Letter on the Third — July 2024

Dear Datamax Family,

It’s pretty simple, really. Keeping everyone informed ensures sustained strength in company culture.

Principle #8 in our Little Blue Book is a big one when we talk about the foundation of who we are and how we roll as an organization. Whether it’s company benefits, business processes, onboarding, or the utilization of our software applications, when people are misinformed or don’t understand something, they make assumptions (and those assumptions could very well be wrong). Then, they get frustrated.

You’ve heard this before, but communication is a two-way street: Just as it’s the job of leadership to keep everyone in the loop of what is going on, it’s the job of employees to ask questions, provide feedback, and keep their managers informed on what concerns are out there and how we can improve.

Author Jim Rohn is quoted as saying: “If you just communicate, you can get by. But if you communicate skillfully, you can work miracles.” Here are a few things to keep in mind as you contemplate your own adherence to #8.

Communicate strategically.

Back when we were building our company Principles (the Philosophies came first), the discussion turned to the importance of dealing people to people across our organization. It came out loud and clear amongst the group that keeping people informed was a huge priority.

The questions that followed were: How are we going to communicate? What’s the best way? The quick answer is that everyone is different. Some people prefer phone or text, others email or face-to-face. We have a multitude of communication options available to us to keep everyone informed. We must use them wisely and strategically.

Communicate your thoughts and concerns.

Every event that we do, every company meeting we have, etc., should be followed up with a survey. We need to know: Was it beneficial? What could we have done better? What should we do next time? When you answer those surveys honestly, it keeps us as leaders informed on how we can improve as a company. Feedback is critical to future success for any venture.

Communicate your solution to the issue, too.

Keeping surveys and feedback in mind… if you have a complaint, make sure you come up with an option to make it better. It doesn’t mean that’s the direction we will take. After all, we have to look for what’s best for the entire organization. However, the direction of the conversation must point to a valid solution.
Keeping Everyone Informed is a key to company culture here. It wouldn’t be in the Little Blue Book if it weren’t. If you are unsure about something or have a concern, you should never hesitate to present that to the appropriate parties. It’s how we operate as a company. It’s how we roll.

The Best is Yet to Be.

Your Raving Fan,