Who else needs to know this?

This is the phrase that Melanie Haisley printed out on paper and has stuck on the pin board above her desk - why you may ask? In order to remind her to communicate all relevant pieces of important information to the people who need to know it. CDSS, like many other businesses, strives hard to communicate effectively but doesn't always get it right. So this is just one of the small changes that they have made in an attempt to communicate more effectively.

Melanie writes...

Often when you mention the word "communication" you can see people's eyes roll, shoulders sag and hear the large sighs. Communication is one area of business that can be overlooked or neglected, despite its paramount importance to the daily running of a successful company.

So to be blunt and probably tell you what you DON'T want to hear - There is no quick fix. Communication has to be worked at. Communication isn't easy and with all of the work that we already have I am sure many people think "I don't have time for this!" However, like many things that are hard work, the end result is definitely worth the effort and the rewards can not only save you time (in the long run), and therefore money, but will also assist with some of those intangibles that we all wish for in business: staff engagement, ownership of issues, buy-in and support from staff, goodwill, positive feedback and job satisfaction.

So the only other bit of bad news that I want to impart before moving on to some of the practical solutions, is that the busier you are, the more you need to communicate. The upside is that there are numerous way to communicate with colleagues and clients alike and it is just a case a finding the way which suits you (and them) best and trying to stick to it.