20 years of working in business management has taught me the importance of mapping out the company’s journey. ⅔ of that time spent in the market research industry has provided me with one key tool: asking questions. Successful entrepreneurs understand their weaknesses and acknowledge they don’t know everything. They know that with the right questions comes the right answers. 

Often, we get stuck in a situation because we aren’t asking ourselves the questions that lead to the right answers. This video will provide you with 4 practical steps to help you think clearly and ask the right questions in any situation. 

So, are you asking the right questions? 

In a recent training course I was delivering, I remembered this participant writing an email to her boss while her colleagues were brainstorming in a group exercise. I requested her to inform her manager she was in a training. She replied: "My boss knows, this is urgent". What's the point of investing in a training course for your staff and expecting them to be reactive on their emails while they are supposed to be off learning? Internal communication was one of the issues on the training agenda. l let you appreciate the irony of the situation. 

I have often heard people complaining that they spend too much time with emailing, or being frustrated because recipients were expecting them to reply faster. How efficient can they be? 

I do not think that you assess your people's performance based on the number of emails they read and write every day. Emails should improve communication, but they often create the exact opposite. 

​You need to implement a process to properly managed emails within your business so that they remain an efficient communication tool.

Here are some good practices you can apply:

1. Never interrupt your work to reply to an email. Train your staff to do the same. 
2. Do not start your mornings by opening your inbox. Instead, take that time to chat with your staff. 
3. Set up specific time blocks for emailing. Educate people about your "open email" hours. Expect them to do the same with you. 
4. Encourage face-to-face conversations, both internally and externally. Emails have one big flaw: they do not convey emotions, and open the door to misinterpretations. 

​No emails are urgent. Use the telephone for emergencies.

PS: Do not wait any further to take action. Book a time with me now to discuss communication efficiency for your business. It's a 100% free real human conversation.