I guess one of my favorite reasons that gets pretty close to the top is lack of communications. This can cover many situations and cover a wide area. I intend to cover just a couple of these today, but I encourage you to think about your own environment and what happens when things are unknown but acted upon. Many times, it becomes a disaster in many ways.

Take for example, you buy one of those kits that have to be put together and they claim that you only need a screwdriver and a pair of pliers. Many times, it ends up being a worthless piece of junk, or something you have to modify to make things work.

The boss who says he wants this or that, but doesn’t give you much insight into how to get to the end result the way he or she wants it done. The end result is obvious, but how many ways can you go wrong to get to the end result. Rules of “Murphy’s Law”.

Or the employee who takes it all on, never tells the boss what’s going on with the job. Mistakes keep being made over and over again. You have to remember ONE thing: the boss is FULLY RESPONSIBLE for what you do. He doesn’t have to be the one making the mistake to be responsible.

Many business leaders require a “weekly status report” or some other title, but get the same results. They require employees to report to management what they are doing while on the job; what is the progress or what is happening. There are many different formats, from oral reports to weekly written reports, but the end result is the same. If you don’t know how to create one, there are plenty of examples available on the web.

Some business leaders send out weekly or monthly newsletters to clients or related business professionals. Email newsletters are very important. Many people refer to a lot of email as “spam” and could fall into this category if left unchecked. Some school systems use this system to keep parents informed on the happenings of school activities.

People who will not keep their word is another good point. Has he ever been promised that someone would do something, he never heard from it again? You go and ask for details, why and what happened, but they pass it off as “no big deal, no big deal.” Especially fiancés; even those promises To your childs are extremely important.

Two-way communication is one of the most basic functions needed to minimize business problems. Many problems can be attributed to inadequate communications about what is needed. A simple process of sharing ideas and thoughts, opinions and plans seems to be a “no-brainer”, but the value of communication seems to be quite low in today’s information world.

It is simply not possible to have a relationship between people or projects without switching, but that communication must be total and have good value content. Midway communications can be dangerous in many ways, from friendship jeopardy to business failures and equipment safety or life and limb.

AGAIN — This is so VERY IMPORTANT !!!!! manager vs employee: The employee cannot get the job done with poor communications coming from management. This works both ways: the employee must also provide valuable information to the chain. Reports written without continuity or accuracy are worthless.

This can also be a very good motivational tool for the employee. It improves morality so everyone knows what’s going on. It’s a great way to avoid low morale with some people knowing things that others don’t. It also increases productivity because it brings staff suggestions from employees if they know the “whys” of a decision. Post suggestions etc. it should always be in writing for constant reference. Stalemate proceedings will eventually cause problems.

I’m not telling you anything new, I’m just reminding you of something you’re already well aware of. Wisdom = just common sense with the sleeves rolled up.