Beyond Agility and Innovation: Why Communication Rules

Great teams are effective communicators – they have to be otherwise they’ll drop the ball. They share their playbook and make sure everyone knows the cadence and the direction of the next play. The other thing great teams do is make sure they have the right people playing the right positions. I’ve said repeatedly, it’s hard to win the world series if you have a single A player at first base.

I recently shared how agility and innovation are crucial—but incomplete—without communication. Clear communication has never been more critical in today’s business climate. While you may fumble the ball occasionally, there’s no room for self-inflicted setbacks.

What Strong Communication Looks Like

Watching a lively conversation among a group of team members, whether in person or through email I’ve noticed that those that are effective seem effortless. They just flow, like a ballroom dancer skirting across the room. There’s no abruptness or passive aggressive dialog. In my work with leaders and their senior teams, a common denominator with great communication is trust. That may sound oversimplified – it’s not. Cross functional collaboration between sales, production, customer service and scheduling only works with trust, confidence and credibility.

How do printing companies get stuck? Here are three areas where companies can struggle with:

• Siloed departments – leading to missed deadlines and finger-pointing.
• Over-reliance on tribal knowledge vs. standardized processes.
• Reactive communication—always playing catch-up with customers or internally.

How to Build It

Flatten the silos. Create a shared language: consistent terms for job statuses, specs, and timelines that have a foundation built on tribal knowledge but then documented and shared as your company’s best practices. Build those habits through the use of daily huddles and job reviews. Invest in communication tools (dashboards, project management platforms). Actually, most companies already own some form of team communication tools – they’re just underutilized. And finally, train your leaders to model clear and consistent communication.

Communication as Differentiator

Clients notice when it’s easy to get answers and updates and it certainly makes their job easier. Internal teams become more efficient and accountable while their renewed engagement can become a catalyst for growth. Good communication reduces friction—and friction kills momentum.

Teams that communicate well and feel valued can outperform even better-equipped competitors. And don’t be mis-led, these aren't “soft” skills—they’re the foundation of operational excellence.

Mike Philie can help validate what’s working and what may need to change in your business. Changing the trajectory of a business is difficult to do while simultaneously operating the core competencies. Mike provides strategy and insight to ambitious owners and CEOs in the Graphic Communications Industry by providing direct and realistic insight, not being afraid to voice the unpopular opinion and helping leaders navigate change through a common sense and practical approach. Learn more at www.philiegroup.com, LinkedIn or email at mphilie@philiegroup.com.

The preceding content was provided by a contributor unaffiliated with Printing Impressions. The views expressed within may not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of Printing Impressions.