Are you speaking Chinese?

In the workplace arguments happen all the time. Bosses are not satisfied with the employees, employees are pissed of at the bosses, employees vs. employees, etc. Communication is the key, right?

Let's say there is a company out there with a boss who wants to get quicker payments from the vendors. He or she poses a question to the billing department, "What do you think is going to expedite the receipt of the payment from our vendors?" Many different opinions erupt and one person says providing them with a clear, simple and short invoice will help. This seems to be a very good answer on the surface, but poses a problem due to the fact that every invoice has to be signed off by the boss. What is the problem you ask? Well, the boos likes things a certain way and has no idea or interest in knowing as to how his or her vendors prefer their invoices. So the billing department begins to send out the approved invoice design from the boss and the checks do not come any sooner. Why? All because no one took a moment of their time to pose the question of what is required by each and every vendor to expedite the payments.

Collaboration is the key to successful - well everything. One must remember that when writing, designing, creating, cooking or speaking for someone else, it is that person's opinion which counts. Otherwise, something that may be as clear as daylight to you, may might as well be Chinese to your audiance.

Collaborate and succeed.

It's been a while.

I think somewhere around my last post I promised to write more often. Of course, I broke that promise. New policy: Don't make promises you cannot keep.

Case in point - A potential mediation client of mine asked me what kind of guarantee can I give him that the case will get resolved and I answered, zero! He was very surprised that this was my answer, he straight out told me that he would never expect such an unorthodox response. He wanted assurance. Of course the only assurance I can give him is that I would do anything in my power to assist him in settling his dispute, but it seemed like he needed more. I proceeded to tell him that every time you visit a mechanic and he guarantees you that your car will be ready in an hour it rarely is and you leave disappointed. I explained, that I would rather have him be pleasantly surprised than horrible upset. However, he did not budge, he wanted a guarantee and I was not able to promise something I would not be able to deliver.

He might call back or might not, but at least I did not lie about what it is that I was able to achieve for him.