Communication – A Healthy Obsession

I have a tendency to be a little OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). My wife would probably tell you it’s more than a little, and I have friends who would probably say that I’m just anal.

Whatever you want to call it, I admit that I have some idiosyncrasies – and sometimes they even bother me. I’ll see something “out of place” or think about something that needs to be done and I can’t concentrate on the next thing until I go fix whatever it was that was “out of place” or that needs to be done.

Why does that insignificant little thing matter to me? It’s not that important, so why can’t I stop thinking about it until I set it straight (at least “straight” to my way of thinking – which my wife will also tell you isn’t the way others think)? It really can be disconcerting sometimes.

I’m not like that about everything. Is there such a thing as Selective OCD? And it’s really not the kind of thing that you’d notice about me if you don’t know me well and spend significant time with me. It doesn’t alter my activities of daily living – it’s not debilitating. It’s just kind of a hassle sometimes.

O.K, so why have I bared my soul? Because there’s something out of place, something that needs to be done and my OCD nature won’t let it go.

Corporate communications, specifically internal communications can be very frustrating because the messages are designed to promote a culture of collaboration and dialog, but getting participation in a traditional workplace can be like pulling teeth. Turning the words into action requires participation from others.

Turning words into action requires partnership with others – you can’t do it alone.

One of the main barriers to open communication in organizations is trust. People don’t trust that you can really speak your mind and not get smacked around (figuratively, of course) for it. I’m not talking about bitching; nobody wants to hear that all the time. And complaining is different than expressing yourself about real problems – we all know how to tell one from the other.

I’m talking about honest, constructive communication – real dialog.

In the open-communication workplace, offering opinions, disagreeing with a point of view, or standing up for your opinions when someone higher in the pecking order seemingly shoots you down are not only the norm, they’re expected.

Another trust factor is related to job security. It seems people may be unwilling to share what they know for fear that if others know it’ll make them expendable. That’s a huge problem because the only way to improve is to share knowledge –that’s how products and processes improve.

Front line employees like sales and customer service have regular contact with those using the products and oftentimes get feedback about what’s good or bad, and what works and what doesn’t. They have to be willing to share what they learn so that those producing the products aren’t spinning their wheels on unnecessary things.

And those working on the products need to be willing to listen to the feedback so that they’re hitting that sweet spot for the customers. In fact, everyone should not only be willing, they should be eager.

The only way an organization can move forward to open communication is if there is a willingness on everyone’s part to take that leap of faith. Mutual respect and, wait for it, treating others the way you want to be treated are absolutely essential. (Hmm, I may have used that line before.)

Real communication isn’t pushed from the top down, it’s shared top down, bottom up, and side to side. Make information sharing and collaboration your obsession – you’ll be better for it, and so will your co-workers.