How Effective is Your Workplace Communication?

Problems with workplace communication are regularly regarded as a major organizational issue in employee surveys. Effective communication can be nearly impossible to achieve when organizations don’t focus on improving the quality of workplace conversations.

 

A global survey has rated workplace miscommunication as the NUMBER ONE cause of workplace inefficiency. While the U.S. leads the way, Canada solidly holds down the #5 spot - Canadian business owners say that better than 1 in 4 business communications are miscommunicated in one way or another. Here are the comparative statistics:

 

USA 53%

United Kingdom 50%

Australia 46%

Asia 48%

Canada 28%

Source: Organizations That Matter Survey

 

Translated into dollars and cents, these huge inefficiencies can cost billions.  Don't let the ‘rumor-mill’ and misperceived instructions dominate the conversations within your organization and cause massive inefficiencies. Your staff (and your bottom line) can benefit from learning critical skills for enhanced workplace communication, such as:

• Learning how to dialogue for clarification
• Discovering how to set specific, measurable, agreed upon, realistic and time framed goals
• Recognizing how co-workers see the world and how they interpret information presented to them.

 

Grab your calculator.  What would a 5% improvement in workplace efficiency do for your bottom line? And a 10% improvement? 

 

Developing the capacity for effective workplace communication can start today! Contact COACH David now! 

 

 

Business Coach David Green

ActionCOACH Lethbridge

actioncoachdavidgreen.com

 

 

Resurrection

It's time for change. For me, for you - for everyone.

I'm resurrecting this blog as I transfer systems and data from one place to another. I hope in the end these changes will streamline all aspects of my online presence and offer my audience a clearer perception of who I am and how Business Coaching functions to achieve great results.

One of the great benefits of having a Business Coach comes from the opportunity to engage with someone who has a bird's eye view of how your business runs. Not steeped in your day-to-day operations, a Business Coach functions to manage overhead progress toward corporate goals through effective systems and strategies. How much a Business Coach becomes engaged in your business depends solely on the Business Coaching program you select, and can be altered to suit the changing demands of your company. Our position, responsibility, and job description rest solely with ensuring that your business is on the path to success.

The best time to re-orient yourself on the road to success and satisfaction is right now. Don't wait any longer - make this day a turning point in your life.

Steady as She Goes

"Steady as she goes" is an order for a helmsman to keep a ship on its current course. The same term could apply easily to a business that is navigating the dangerous waters of growth, diversification, or generational transition.

 

Before you plunge your business toward a period of expansion, fundamental change, or operational shift, did you take the time to map your route? Yesterday I had an amazing crew of people at a GrowthCLUB seminar, where we did exactly that. Plotted our course, measured the distance between points, and made sure the goals and steps of the trip were feasible, satisfying, and profitable. We ensured that the next 90 days would be a journey toward success.

Where are you going in the next 90 days?

Furthermore, did you consider how to keep your ship on course? No one can predict life's curveballs - there will inevitably be one or two or many thrown across your path. Personally or professionally, you can expect storms that have the strength to throw you off course. How will you maintain the road we just laid out? How will you keep your focus on the goals you want to achieve? How will you avoid sabotaging your own success?

A business coach is that voice - the one that says "Steady as she goes."

How will your team members buy in to your vision? When the storm comes, will they batten down the hatches or throw in the towel? No captain can man a ship on his own - your key players need to be standing by your side. How will you address their concerns and help them fair the journey?

It's called TeamRICH - a seminar all about communication, team-building, and cooperation.

How will you read your terms of navigation? Business financials and Key Performance Indicators will indicate red flags, rocky areas, failings or strengths. No captain journeys too far without checking his navigation devices; similarly, no business owner can realize success without watching its progress in the books.

That's FinancialMASTERY - a seminar all about business financials. Knowing what they are, what they  mean, what they're telling you, and how you should make decisions based on what they're telling you.

Finally, when you glimpse the lightkeeper's beacon and realize a key strategic goal in your business's success, I hope you will take the time to recognize the value of your hard work and self-discipline. I hope you will realize the valuable contribution of each team member as well as your own strength as a business owner. I hope you will realize the full extent of what you have achieved, how you got there, and why you got there. I hope you will be able to measure the results, quantify them, and know in solid terms where you are and where you have been. And hopefully, where you're going next.

