Something that might get lost in the excitement of building all those exciting, shiny new features and products is really quite simple: communication. Talking. Informing. Discussing.
If your team / organization doesn’t know what’s going on, there is trouble ahead. If there is a culture of not really talking to one another, again – trouble. People will start to feel unloved, uninvolved, and blindsided when things come down the pike.
Some things that I’ve come to appreciate over the years:
- All-hands meetings
- Regular team meetings
- One on one’s
- Functional updates (e.g., roadmap presentations)
Don’t be afraid of getting together and talking. It doesn’t have to be formal – coffee will do just fine. Deliver that information over a pancake breakfast. But don’t get so caught up in the day-to-day brouhaha you forget there are folks around you looking, and maybe starving, for information.
If the people you are trusting to be excellent don’t know what’s happening, they can’t help and point out potential issues that are imperative to the business succeeding. And really, you want that data – it all contributes to the overall success.
Make meetings effective. Don’t have them for the sake of having them – we all hate “meetings to plan meetings.” Make them worthwhile, to the point, and on target – but don’t abandon them. I truly believe face-to-face communication makes everyone more effective and feel involved. Don’t assume it’s going down – make sure it is.
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“Meetings to plan meetings” Isn’t that the truth. I agree with you 150% that communication is imperative. The lack of communication or caring about communication results in bad relationships.
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