“The single biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”
– George Bernard Shaw

It is not uncommon for a communication gap in a business environment to go on for a long time without being addressed.

People are often reluctant to face a communication problem head-on, and often may not even be aware that poor communications is the hidden root cause of a  business problem. If we are out of sync with our business partners or colleagues, and we choose not to discuss our differences, the business can, and usually will, suffer.

When complacency sets in or when we try to ignore a problem, hoping it will go away on its own, no matter how well we try to camouflage the issue and keep things looking “normal” on the surface, we stop maximizing our potential, and the potential of the business.

One of the key factors of sustainable success in any business is being able to is to figure out how to compete in a constantly changing landscape.  Staying on top of that challenge  requires a commitment to an ongoing dialogue between business partners. And that requires coping with communication style differences.

Successful organizations are willing to ask tough questions and engage in ongoing conversation to determine optimal solutions. No matter how smart and independent we are, it is pretty much impossible to succeed by ourselves.

if your leadership team is struggling with getting on the same page- bring in someone to help facilitate a conversation.Or even better, bring in someone to show you how to be better communicators.  Facilitators are trained on how to bring out the best in everyone and break down barriers in a productive, non-threatening way. Sometimes an outside intervention will open up doors that have been shut for years.

Your business is depending on it!

 

Author: Helene Mazur

Written by Helene Mazur

Helene is the founder of Princeton Performance Dynamics, an executive coaching and strategic planning facilitation company for business and non-profit leaders and their teams. Helene’s passion is helping her clients to focus their goals, see new perspectives on their current situation, put in place realistic, motivating plans, and execute to achieve new levels of success.

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