Communicate and Succeed

New Ways to Think, Collaborate & Communicate: Part 3

Meetings. Meetings. Meetings. Each day coworkers gather together for one purpose: communication. Unfortunately, it’s often ineffective communication. Precious hours are wasted discussing the wrong topics. I recently consulted for a CEO in a financial services firm. He wasn’t getting the honest feedback from his senior team that he needed to make solid, informed decisions. Meetings took place daily, but there was no openness. In order to communicate effectively, people need to discuss delicate issues and give feedback without fear that doing so will lead to confrontation.
I utilized a group coaching approach to get everyone on board. It built trust, and developed the right skills to handle Vital Conversations©. Each senior executive was held accountable for delivering the right information to make the best possible decisions.

There were some uncomfortable moments as we worked together to build the necessary trust, but in three short months, communication improved. New communication skills for the senior executive team enhanced productivity. There were differences of opinion, but no one shut down or became autocratic. The dialogue was constructive.

Six months later, the team was as successful as the 1998 New York Yankees; everyone pulled their own weight and valued the team over the individual. The focus was on a common goal rather than personal conflicts, where everyone gave extra effort.

For the record:
“In 1998, the Yankees didn’t really care about just making the playoffs, or reaching the World Series. The players had felt like they had blown a great chance in the ’97 playoffs against the Indians, and the Yankees went into 1998 on a mission to win the championship. Or bust.
This drove them to the greatest season in the history of baseball. They crushed teams with their rotation, with the depth of their lineup, with their bullpen, with their bench. They outscored opponents that year by 309 runs, or almost two runs per game. Every member of their primary every day lineup had an on-base percentage of at least .350. They allowed only 37 unearned runs the entire season, one of the lowest totals in history at that time. Their hitters accumulated almost 200 walks more than their pitchers allowed”….Buster Olney