Every business, large or small, public or private, has the same problem: Effective Communication that is accurate and understood by all recipients. From a two-person operation to the Amazon’s and Google’s of the world, the dissemination of accurate information from top down and the frontline to the decision-makers, the accurate relay of information, in the context it was designed and the desire it was expected, is constantly lost, misconstrued, outdated, or simply unclear. This can be not only frustrating, but also incredibly dangerous for a variety of industries including security.
For the proper relay of accurate information to be delivered from point A to point Z it must follow the same format:
- Be clear and concise
- Set the tone at the top
- Understand your employees
- Use many channels
- Notify employees first
- Match action with words
- Emphasize face-to-face communication
- Communicate regularly
- Measure Effectiveness
- Facilitate conversation
Many of the messages sent and received are accurate and follow the above format. However, as happens in every company, there are times when messages are misunderstood, lost, or simply not delivered (for one reason or another). While this is all fixable, it must start with me, and from everyone at this end of the communication chain, and from all senders and recipients in the company. OPS Security Group’s in-house training program has a large portion that focuses on proper communication techniques so that everyone can know what to expect in order to communicate effectively.
All levels of any organization need to recognize the audience we are sending our communication to and how it should be received. Understand that written messages cannot convey emotions or emphasize emotions, no matter how many exclamations points we use (NOTE: Using multiple exclamation points is never acceptable).
As Lee Iacocca, former Chairman of Chrysler Corporation, said, “You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can’t get them across, your ideas won’t get anywhere.”