One of the challenges that all businesses seem to have to some degree, is miscommunication. As businesses grow and become more complex the need for employees and departments to communicate amongst themselves is more critical.  Bigger problems seem to grab our attention first therefore increasing the age old problem of miscommunication.  Sometimes in order for a company to go forward they need to step back and focus on the basics, such as communication. If you think this is confined to certain industries, you would be mistaken. Meaning, if you have been married or in a relationship for any length of time, you have either been on the giving or receiving end of this, probably more than once.  Communicating unclearly or mistakenly often results in walls being built within departments or distance and mistrust being created in relationships.

What you say is the big deal about miscommunication? How much damage can it really do to an organization?  Look no further than Toyota for an example of the damage that can be done.  Who could forget all of those news reports or newspaper articles written on the multiple recalls that plagued Toyota? In fact, in the last 12 months Toyota has issued a dozen recalls ranging from floor mats to faulty accelerator pedals to rusted out spare-tire carriers.  According to their former Chief American Spokesman Jim Olson, the root of the issue was miscommunication. Jim writes in a book to be release in November, The Little Red Box of Management “internal distrust and flawed communication are the root causes of its current crisis.” There was a clear division between Toyota’s decision making and execution teams.  Jim argues that this slowed the company down and prevented communication and planning within Toyota. The results were obviously devastating to the family members of those hurt or killed in accidents caused by these problems. Time will tell but these problems could also have a devastating effect on the future health of Toyota.

I recently experienced miscommunication on a personal level and from this realized that no industry is immune from this problem. My father in law was in the hospital in critical condition and it was evident after a couple of days, his team of Doctors were not communicating clearly amongst themselves. This was an extremely difficult, emotional time but to have this miscommunication happen only added stress and confusion, on top of an already delicate situation. The miscommunication surfaced in completely different progress reports that were given to the immediate family. One Doctor would give his diagnosis and then the other Doctor would give a completely opposite diagnosis. It was as if the two doctors didn’t come together and compare notes. This miscommunication led to anger and confusion and eventually resulted in him being transferred to another hospital.  For me what was so surprising was that I didn’t expect to experience this at a hospital, during something as serious as a patient in critical condition.

Good communication is the backbone of any organization. As an organization grows and becomes more complex, there is more opportunity for miscommunication to spread within. You can see from the above two examples, it can have a damaging effect on an organization and its customers. How well do your employees and departments communicate with each other?  Are there any walls that need to come down to prevent miscommunication?
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There is a daily battle that goes on in most people’s email inbox. This battle has to do with trying to keep your inbox current while at the same time responding to and completing tasks associated with emails received. Email can be used effectively to communicate quickly and to a large number of people or groups. At the same time however, it can be a barrier for those trying to communicate to someone who they have never spoken to or communicated with. The email barrier is what you must break through if you hope to get a reply. It can be very challenging to get a prospects attention through email and can lead to both frustration and potential lost business opportunities.  The good news is that there are some ways to increase your chances of making sure your emails do not end up in the trash, but rather are read and responded to.

President and founder of KLA Group, Kendra Lee explains that there are three questions that one asks themselves when they receive an email:
1. Do I have to respond to it right now?
2. Can I delete it?
3. Do I need to hold onto it? 

Our goal is to get the person who receives the email to take action right away. This requires that we not only get their attention but give them a good reason to not delete our email but rather want to read and reply.  Furthermore Kendra has highlighted some great ways that we can make sure our emails break through this email barrier:
1.       Emails should feel like a quick read.
2.       Emails should draw the recipient in with compelling information
3.       Emails should be easy to act on.
4.       The goal of the subject line is to try to hook them in. For example, “Shall we
       meet?” “Can we meet on?”
5.        Emails should have a compelling first sentence. Use a triggering event to
        catch the prospects attention.
6.       The body of the email should look short. Vary the lengths of your paragraphs 
       and use less than 200 words total.
7.       The email should not be about you.
8.       Get conversational with your email and don’t be afraid to drop the perfect
       grammar.
9.       Use a creative signature such as your Linkedin or Facebook profile so that the
       prospects can click through to find out more information about you.

 
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In today’s business environment it is now commonplace for companies to run very lean. This often results in employees having additional daily tasks and activities on top of their normal scope of work. Some of these tasks often present themselves as “fires” that “have to be done right now.” This leads to employees becoming fire fighters and instead of focusing on the most important task, they have to focus on whatever is on fire, at that moment.  As a result, when an employee is approached with a meeting request or to help out on a certain project, they often respond with “I am just too busy to help.” Has this become our standard response now when we are asked to do something?  Are we truly too busy or maybe do we just need a little help in prioritizing our daily tasks? Is there anything that can be done to break this repetitive cycle?

Productivity expert David Allen describes the above dilemma as "the busy trap". This is simply “the pattern of reactively handling the latest and loudest issues, instead of proactively deciding what's the most important thing to work on, at the moment.” He describes all work into two modes: doing stuff and deciding what stuff you have to do.  To work smart, one must be able to balance these two modes. If you react before you decide, you will in evidently be stuck in “the busy trap.”  Take a few minutes to watch this short video created by Gina Trapani from Fast Company, who details how to avoid falling into “the busy trap.”


There will always be interruptions thrown at you in the form of emergencies or requests, that won’t change. What you can change though is how you respond to them. As this short video highlighted, the key to avoiding the busy trap is to make decisions, early and often, about what your priorities are today.  
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The word networking is one of those words that we hear so often, it seems to lose its meaning and importance. What is networking? Dictionary.com defines it as, “a supportive system of sharing information and services among individuals and groups having a common interest.”  To describe it in real life terms, it’s the process of connecting with others with the goal of making them more successful. It has also been described as “the constant process of giving and receiving, of asking for and offering help.” Networking is much more than just getting together with people, it is about strengthening your relationship with others, by giving more than you take.

Networking takes time. This is why it ends up far too often in the “I know I should be doing this but don’t have the time” category. Is it really worth your time though? These days most people would admit you have a much better chance of getting a job or a promotion through networking than you do through the normal application process. As well, for any relationship personal or business, you must put the work into strengthening the relationship. Author Maribeth Kuzmeski in her book “The Connectors” discusses the importance of relationships this way: “Cultivating relationships lead to success in just about anything that we do. This skill must be practiced and trained.” In addition, trust is not built on a single interaction and thus it takes time to prove to the other person that you desire to make them more successful.   

Listed below are some ways to make connecting with others easier and to help you strengthen your relationships:

1.  Use tools that make it easier- Every time you meet someone, follow up with a LinkedIn invitation (rather than an email). This allows the person to see everything about you and them, including shared connections and other information that you might find useful.

2.  “Thoughtful Detail”- When you introduce two people, try to make sure you explain to the other person who this person is, what they do and tell them something about the other person they might be interested in.

3.  Share a meal- If you want to strengthen the relationship with a colleague, customer or friend, get them away from their desk.

4.  Email etiquette- Never use the word “I” in you emails until the third sentence. This is harder than you think so you have to take some time to practice it. This is especially important for   someone you are trying to get a meeting with but that you have never met.

5.  Volunteer- Not only will you feel great about serving but it allows you to make connections and build relationships on a different level.

6.  Be a person of integrity- Make high integrity commitments to yourself and others and more importantly, make sure you keep every one of them.

One of the secrets to success is generosity. How can you start using networking today to make those around you more successful?

 
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