Business management has its phases, fads and frauds like anything else, and sometimes it's hard to tell the real, workable ideas from the many time-wasting detours. There are scores of important sounding terms and acronyms floating around, from process management and customer retention to value-added this and that. Some are excellent and helpful, others curious and impractical, but no matter what business improvement you are seeking there is one prerequisite, and that is good communication. There are two definitions of the term that apply here, too. You need good communication among the principals and employees of the firm, of course, but you also need a good, solid, dependable communications infrastructure for your business. No other solution will work if you do not have these in place, because every business solution is based on good communication.
There are plenty of consultants in the world who will tell you that you need their method or their seminar to make the first kind of communication, the interpersonal kind, better, faster and clearer. Although it may be true that some managers (as well as employees) have poor communications skills, it is far from proven that an expensive seminar is the best remedial action. If you are in a firm where clear messages seem to be rare, it will behoove you to address the problem, which can be difficult if the powers-that-be don't recognize that there is one. The other communication we are talking about, the technological infrastructure that connects you and your firm to each other and the world, is also critically important, and needs to be in place to make any other so-called solutions possible.
Management in a vacuum?
Modern businesses rely on more than just phone service these days. In addition to have land lines, most businesses also have mobile phones, as well, plus the all-important Internet connection, land line and Web fax capabilities, and so on. Not only is the connection important in each of these instances, the speed, dependability, and cost are critical variables, too. In today's global marketplace, there is no time to waste, so your business will not get anywhere riding on a dial-up connection. Not only are broadband Internet connections a requirement, they are now a basic one, and what's fast for a residential user (say, 5Mbps) is not going to put or keep your firm at the top of the heap when your competitors have T1 service.
If you want the very best, very fastest and most future-proof Internet connection, you are going to want a fiber optic network. The firms offering a fiber backbone and highest-speed access are the ones that are truly able to supply your company with the infrastructure (the framework, so to speak) on which you can build your success. A dependable, fast and flexible communications network is the best foundation for building a modern business. With fast speeds both up and down, in and out, you can be confident that you will not miss out on any opportunities that come up suddenly, and neither will you keep clients or customers waiting for a reply because of network outages, slowdowns or intermittent signal quality. When the communication services are excellent, reliable and transparent, you can simply focus on doing good work.
First things first
If you are curious about how well your company is managing its business, or individual processes, there are any number of consulting firms who will give you a little test or make a presentation about it. The problem is, doing this with a second-rate communications infrastructure will not give you insight into your business so much as it will into your communications vendors (ISP, phone company, mobile phone provider, etc.). You have to do first things first, which means implementing a communications strategy that gives your firm fast, dependable and cost-effective Internet service and the other requisite connections.
Once you have fast and reliable communications services, you can get an accurate measure of how your business is handling the various tasks that add up to doing business in your particular field. Don't forget that interpersonal communications skills are necessary to take advantage of the improved communications channels, whatever they are in your particular case. Communications skills plus communications tools equals your communications infrastructure. The better, faster and more dependable they are, the better your firm will do.
Bottom line
It really is true that every business solution is based on good communication, and that poor communications (either skills or systems) can be the kiss of death in any industry. Before you start any reorganization or change of strategic direction, make sure you have good communications skills among your employees and a good communications system for them to use. With these two things solidly in place, you can measure processes and test scenarios to your heart's content, and the results will actually mean something. First things first, indeed!
There are plenty of consultants in the world who will tell you that you need their method or their seminar to make the first kind of communication, the interpersonal kind, better, faster and clearer. Although it may be true that some managers (as well as employees) have poor communications skills, it is far from proven that an expensive seminar is the best remedial action. If you are in a firm where clear messages seem to be rare, it will behoove you to address the problem, which can be difficult if the powers-that-be don't recognize that there is one. The other communication we are talking about, the technological infrastructure that connects you and your firm to each other and the world, is also critically important, and needs to be in place to make any other so-called solutions possible.
Management in a vacuum?
Modern businesses rely on more than just phone service these days. In addition to have land lines, most businesses also have mobile phones, as well, plus the all-important Internet connection, land line and Web fax capabilities, and so on. Not only is the connection important in each of these instances, the speed, dependability, and cost are critical variables, too. In today's global marketplace, there is no time to waste, so your business will not get anywhere riding on a dial-up connection. Not only are broadband Internet connections a requirement, they are now a basic one, and what's fast for a residential user (say, 5Mbps) is not going to put or keep your firm at the top of the heap when your competitors have T1 service.
If you want the very best, very fastest and most future-proof Internet connection, you are going to want a fiber optic network. The firms offering a fiber backbone and highest-speed access are the ones that are truly able to supply your company with the infrastructure (the framework, so to speak) on which you can build your success. A dependable, fast and flexible communications network is the best foundation for building a modern business. With fast speeds both up and down, in and out, you can be confident that you will not miss out on any opportunities that come up suddenly, and neither will you keep clients or customers waiting for a reply because of network outages, slowdowns or intermittent signal quality. When the communication services are excellent, reliable and transparent, you can simply focus on doing good work.
First things first
If you are curious about how well your company is managing its business, or individual processes, there are any number of consulting firms who will give you a little test or make a presentation about it. The problem is, doing this with a second-rate communications infrastructure will not give you insight into your business so much as it will into your communications vendors (ISP, phone company, mobile phone provider, etc.). You have to do first things first, which means implementing a communications strategy that gives your firm fast, dependable and cost-effective Internet service and the other requisite connections.
Once you have fast and reliable communications services, you can get an accurate measure of how your business is handling the various tasks that add up to doing business in your particular field. Don't forget that interpersonal communications skills are necessary to take advantage of the improved communications channels, whatever they are in your particular case. Communications skills plus communications tools equals your communications infrastructure. The better, faster and more dependable they are, the better your firm will do.
Bottom line
It really is true that every business solution is based on good communication, and that poor communications (either skills or systems) can be the kiss of death in any industry. Before you start any reorganization or change of strategic direction, make sure you have good communications skills among your employees and a good communications system for them to use. With these two things solidly in place, you can measure processes and test scenarios to your heart's content, and the results will actually mean something. First things first, indeed!
About the Author:
No matter your size, we've got you covered. For over a decade, our High-Performance Network has met the business solutions coast-to-coast. Because we own and operate a continent-wide fiber optic network, wherever you are, we're there too!
