One of the most important areas in any organisation is the standard of the communication within the organisation – and to the outside world! Whether the communication is good – or bad – it will have an impact on your organisation, and particularly on your people.
Sat in our apartment in sunny Lanzarote last week, the only English speaking channel we could find on the television was Sky News. It enabled us to watch the situation with Hurricane Sandy unfolding before our very eyes in theUS– both from before it hit, and the aftermath.
One thing that struck me was the regular, clear communication provided by Michael Bloomberg, the mayor ofNew York. From a few days before the hurricane hit, he was seen communicating with the people of his city. He was warning them of what was to come, clearly stating whether people needed to evacuate, assuring people that whatever preparation could be made was being made, and afterwards telling the people what the effect had been, how they were aiming to deal with it and the expected time it would take. It reminded me of the clear communication from the previous mayor, Rudi Guiliani following the terrible events of 9/11. That city has had 2 people leading them that have led with clear communication channels kept open through difficult periods for the city with its people.
This contrasted with the poor communication concerning one particular issue in the hotel complex in which we were staying. From the second day, there was a problem with the lift. It sometimes stopped level with the floor, sometimes dropped a foot too low, and at other times stopped a foot too high. This made things very difficult for holidaymakers in a wheelchair, or who had difficulty walking. It meant that you had to think about the best route around the complex to get to where you were going while pushing a wheelchair – which now involved going up and down ramps – because if the lift stopped too high or low it would cause trouble getting the wheelchair out. No repairs appeared to be carried out, but on the last day before we came home – some 5 days after the problem started, some action was taken. A sign saying “Out of Order” in 3 languages was put on the lift door! Some communication at last – though fixing the problem would have been better!
Through my working life I have seen examples of both good communication – and bad! I have seen the effect that the standard of communication has had on my colleagues and workmates as well as myself. People want to be kept informed, to know what is happening and how it affects them, and should be afforded that courtesy of open honest communication. Whilst I appreciate that some things can’t be communicated until certain points or decisions are reached – other things should be shared clearly.
If you have a good communicator in your leadership team – please ensure that you make good use of their skills. If not, just be honest with your staff – tell them as it is – whether they like what they are told or not, at least they know where they stand and will be grateful for knowing rather than having things kept from them. When things are kept secret, all kinds of rumours and reasons are dreamt up – and you surely would wish to avoid that!!