Communication is a Process

Effective communication isn’t important to good management, it’s essential.  Troops can’t execute orders they don’t understand, consumers can’t respond to a confusing advertisement  Great plans can fall apart because of poor communication, so managers should strive to ensure that ideas are communicated effectively.  Thus, in an on-going series, we’ll discuss tactics that improve communication management and minimize the risk of disaster due to poor communication.  Let’s begin with a discussion of what communication is.

Many managers mistakenly believe that it is enough to simply articulate an idea.  Communication is the sum total of the idea being shared, how it is shared, and how it interacts with other ideas, some of which may be exclusive to one party.  It is this last factor, the interactive nature of communication, that requires it to be considered a dynamic, on-going process.

The Process of Identifying and Launching New Products & Companies

The process of launching  a new product or company  is a discipline that anyone can learn and through repetition excel at.  There is a method to the madness.  As entrepreneurs and business owners, developing a competency in the process is one of our primary job functions.   If we want our respective companies to grow and withstand the tests of time, we must systematically build this discipline into our organizations.

There are two approaches to launching new products and companies. The first approach identifies an idea, validates the idea through market research, and then creates a business plan to make the idea a reality.  The entire process is “idea centric.”  The second approach (the one smbZen favors), begins with self-awareness.  It asks: (a) what are our, or our company’s traits and abilities, (b) our combined expertise and training, (c) who do we collectively know, and (d)  as a consequence of these three questions, what can we do?  This approach is entirely “people-centric.”

How to Repair Broken Employee Trust with an Apology

As any good manager knows, trust is harder to build than it is to lose, so it should be carefully protected.  However, even the best managers make a mistakes and do something that breaks an employee’s trust.  Sometimes it’s intentional and we later regret it.  Other times its unintentional and we may not even be aware of what’s occurred until it’s pointed out by someone else.  Regardless, rebuilding trust is a vital skill - perhaps it should be called an art - that can help resolve these situations.

Have no illusions: you cannot successfully rebuild trust without an apology.  While some might be tempted to wield authority and demand respect, a more successful tactic is to swallow a bit of pride and issue a sincere apology.  If done skillfully, an apology can repair even the most damaged relationships and lay a solid foundation for future positive associations between the parties.  At the very least, issuing an apology illustrates that you believe the relationship is valuable and worth continuing.  Of course, for it to be effective, both parties must share this belief.  If not, your efforts will fall on deaf ears (though if you’re really good, the apology can convince them otherwise).

In general, a successful apology takes responsibility for the action that broke the trust and employs empathy and sincerity.  But the best apologies have these additional elements:

Keeping Commitments, The Foundation For Trust In Business Relationships

Contrary to what most people believe, trust is not some soft, illustrative quality that you either have or you don’t rather trust is a pragmatic, tangible, actionable asset that you can create - much faster than you probably think possible. - Steven R. Covey,  author of The Speed of Trust, The One Thing That Changes Everything

Although we may strive to live by certain ideals, we’re not perfect.  Nobody is.  We often struggle with complicated situations personally and professionally.  Our intentions are  complex.  We are bound to make mistakes.  These mistakes, especially those related to trust can have far reaching consequences.  Fortunately, fostering and maintaining trust is also one of the easiest things to do (in my humble opinion).

Build Organizational Trust

In our continuing series on the role of trust in management, we’ve discussed the management benefits of building trust with your employees and described how interpersonal trust can be built.   However, interpersonal trust can take a great deal of work to build and oftentimes even more to sustain.  While such efforts are worthwhile, a more effective manager will also build trust fostering and sustaining mechanisms into the organization.  These “institutional norms, policies, procedures and structures” promote trust throughout the organization (Caproni 2001).  As a result, it’s easier for all parties involved in the organization to establish strong, trusting relationships which in turn yields more efficient and productive organizations.  Read on for more about how to build organizational trust.

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