| Would you stop watching a national playoff were the | | | | plan demands essential business communication |
| teams were tied before the winner was declared? | | | | planning and skills. Business communication should be |
| Would you stop watching a horse race before the | | | | planned so that your employees are continually |
| winning horse crossed the finish line? Of course not! | | | | motivated toward achieving those business goals that |
| Yet, many business leaders expect their employees to | | | | you are the business leader have established. |
| continue the game or the race without knowing if and | | | | To what purpose does it serve by not communicating |
| when the game or race was won, loss or even a near | | | | the results of the current team's efforts? Are you |
| win. | | | | afraid that someone may say something and reveal |
| After 30 years in business focusing on performance | | | | proprietary information? As the business leader, you |
| improvement, I am still at a loss when companies do | | | | can share information in a general way or use |
| not regularly communicate progress toward the | | | | percentages such as: |
| business goals as identified within the strategic plan | | | | - This month's sales figures show that we are on |
| especially when these same business leaders tell me | | | | course with our strategic plan and business goals. |
| that employee motivation is a problem. This attitude | | | | - First quarter productivity is 10% ahead of our |
| and behavior of not communicating business results | | | | business goals |
| negatively and directly affects the performance of all | | | | - Your current efforts have us ahead of our strategic |
| involved and is truly counter productive to achieving | | | | projections by 5%. |
| the desired results. | | | | Top down communication from you, as the business |
| When we look at professional sports, everyone usually | | | | leader, will go a long way to executing your strategic |
| waits until the game is over because they want to | | | | plan and motivating your employees. And if you are still |
| know who won unless the game is a runaway. Even | | | | resisting this strategy, then turn off the television the |
| when teams are down in the last inning or in the last | | | | next time your team is barely winning in the final |
| quarter, faithful fans stay at the arena or tuned into the | | | | minutes. How do you feel not knowing what |
| television because one never knows when that grand | | | | happened? Do you think that your employees feel any |
| slam or a 80 yard punt return might happen. | | | | differently? |
| Is your business game any different? To ensure | | | | P.S. |
| consistent and constant execution of your strategic | | | | |