Communication Doesn’t Have to Be Perfect. It Simply Has to Exist.

Communication is one of those words that sounds so basic and simple but it is often the piece that is missing the most. Think about your last disagreement. Could clear communication have solved or prevented it?

Have you ever worked on something, but then found out that your co-worker, partner, or peer was doing something identical or shockingly similar? To avoid those sorts of common snafus, clear communication of roles and responsibilities and transparency of activities is critical.

Can you remember a time that you had an exciting idea you couldn’t wait to start, loved the creation process, and then never finished it? Going forward, how do you hold yourself accountable?

Communication is the basis of accountability. 

Leverage other people, and tell them what you’re doing. Once you communicate it, you are accountable to follow through with that activity or process.

But what if the communication isn’t perfect? It’s easy to agonize over the way you communicate, the exact words used, and the classic conundrum of ‘should have, could have, would have.’ 

Here’s the key: the communication doesn’t have to be perfect. It simply has to exist.

Ironically, it’s easy to create more problems trying to communicate something perfectly. The perfect moment does not exist and if you wait for it, your communication will be too late and others will wonder why you’ve never said anything at all.

Here are two easy ways to start communicating better today:

• Recognize the next time clear communication could have saved time or grief. Acknowledge it and learn from it so that you can improve next time.

• Do you know something that someone else may not? Would it help them if they knew? If it’s not confidential, then share the knowledge! A helping hand is sometimes the best thing we can offer to someone else.

Cheers to the next step. If you’re having trouble with communicating in your organization, reach out to the team at Poka-Yoke Solutions: The Ops Agency.