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Greetings!
How would you like to improve the productivity of your staff? Improve
the ability for everyone on your team to be able to solve the daily
problems they face? Promote creativity and increase efficiency?
Create a better working environment that promotes strong working
relationships and higher personal satisfaction? Unless you are
running the most successful business in America (if so, can I have a
job?), then the answer is most likely "Yes, I would like all of those
things." And let's ask those same questions, but change the focus from your business to your family. How
would you like your family to get along better? Improve the ability
for everyone in your family to be able to solve their problems?
Promote creativity and help everyone reach their goals? Create an
atmosphere of trust and caring throughout your home and have everyone
happy to be a part of the family? Again, unless you are living
at home with two goldfish and a turtle, I'm guessing the answer is
another resounding "Yes, I would like those things too." And what if I told you the answer was simple? Open Communications
Unfortunately,
as I've said time and again, simple is not always easy. In fact, when
it comes to communicating, most of us (including myself) have a lot of room to improve. So, in order to give you some tools to work with, and maybe even a jewel that will make a real difference, we are focusing this month's newsletter on just that - communication. JJ Reich CEO, Impossible Futures "The problem with communication ...
is the illusion that it has been accomplished."
George Bernard Shaw
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Open Communication Leads to a Great Business
By JJ Reich  Committed employees with lower absentee and turnover rates.
Suppliers that trust you and find ways to help you run your business better.
Customers that choose your business again and again, as well as recommend you, your products and services everyday to their friends, family and neighbors.
Would any of these 3 things help you run your business better?
Of course they would. What all of these things have in common is that they are built around strong relationships between the business (owner) and it's stakeholders - employees, suppliers and customers.
That's right, in essence, owning a business is about building and maintaining relationships. No question about it. And whether you are talking about building and maintaining long term relationships with your employees, your customers or, your suppliers, if you can't do it consistently, you will not survive long. That may sound simple, but you don't build "relationships" that work over night. Strong, mutually beneficial relationships require time and open communications between the parties involved.
Unfortunately, very few small business owners really understand this idea. And it's their lack of understanding of this concept that consistently costs them their business, and often their happiness and sanity along the way.
So how does open communication help build the relationships critical to business success?
There are many ways that it does, but I just want to discuss three very basic ways right here:
- Open communication builds trust. Trust is the foundation of enduring relationships - without it, no relationship can provide a mutually beneficial, long term environment. And the building block to creating that trust is open communications.
- Open communications builds alignment of thought - shared vision. We're not just talking about one way communication from business owner to stakeholder, sharing ideas and vision. Real communication is two-way. The more both sides are able to feel their ideas and opinions are valued in the process, the more they will align themselves with the decisions and direction of the business.
- Open communications helps alleviate fear. As many of my clients have heard me say, most emotional responses (regardless of how they are presented under stress) are built from fear. And the natural enemy of fear is education. So the more information you share with the stakeholders involved in your business, the less fearful of the unknown they will be - and the more likely you will have them on your side rather than fighting against you, every step of the way.
Learning to communicate is a life long journey. Every situation and every relationship is a little different. But if you can do a couple small things well, then you will very quickly become a strong communicator and build relationships like you didn't think were possible.
So now you know why, let me give you a couple small things you can do right now to make a difference:
Watch and listen more than you talk: Many business owners think they know everything. They think they have all the solutions (or the solutions don't exist). They know what their employees should be doing, what their customers need and / or want, and of course they know what they need from their suppliers.
But stop and think - didn't you also know every thing when you were a teenager? And haven't you started to realize as you have "matured" that you didn't. And if you would have just listened a bit more to those around you, who knows what would have happened.
Remember, we were given two eyes and two ears
and only one mouth for a reason -
so we would listen twice as much as we talk.
Open up and allow yourself to be vulnerable: Vulnerability doesn't make you weak - it makes you a human and in the eyes of your team, it makes you more trustworthy. You can't do everything! If you could, you wouldn't need anyone to begin with. People want to be apart of something bigger than themselves - but they also want to know that their participation matters. If you want your staff, your suppliers and your customers to believe in your vision when you share it and to commit to it, let them know that you can't do it alone. Tell them that you need them - that you need a strong team that will help the business become what it is truly capable of becoming.
