Communication: they still don't get it

Today, human resources consulting firm Watson Wyatt issued its annual workplace trends forecast. One section headed "Communication Issues" read as follows:

"Organizations will formalize and enhance employee communication
efforts to positively affect business performance. Employees will
have not only more insight, but increased input into how the
business is run - in areas ranging from pension management to
benefit programs to compensation to governance. Particularly
successful companies will adopt measurement practices to determine
the communication function's contribution to strategic business
goals. This trend will be explored in Watson Wyatt's Communication
ROI study, to be released in early 2006."

I'm sad to see they still don't get it about communication. What they say is all very well, but it is so limited! They are talking about process, about the "communication function", which indicates to me that they are once again concerned about how management communicates its message to the troops. Nothing here suggests they understand that communication is EVERYBODY'S function!

In my book The Hidden Profit Center, I explore the idea that communication drives everything we do in the course of our work and our business. Poor communication is the single reason why we waste so much time and energy on those endless meetings. Countless hours of expensive management time is wasted listening to terrible presentations by people who have had not enough training in presentation skills. Sales and lost because sales people talk more than they listen, and talk for themselves more than for the understanding of their prospective customers. And these are just a few examples.

Until business generally understands that communication is not a separate issue, a "function" to be carried out by some Communication Department, but something that has to be practised and perfected by everyone, we'll continue to miss the boat.

As a manager, concentrate on sharpening your own communicatin skills and encouraging your people to do the same, and it will be to the ultimate benefit of everybody.