Mary Anne recently was onsite at Ispiri in Minnesota to work with their Sr. Leadership and Production team. In preparation, Jason put down his vision for company communications so everyone would be starting from the same place. Mary Anne was impressed by how he fit the pieces together. Way to go Mr. Fabio.
Check it out!
My Vision for Company Communication in 2019 – Jason Fabio
Communication in business is the lynch pin to all successful transactions. It happens between coworkers, between managers and employees, within your department, between other departments, between our company and our trade partners, between our company and clients, and even extends to our community and industry at large.
Communication is a dynamic process and interaction between parties that changes over time and requires continual checking in and nurturing to assure previous mutual agreements and alignments are still relevant—and still exist.
Effective communication is the ability to ask probing questions of the person or party you are interacting with to understand their needs, wants, and goals, then taking that information to formulate solutions that are based on mutual agreements on next steps. This process includes setting proper expectations at the onset and updating those along the way to make sure you achieve 100% alignment on outcomes.
Company expectations around communication:
- The preferred method of communication is always in-person first, a phone call second.
- Email and texts should only be used for updates and confirmations — never to deliver new or sensitive information.
- Exceptional follow-up and follow through are expected.
- Return text, email or voicemail correspondence the same day or within 24 hours at the latest.
- Under promise, over deliver — deliver on promises made, don’t make promises we can’t keep.
- Avoid communication triangles — communicate directly with the person of interest.
- When you encounter sensitive client subjects or issues, get help from your project team or manager to develop a strategy and a plan prior to communicating with the client.
- Address difficult conversations promptly with clients, trade partners, managers or coworkers.
- If your manager is not responding to your needs and you feel that is detrimental to conducting business in alignment with our company goals and values, inform your manager you believe the conversation needs to be brought up the chain of command to the President/Owner.
- In business, we are always being watched and judged. Set a good example while representing the company at work — what we say, how we drive, what we do and don’t do all communicate something positive or negative to the observer. As Warren Buffet says: “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you will do things differently.”
Company values around communication:
- Listen to understand — not to formulate your reply.
- Have empathy for others.
- Don’t assume — get the facts before you formulate your opinion.
- Be respectful and professional.
- Be direct and honest.
- Avoid being emotionally reactive to difficult situations — stay steady.
- Be truthful — operate with a high level of ethics and integrity in business dealings.
- Avoid office gossip.
- Own our mistakes and missteps — don’t make excuses.
Company goals around communication:
- Efficiently and effectively conduct business to achieve desired outcomes of:
- 100% satisfied clients — by meeting or exceeding their expectations.
- Happy trade partners.
- Happy employees.
- Impeccable company reputation in our communities and industry.
- Have fun and enjoy what we do day in and day out!
Jason Fabio,
CEO, Ispiri