 

Because your success is my success.

DAVID GREEN

ACTIONCOACH LETHBRIDGE

309 10 STREET S

LETHBRIDGE AB  T1J 2M7

1.888.891.3302

iambusinesscoaching.com

 

Doing Things in the Right Order

Some things in life have to be done in a certain way. Business is no different. There is great value in doing things in the right order, and often much to lose if you don't.

Say you're ready to grow your business. Do you start by shopping for a larger facility? Or do you begin by expanding your sales staff? What are the steps you need to take (and in what order) to effectively broaden your operations? Do you dip into your operating budget to cover expansion costs, or do you leverage your assets to obtain a loan? How do you begin adjusting productivity schedules to accommodate larger operations and how will you initiate shifting your team's workload? What will happen first, second and third? These are just a few of the questions that a growing business needs to consider.

Doing things in the right order will prevent your business from falling into one of many common pitfalls during expansion. Cash gaps arise when you've leveraged your assets too far or there is a drop in your productivity due to operational adjustments. Expansion often puts additional strain on team members, and the effects can be devastating to workplace communication and relationships as a whole. Not keeping your priorities in the proper order can shortly take your business from a growing enterprise into a non-sustainable system characterized by too many crash points.

Start today - capture how you see your business realizing its potential. Write it down. Establish timeframes, stepping stones, and the operational parameters you have to work with. Then comes the crux of the matter - how will you determine what to do first?

What would you recommend?

100 Businesses

2012 ...

It's already been an amazing year of change and revitalization!

That wave continues as I announce my goal to coach 100 businesses by the end of 2012. To achieve that end, I'm offering FREE 90-min strategy sessions to businesses in Lethbridge and the surrounding area.

NOW is the time to sit back, take a long look at your business, and figure out what your most pressing issues and concerns are. Think about the challenges you're currently facing, the recurring issues that never seem to be resolved, or the difficulties you will encounter with greater growth and diversification. Write them down, give me a call, and we'll take a good look at where you're at together. I promise you will come away from our session with at least 5 solid strategies to improve and/or grow your business.

Coaching - it's not just for sports! Call me today 403-929-1380 and book your FREE 90-min strategy session. And let's make it the best 90 min you ever spent on your business!

Stop Looking for the Magic Bullet

Stop looking for the magic bullet. While they exist, the odds of you obtaining one are about as good as you winning the lottery. Many people are looking for the same get-rich-quick rocket, and someone will get it just like someone will buy the winning ticket. But there is an easier way to become a millionaire - and it has a much higher success rate. It's the path of daily discipline and consistent effort - just like your grandfather said.

Business owners occasionally come to me with the expectation that I will present to them something resembling a magic bullet - a mysterious strategy that will miraculously turn their business from a downhill-sliding money hole to a mammoth, profit-generating giant. Desperation sometimes causes us to put faith in strange places; but hoping for an instant solution to deep business problems can be as fruitless as seeking your fortune for a $10 sitting fee with a would-be psychic. It may offer some hope in the short-term, but will the long-term effects reflect value in your investment? Even if it was only $10? Was that lottery ticket worth its price?

I sincerely believe that you get what you pay for. In business, that means you will see the fruits of your daily discipline and consistent effort when you ensure that this energy is strategically placed, concisely focussed, and continually reinforced. It's my job as a Business Coach to offer professional advice on how your company can better manipulate the chassis of business to increase profits, improve marketability, strengthen teams, and make the most of your time. I'm here to help you adjust the strategies and practices of your organization, to broaden the mindset of you and your team, and engage in a partnership that will bring success and satisfaction to us both. Your success is my success - and I guarantee results. You will get what you pay for.

Lessons in Leadership from the Military

Are you a risk taker?


Are you a leader?

Can you be one without the other?

Today I read a great article on this topic - I highly recommend you read it too. Generally, society recognizes that when the chips are down, soldiers in the military shoulder an amazing responsibility to stand on the front lines of our country and our freedom. They have, are, and will take risks that most of us will never fully appreciate. But what we can grasp is some insight from their example on how to realize success by facing inherent risk.

