An angle is a measure formed when two rays meet at a shared, common point.
In mathematics, there are 7 different types of angles; at Datamax, there are seven departments. How do we work in tandem to intersect at a shared, common objective (a la Creating Raving Fans)? How do we position ourselves to meet at a common point that satisfies ALL angles?
The quick answer? By respecting the ideas, opinions, perspectives, and intentions of departments around us. With that said, we reached out to a few of our leaders in Arkansas to dig a little deeper into the best path forward to continued department cohesion.
Meet in Person (when possible).
Hot Springs Area Sales Manager asserts that when COVID emerged, everyone had to make life changes that took us away from the office and forced us to do business in unprecedented ways. His point? At a time when we spread away from our offices, we got into more video conferencing, emailing, and texting, losing some of the assets of simple face to face communication. Many of these avenues, he asserts, can get “lost in translation.”
“People wonder: Did you have a tone when you typed that? Furthermore, it’s easier to say something through a text or email that might have a sharp tone to it… different than if you meet face to face.”
Lee’s remedy: When there’s uncertainty or potential confusion on a matter, go visit that person at his or her desk, person to person, or worst case, pick up the phone.
“Good sales reps will tell you. When talking to a customer, you’re best face-to-face. People talk softer, you can read body language, and I think that same idea applies to our colleagues. If someone starts up an email conversation, if I can, I’ll pick up the phone and say ‘I thought I’d call just to make this easier. What can I do to help?”
Make Zero Assumptions.
That goes back to clear communication, VP of Sales Cody Simon says. One assumption to avoid: That a decision is made with ill intentions.
“The most important thing to me is communicating back and forth and never assume anything,” Cody said. “That to me is a very practical thing to keep in mind in building team cohesion.”
Maintain Trust in your Peers.
Cody says that part of respecting others' ideas is trusting that we have the right people in the right job to get it done.
“We all have the end goal to take care of the customer,” Cody said. “If we ask someone to do something, it’s important to respect them enough to get the job done… even if it’s not the same way WE might do it.”
Make it Clear and Concise.
It was about a year or so ago that Admin Manager Kristen Finkbeiner found this quote on social media: “To be clear is to be kind. To be unclear is to be unkind.” She put that in her back pocket and brought it back to the office.
Be clear in your communication, make sure you are clear on how it applies to other departments or employees, and make sure YOU’RE clear on what’s being discussed, Kristen says.
“Never be afraid to ask “why,” Kristen said. “Consistent open conversation is key, and making sure everyone is on the same page as to why something is being done in a certain way. This is all something I talk to with my team on a regular basis.”
Make it a Point to Consider: “What More Can I Do?”
It was at a conference years ago that Lee picked up the book “What More Can I Do?” He revisited it again recently and thinks it’s a great component to maintaining camaraderie across the organization.
“When you’re in that problem-solving discussion of making this or that right for the customer and your company, it’s about asking ‘What can I do to help you with this? Does this work for you?’ It’s taking the courteous, polite approach…. those basic, human elements into your office conversation.”
