Managing Organizational Communication

It is hard to believe that it has been 21 years since the tragic events of 9/11.  At the time, my wife and I lived in NYC and I was working at my office downtown that awful day.  As I watched the second plane hit the South tower from my office window, I can remember my feelings of shock, sadness, fear and ultimately anger as if it were yesterday.  One thing that I can tell you is that in the weeks after, everyone, and I mean everyone, in NYC worked together towards a common goal, which was recovery.

Fast forward to today, and we as a nation are moving further away from the COVID crisis.  However, this time, that feeling of togetherness and working toward a common goal is not readily apparent.  People are significantly divided on issues and seem to be unable to come together to find a resolution.  Unfortunately, narratives pushed by media outlets and a seeming inability to find common ground from our political leaders has only served widen this chasm.  I don’t recall where I heard it (probably a comedian), but I think the following quote is unfortunately applicable in the current times:

“I respect your opinion as long as you agree with me”

When this type of mentality becomes pervasive in your organization, bad things typically result. It is critical to check in with your team and be open to others’ perspectives.  It does not mean you have to agree with them but be respectful and know that you are working towards a common purpose.  More importantly, as long as everyone is on board with the direction of the business, the differences will work themselves out.  Below are some good communication strategies that successful organizations embrace:

• Managing Organizational Communication (shrm.org)
• Eight Ways to Communicate Your Strategy More Effectively (hbr.org)
• 4 Habits That Describe What Great Communication Looks Like | Inc.com
• Ensure Effective Communication With Each Of Your Team Members With These 11 Tips (forbes.com)

To wrap up, I will share this quote from Henry Ford:

“Coming together is a beginning.  Keeping together is progress.  Working together is success.”

Helpful Resource Pages

• Knowledge Center (eisneramper.com)
• Trout CPA Blog | Tax & Business-Related Topics
• News & Analysis | Littler Mendelson P.C.
• Insights, Analysis & Perspectives for Your Business | RKL LLP (rklcpa.com)
• NFIB Research: Data and Trends Affecting Small Business Owners | NFIB
• The Tax Warrior Chronicles (taxwarriors.com)

As always, please don’t hesitate to email myself (jsanders@mpl-law.com), Andy Miller (amiller@mpl-law.com), Christian Miller (cmiller@mpl-law.com), Erik Spurlin (espurlin@mpl-law.com) or anyone in our office with questions or comments.  

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