Col. Eric G. Kail suggests that there are some lessons from military life that can be carried over to any profession; he outlines them as follows:

First, not everyone is prepared to lead in risky environments. Second, as leaders who are assessing risks, we need to have skin in the game; otherwise we are only pretending to lead. Third, character matters just as much as any knowledge or skills acquired from training and education. 



Flickr photo by abdallah



I couldn't agree more. In my line of work I engage with business owners and teams that are striving to set the standard of excellence in their industry. These are amazing people who are prepared to take risks, who have their hearts set on success, and who have characters that are not only beyond reproach, but set a standard for others to aspire to. They are truly great leaders.

I am grateful every day for the men and women who selflessly built the nation in which I live, and for the those who continue to lead. I will proudly celebrate the national holiday that pays tribute to the greatness of our country - built by the greatness of our people.

Start at the End

Always know the end of a business venture before you begin. Plan for it and don't lose sight of it. While it may seem paradoxical, the end will one day come and you need to know your exit strategy before you step through the door.

Are you planning to build a business that will give you a good living until retirement? Are you planning to build an international enterprise that will not only support your lifestyle, but effectively financially position your children's children? Are you intending to build the business to a certain point, sell it, and move on? How does your venture contribute to your vision of life in ten years, and when will the time come for you to part ways? What will be the key indicators that will signal that the end is near? Knowing how the story ends is key to determining how it will begin and how decisions will be made as the business grows.

If you're thinking about starting a new venture, or diversifying your corporation in new directions, or buying a new enterprise to complement the holdings you already have, take a long look at how you picture the end of the road. I recommend reading Start With Why by Simon Sinek, or Business Stripped Bare: Adventures of a Global Entrepreneur by Richard Branson. Make sure you know where you're going, why you're going there, and how you will know when you have arrived. And when the time comes, execute the exit strategy you have always planned.

Something Worth Reading

I think the most important thing I can post this week is a link to something well worth your time to read. This link will take you to another blog that discusses issues surrounding some of my favorite topics, including post-secondary education and employee qualification:

http://blogmaverick.com/2012/05/13/the-coming-meltdown-in-college-education-why-the-economy-wont-get-better-any-time-soon/

If we are looking strategically into the future of our workforce, our children, and our success as businesses and a society, there are some important changes coming that we should be ready to respond to. How will you take action to navigate this wave of fundamental change?

Thank-you.

Thank-you to my clients, past and present, who have taught me so much and changed my life in so many positive ways. A coach is nothing without a team - I am so grateful for all you have shared with me.

Thank-you to my family and friends who have gone through so much with me. And are still there.

Thank-you to the many teachers, educators, trainers, mentors, and other leaders that have helped me become the person I am today.

Thank-you to my fellow community workers and volunteers that keep my home a great place to live.

Thank-you to the leaders of my country who fight each day to keep our rights and freedom intact.

Thank-you to everyone that stands up for what they believe in, that lives what they preach, and that tries every day to grow, change, and embrace the wonderful gift of life that they have been given.

Be the Powerhouse

Monday was a day of anticipation; countless people had spent weeks fretting over whether the 41-year hold of the Progressive Conservative Party over the government of the province of Alberta, Canada would finally be broken. The Wildrose Party had put up an immense battle, and everyone wondered if it would be enough. The pollsters said it was. But in the end, it wasn't - Premier Alison Redford kept her place.

In an interesting editorial in The Montreal Gazette, the following statement appears:

Redford’s victory signals a potential new era in provincial-federal relations. Alberta is the country’s economic powerhouse. Its petro wealth is the motor driving a westward shift in Canada’s population and economic centre of gravity. What happens in Alberta today matters to the rest of the country in a way that wasn’t the case a couple of decades ago.

Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/Editorial+Alberta+election+result+good+news+Canada/6511335/story.html#ixzz1szeWnis5

Is your company a powerhouse within your industry? Do you have the mindset to lead your business as it becomes an "economic centre of gravity?" Have you ever been described as a "moving force?"

Alberta is moving toward a bright future. Hundreds of business owners comprise the economic force that is driving our province and our nation towards sustainable success. Join the many that have taken every advantage to step above the rest - talk to an ActionCOACH Business Coach today.