Business Blunders...and how to avoid them by Kerry Kyriacou

Half your employees do not know the strategy they are supposed to be following!

And worse still this tends to be the people who deal with your customers!

So what’s causing this problem? With the increasing means of communication, company methods are becoming increasingly inconsistent.

The message is not specific, leading to confusion and a lack of understanding amongst employees.

Effective communication is the lifeblood of a successful organisation.

It reinforces the organization’s vision, connects employees to the business, helps facilitate change and drives the results of the business.

Consulting with your employee’s does take time and money but consistent and effective communication also achieves excellent results.

• Greater morale leading to a lower turnover of employees and reduced costs in training and recruitment.

• Employee commitment and job satisfaction

• Increased productivity because employees understand the objectives and targets required of them.

• The provision of accurate information avoids the high cost of rework and overcomes misunderstandings on policy, change and strategic planning.

• Improved management and employee relations enforces acceptance by the employee regarding management decisions and change.

• Achieves a consistent approach and strategy to the business.

Companies who communicate effectively have a 19% higher market premium.

Implement a consistent approach to communicating successfully: Face to face options:

• One to one discussions appropriate for issues specific to the individual

• Group or team meetings, includes discussion and feedback, best suited to small

companies

• Large scale meetings to present the business performance or strategy

• Cascade meetings are a basis for briefings to small groups

• Inter department briefings promotes a unified approach, usually within a larger

business

Also implement written methods of communication:

• Company newsletters presents information about the business and its people

• Notice boards encourages communication between employees

• Intranets, stores company information in a structured way for employees to access

• Email-communicates with employees in different or isolated locations

• Company handbooks combines company and job related information

Effective communication is a leading indicator of improved financial performance andemployees working towards a common goal.

Make sense now? Let’s communicate!”