. By keeping the lines of communication open, effectively communicating and listening, you can keep you business on track and the people associated with your business engaged and involved in a positive way.
Recipe for Trouble:Documentation (or Lack Thereof)
We all like to trust people and we would like really be much better of if people always did what they said they would do. But we all know that this is not always the case. If you are a business owner, you can find yourself in deep trouble if you do not document.
Recipe for Trouble: IT
Depending on how dependent your company is on computers, IT (or information technology) can be your biggest ally or the biggest thorn in your side. While people tend to refer to IT for anything that involves computers, information technology can encompass a very large variety of business needs from servers to websites. There is no one-size-fits-all IT professional any more than there is a one size fits all employee of any type.
Water is Water Right? Wrong!
We all know that we should probably be drinking more water. We have all heard the health benefits staying hydrated. But we get busy and we forget to drink. So we stop by the drinking fountain and take a quick sip or hit the office water cooler and we think we are getting the hydration we need. But hydration is not even enough. We also need the proper trace minerals.
