It’s been said thousands of time before, but it can’t be stressed enough: good communication is absolutely vital to the success of any organization. And don’t think I’m talking about sending memos or talking on the phone. Communication needs to be active, personal, and ongoing. Communication within the team must be crystal clear; likewise communication between different teams.

Does everyone understand you?

Do the team members know exactly what’s expected of them or have you assumed they know?

Do they communicate well with each other?

Or with you?

    Managing by focusing on solving problems, and only on solving problems, is really nothing more than chaos management; don’t be that short-sighted. You do want to minimize the effects of chaos, but you also have to consider the day-to-day operations that continue on even during the most chaotic conditions. Look around: even when everything seems to be going wrong, there are still things that are getting done, and getting done right. Don’t let temporary chaos blind you to this.

Does chaos scare you?

What—in your opinion—counts as chaos?

Do you have goals?

And a plan and/or a vision?

How often are those reviewed?

Are they shared with the team?

Is team feedback included?

Tags: chaos chaos management chaotic conditions communication feedback goals memos phone communication solving problems team feedback team members vision