If you were to inquire about the one component successful companies have in common, you would probably get a whole host of different responses. This is because there are many different routes which a company can take to become successful. However, as a company grows it becomes ever more important for the employees to communicate with each other.

Open Communication Leads to More Success

Unfortunately, most people are like sheep, because they will only follow the lead of others rather than take initiative. This is why it's up to management to encourage employees to express themselves through a range of different options. Some people like to talk face to face while others prefer video conferencing in Palo Alto CA, an email or even snail mail. Suggestion boxes are another viable way to promote employee communication. Those who have the fortitude to come forward voluntarily should be rewarded. This will encourage others to be proactive in the betterment of the company. The employees know better than anyone what it will take to keep them satisfied, and every suggestion should at least be taken into consideration.

Complement Sandwiches

When employees see their suggestions being implemented to better the company, it makes them anxious to think of other creative ways to streamline business practices. It's also a good idea to encourage constructive criticism from one employee to the next. While down talking a person can lead to low morale, the complement sandwich is a dish that can feed the most delicate psyche. This is a good example of a complement sandwich. "Hay, Bob, you've been doing a really good job on the expense reports. Maybe you can type them in a larger font so their easier to read from now on. Besides that, everything you've been doing is just stellar."

Sandwiching the criticism between two complements hardly makes it seem like criticism at all. The employee is also far more responsive because the criticism suggested ways to improve upon the mistake rather humiliating a person whose doing his or her best. It's been proven that happy employees will work harder. They will also assist the company in the one area where communication is most important, customer service.

Communicating With Customers

This area of communication is crucial to any business. People who feel as though they've been treated unfairly will take their business elsewhere, permanently. It only takes a few lifetime patrons to abandon ship before a company experiences a steep reduction in profits. Even when something goes terribly wrong, many customers are willing to forgive so long as the situation is thoroughly explained to them. This is often the case in the airline business, where schedules are always subject to change.

A plane full of passengers who are stuck on a tarmac for 45 minutes will be disgruntled when they receive the news. However, passengers who have been sitting idle for ten minutes with no word on when their flight is to depart will be much more difficulty to deal with. Anytime things go other than how they were planned, the customer should be informed of the changes. Furthermore, providing a timeframe for resolving the issue often times soothes the temperamental.

Communication is the key to building anything great be it a relationship, a space shuttle or a corporation. If a company has a mission statement, it should be communicated to the staff on a regular basis. Keeping an open line of communication between the different branches of a company is also important. Sometimes people of parallel authority are reluctant to work with one another, but communication can help to bridge gaps. Make sure all employees realize the importance of synergy and teamwork, and the company should have no trouble reaching its maximum potential.

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