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Editorial
News - Unempoyable by the unintelligible?
A recent
BBC news item on how the widespread usage of slang is making many
youths unemployable highlights one side of the communication problems
facing business. It is indeed becoming difficult to employ young
people able to speak good, clear English.
But
many individuals of all ages already employed by businesses are
unable to communicate effectively. Many are hampered by jargon –
just as bad as slang – and a lack of awareness that sloppy
communication leads to inefficient processes, badly made products
and poor service.
Why
is clear communication vital?
A pilot
controlling an aeroplane carrying 500 passengers needs to understand
clearly all instructions – both from the instruments in the
cockpit and from air traffic controllers – on how and where
to fly. Why? Because the lives of 500 passengers and crew depend
on it.
In
our automated world, we perform few entirely manual tasks –
most are handled or assisted by computers or machines. To operate
these effectively, we need to receive and understand information.
Sometimes
we receive incorrect information or misunderstand correct instructions
and, as a result, our machines produce the wrong results. Often
this is wasteful, but harmless, except when flying an aircraft full
of passengers.
Yet
errors can damage the health of a business. Wrong orders, products
manufactured to incorrect specifications, poor customer service
– all cost time, money and reputation. A business without these
will die.
Not
a life-threatening result, but damaging to the community and to
individuals who have to earn a living.
Preventing
simple errors
The
majority of business ‘errors’ are preventable. Clear communication
will eliminate them.
How
do we achieve this?
By
speaking and writing simply and clearly; by providing straightforward
instructions to employees; by listening to customers and taking
note of their needs; by passing on this information to colleagues
who need to use it; by making it easy for customers to deal with
us; by making sure that everyone – colleagues and customers
– understands us and that we understand them.
It
is easier than flying a commercial passenger airliner, but how many
companies achieve it?
So
many companies now have large customer service departments, whose
only reason for existing is to resolve errors that could have been
avoided.
Communicate
simply and effectively and you can reduce your customer service
department, because it will have less to do. It will save your company
money and improve your profits, because the cost per transaction
will be reduced as you will become more efficient.
And
because your company is more successful, you can redeploy your customer
service people to handle your growing business volumes.
It’s
good for your company, its employees and customers.
Is
this over-simplifying the issue?
Yes,
if you imagine the remedy is easy or requires no effort.
It
may cost less, but it needs a strong commitment to change attitudes
and approaches, if it is to succeed.
It
can be much easier to spend money for someone else to sort out errors
that have already been made than for you to root out their cause.
But
when you calculate how much you could be spending on flawed business
processes that generate errors as a natural product and how much
more you have to pay to resolve these, prevention appears more attractive.
However
you achieve it, communicating clearly at every level of your company
is good for your business – and it’s safer, whether you’re
flying high or your feet are firmly on the ground.
View
or download our prompt sheets at www.editorialresources.co.uk for
hints and tips on how to communicate more effectively in your business.
-
16th
March 2004.
- If
you have any comments or questions or would like advice on improving
any aspect of your business communications, please email hello@editorialresources.co.uk
or call 0845
200 7830.
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