Managing People - Communication
The Rules of Success

The Rules of Success

In business the three rules of success are: communication, communication, communication!

1. Communication with employees
2. Communication with executive team
3. Communication with customers

Every chapter of this book is built on this basic need to communicate. A business needs to communicate all aspects of its business to all of the participating members.

Communicating with employees is the most difficult aspect of most organizations. The common feeling is, we hire them, they do what we want. To a point. Sometimes you don't know what you want, or maybe what you want is not really the best thing for the business. You must begin to encourage, support, and embrace communication with, to, and from your employees, who have the greatest knowledge of what is really happening. When you listen to the employees you will learn more than you ever imagined. When you listen, and when you communicate your understanding of what they have told you, they will see that they are recognized as valuable partners in the business. Your simple act of listening and communicating back to your employees will bring you more highly motivated employees as well as employees who will begin to think more creatively and more strategically.

Communicating with your executive team is critical for ensuring that they articulate and communicate the company's message and values to the employees. It is with your executive team that you develop your communication strategies and policy statements. When you clearly communicate your vision to your executive team and when they are able to understand and espouse your message, you are well on your way to a successful company. Now that your entire team shares a common language the team can and will speak with one voice. It is very important for customers and for all employees to hear the same words and meaning coming from all the members of the executive team.

An important component of communicating with your executive team is your ability to have the group reach consensus. You will depend on these key players to set policy and chart strategic directions. There will be times when you will have honest disagreements within your executive team. Your ability to foster honest dialogue and to reach consensus on the best course of action will be critical to your success as a leader and to the success of your business.

You will have reached consensus when all members of your executive team have been heard through meetings that are frank and honest. The dialogues must allow for all views to be presented and considered and all available information shared among all the members. All members of the executive team should feel as though they own the team's decision, and all members must agree to support the decision even if it is not exactly what a specific member wanted.

Communicating with customers is the ultimate challenge. The successful manager is able to serve as a positive role model for employees to learn how they can best deal with customers, both internal and external.

Many times managers fail to recognize their roles as coaches in the professional development of employees. Managers who are skilled at communicating with customers will, in most cases, be equally skilled at communicating with employees. Communicating with customers is an extension of good employee communication. The same habits and skills used in employee communication are needed to successfully communicate with customers. Companies who communicate with customers by listening to the customers are the most successful businesses. Customers have very simple needs. They want what they want when they want it.

When a business listens to the customer as part of the communication cycle, it is guaranteed success. When a business listens to what it thinks the customer is saying, it is gambling with success. The successful business is able to clearly understand the needs and expectations of the customer.