Share everything about your business you possibly can: Whether it be with your employees, your suppliers, or your customers, most people are surprised how much sharing knowledge comes back to them. They are surprised at how it returns in commitment and loyalty as well as money in the pocket. The more people can understand how they fit into the big picture of your business, the more they will do what they can to make your vision a reality.
Become of student of communication: If you learn nothing else from reading this article, then learn that there is more to communicating than meets the eye. They say that of all communications, 70% of it is listening. And of all the basic forms of communicating, nearly everyone has had countless hours of training in reading, writing and speaking (all the way through school), but less than 1% of the population has any formal training in listening. Recommended reading on the subject includes: Crucial Conversations by Kerry Patterson, How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie, and The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven Covey.
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Tip of the Month
Listen First!
And Listen Empathetically!
"Listening
is a magnetic and strange thing,
a creative force. The friends who
listen to us
are the ones we move toward.
When we are listened to, it
creates us,
makes us unfold and expand."
Next time you find yourself in a passionate discussion or maybe even a heated argument, try something different. Rather than arguing your point of view and putting the other person on the defensive, listen to what they have to say. I don't mean "shutting up" while they are talking - I mean listen. Turn off the TV and the computer screen. Don't think about what you want to say next. Don't think about what you're having for dinner later. And definitely don't stare off into the sunset, waiting for the noise to stop. Just listen to them. And, if you manage to stay focused on the words for more than a minute or two, try to listen past the words and hear the meaning and feelings behind the words. I know, it sounds hokey. And you are probably asking yourself, How am I going to win the discussion or argument, if I all I do is listen? I've got to give my opinion in order to change their mind.
But when you listen first and ask sincere questions about what the other person is trying to share, you might be surprised by what happens. By listening first, you are demonstrating that you care about them as individuals - what they say and how they feel matters to you. And believe it or not, you are building trust. You are demonstrating to them that it's not an argument that you are trying to win, but rather a winning solution you are trying to find with them - the right solution. And believe it or not, when someone trusts you, they actually begin to want to hear your opinion and gain your advice. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow. But if you continue to practice the art of listening first, you will be surprised at the influence you gain - simply by building trust.
"The
reason why so few people are agreeable in conversation is that each is
thinking more about what he intends to say than about what others are
saying, and we never listen when we are eager to speak."
Francois La Rochefoucauld
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If
you are interested in learning more about how to listen better, please call toll-free at 888-439-6843, ext 101 to book a free, no obligation, consultation.
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Active Entertainment is a business borne out of great friendships between six twenty-something Men in South Philly. Each partner brings unique skills to the table and the company was created when they all realized that together they could fulfill a big need in the Philadelphia Entertainment market.
Mission Statement
Active Entertainment Inc. is here for those who are connected to the tri-state area's NIGHTLIFE SCENE. We supply information about possible nightclub & restaurant endeavors on our website. We plan, execute and promote unique events for our attendees to enjoy. We give our attendees and promoters an opportunity to organize their own events through one of our divisions called the "50/50 Club". We staff promotional models & dancers from our "Active Angels" department to the owners of nightclubs and promotional companies. Active Entertainment Inc. invites all of you to explore our exciting world of your every nightlife need!
Right no, Active Entertainment is a small start-up business with a great strategy. But watch out Philadelphia! This team of young professionals are driven, passionate and you can bet they will soon be
The Talk Of The Town
when people discuss what to do for fun in Philly. If you have any questions, about Active Entertainment, visit their website, www.activephilly.com or send them an e-mail to info@activephilly.com.
"JJ has really opened my eyes about business.
He has had a huge
impact with our entire team.
Thanks to him, through his leadership and motivation,
we are moving forward to the right path."
Dave Suro
Deputy Director of Operations,
Active Entertainment, LLC
With JJ as our coach, I have realized the impact that strong
leadership has on the productivity of our whole team.
He has kept us focused not only at improving the
quality of our product, but also kept us focused on
long term growth through strategic planning.
Thomas Ringe
Marketing Director,
Active Entertainment, LLC
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