Steve Stone
Contributing Writer
ShuBee®, Owner
Communication is key when owning and operating a business. When there is a failure to effectively communicate, assumptions can overtake a company. Unfortunately, assumptions can create issues due to that miscommunication or unclear objectives. Assumptions can ruin your business before you even realize they’re a problem.
Most successful companies have a business model to help establish the means and methods to what their goals are and how they’re going to reach them. One very important aspect of a business model is to make sure all your processes are in place and being followed to take out any assumptions of what is supposed to be done, who is responsible for what and what each person’s goal is. A great example of using processes to make sure a company is running at tip top efficiency is a drive through window. Think about a franchise like Zaxby’s. They have a “Drive Time”, the point of placing your order to the point of picking it up, that has to be completed within 8 minutes. Each person knows exactly what their role is in the process of taking care of the customer. There are no assumptions of where the responsibility lies. The job of the company as a whole, from the order taker to the cooks to the service personnel at the window, is to work together as a team and make sure they hit these drive times and reach their goals.
Over my years in business I have found several key words and phrases that make my antennas go up. There are some keywords that communicate assumptions and allow you to be on the lookout to stop them in there tracks before letting them wreak havoc on your business.
1. “I don’t know” – If you hear an employee say “I don’t know” you need to stop the conversation immediately. What information do they not have or know that will help them to fully understand the answer? The problem is not that they don’t know, it’s WHY they don’t know. It’s your responsibility as a leader to help guide your employee down the path they need to do find the answer.
2. “We have a problem” – A big thing I say is “We don’t have problems. We have opportunities”. Spin the conversation in a positive light and it will help take some of the pressure and stress out of the situation. We have a tendency to be overwhelmed by problems and a lot of times, the assumption is that something went wrong. Don’t assume that this problem cannot be resolved. You can fix the problem 99{938cd9e8dae860e800efc538277d4f7684e6f6981618ba70d1c34357a53c2e1f} of the time if you just focus on it as an opportunity.
3. “I can’t” – Again, WHY can’t your employee do what it is you’re asking of them. Don’t assume that it’s because they are unwilling. They may not have the knowledge to handle the task, they may need more direction, they may already be overwhelmed with their current work load. This phrase is a powerful one. It may be that your employee is overwhelmed and that’s when you did it. Figure out the root of the push back before you get angry and think they’re just unwilling.
Eliminating assumptions starts with you. You have to change your culture and push the practices down to your managers, supervisors and support staff. You will never completely remove assumptions, but with a business model and clear communication people will know exactly what their objectives are and your company will continue to prosper.