The current state of the economy has led many businesses to adapt their company cultures in order to re-prioritize and strengthen parts of their organization. If you are attempting any kind of culture change in your organization, it is extremely important to address any communication gaps you may have. If you can't communicate with your management team, you will not be able to institute any kind of change.
One of the most common flaws for business owners is that they are generally poor listeners. Most have to work at improving their listening skills because it goes against their basic nature. You have to force yourself to have the patience to not complete other’s statements. This is a born characteristic of a lot of people who become business owners.
You can build a stronger relationship with your employees if you can practice listening. Culture is something that is difficult to manage. It has a tendency to evolve on its own unless it is very specifically addressed. Having open and clear communications is essential during any changes in your culture.
You need to set goals and objectives with your management team the same way you would expect them to set goals with the rest of your employees. This is especially true in a situation where the business owner is not present at the workplace on a daily basis, which may also be a part of your vision.
If your vision does include being able to operate your company without being at the office regularly, you need to set goals for the culture you wish to exist in your absence. Just because you are not there does not mean that you do not need to communicate with your management.
Such a transition always entails a certain amount of friction, but the culture can change over time. It is not an immediate process, and it requires setting objectives that can be checked, along with communicating to your management team your expectations.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
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2 comments:
I can agree with some of your comments. In my latest book CRITICAL MASS: The 10 Explosive Powers of CEO PEER GROUPS I write about the need to business owners to get unfiltered feedback and then listen to it.
My book is available at Amazon.com and it is the definitive guide on peer advisory boards for business owners and CEOs
Very good post. Effective Listening has to be one of the most important keys in every facet of your business, not just in changing course. Listening to your employees, your customers, and your peers. Isn't it amazing how there are courses on speaking, writing, and everything else, but never on effective listening. Gary Lao said that the shortest sales course in the world is "Ask Question and Listen". However, that statement stops short on how to react and utilize what you have heard. Most people and business owners will listen and then form a rebuttal before considering any merits of the previous statement. I agree with everything that has been said, but would like to also add that changing course maybe going back to basics. As business owners what is your passion, that originally drove you to own your own business. Remember it, embrace it, and use that strength to change the course forward into a better direction.
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