Every time I surround myself with aspiring leaders, I get a jolt of energy. Entrepreneurs who are determined to make a difference—in their own lives and in the lives of others—hold a special place in my heart.
Recently, health-focused business owners from throughout North America and Europe met in Salt Lake City to celebrate, connect, and learn (scroll for video highlights from the event).
In-person gatherings such as these fuel my soul. They provide opportunities to strengthen relationships and unite in common goals. I’m grateful to connect with so many on a personal level through handshakes, selfies, and one-on-one conversations (no matter how brief they may be).
Thank you to everyone who makes attending in-person events a priority. And many thanks to the USANA teams that work hard to produce high-value, high-energy, and high-impact events. They’re an important piece in helping to create The Healthiest Family on Earth.
Interactions: 4 Tips for Success
In addition, as USANA strives toward our goal of reaching 1 million active customers, I’m often asked to share advice on what makes a good leader. The list could go on and on. However, here are four concepts that contribute to strong leadership.
I invite you to watch the following brief video clips and see how you might be able to incorporate these techniques in your professional (and personal) lives:
Interactions: Listening to Understand
Asking the Right Questions
Connecting in Meaningful Ways
Being Teachable
In the end, relationships rule the day. Success arrives when we nurture and strengthen relationships.
The power of effective communication in business (and in life in general) is incredibly important.
Communication is the cornerstone of success, both professionally and personally. It’s the foundation of strong relationships and successful organizations. In June, we recognize National Effective Communications Month. It’s the perfect time to celebrate this important skill.
Effective communication builds trust, which is one reason I’ve found that nothing is more important than relationships, than connecting with others, and understanding the other person’s motivation. When relationships align with your own core values, you’re poised to do great things together that benefit those around you.
Effective Communication: 5 Tips to Improve
To help you improve your communication skills, here are five actionable tips.
Active Listening: Pay full attention to the speaker, avoid interrupting, and ask clarifying questions to ensure you understand their message.
Empathy: Put yourself in the other person’s shoes to understand their perspective and feelings.
Clarity and Conciseness: Be clear and concise with simple language to avoid confusion and misinterpretation when delivering your messages.
Nonverbal Communication: Pay attention to body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice, all of which convey important information and emotions.
Feedback and Follow-ups: Encourage feedback from others and follow up on conversations to ensure understanding and maintain open lines of communication.
When done consistently, these five action items show respect, promote open dialogue, and allow for greater understanding. Because we’ve learned effective communication is key to building strong relationships with USANA’s customers and distributors, we strive to ensure that every interaction, whether it’s through our products, marketing materials, or customer service, is clear, concise, and informative.
In professional situations, empathetic and clear communication promotes open dialogue and resolves conflicts, which maintains a positive work environment.
I shared these thoughts in a news release that went out on June 1, 2023, to commemorate Effective Communications Month. All the Right Reasons: 12 Timeless Principles for Living a Life in Harmony, which is available on Amazon, uncovers 12 principles for living a life in harmony and drawing on the power of values to help find life’s success secrets. All proceeds feed hungry children, with each book purchase providing 40 meals.
https://www.kevinguest.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Kevin-Guest-Logo-White.svg00Kevin Guesthttps://www.kevinguest.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Kevin-Guest-Logo-White.svgKevin Guest2023-06-05 08:00:142023-06-07 12:55:10Effective Communication: A Cornerstone of Success
“Communication—the human connection—is the key to personal and career success.”
— Paul J. Meyer
The way we communicate changed in 2020, especially for those of us who were used to working in an office environment. Face-to-face interaction became more difficult. Our quick office pop-ins to deliver messages all but vanished. And we struggled to separate our work life from our home life.
Working from home, which is familiar for so many entrepreneurs, became the norm for countless office workers.
How do we build strong relationships and maintain productivity while many of us continue to work from home? Much of it comes down to consciously adapting our communication habits.
Amy Haran, USANA’s Executive Vice President of Communications, offered 5 Healthy Communication Habits she’s found to be helpful. I wanted to share some of her advice here.
Communication is key. Here are 5 Healthy Communication Habits. Image by Alexandra_Koch from Pixabay.
1. Communicate More
Amy Haran, USANA Executive Vice President of Communications
After several weeks of working from home, it became clear my colleagues and I had to be more intentional about sharing information. I now keep a list—along with lists for my other direct reports—to keep track of what I need to share in our weekly meetings. And my employees keep a similar list for me.
Being intentional in our communications should extend to our relationships across the company. We don’t see each other in hallways or cubicle walk-by’s anymore—meaning, we need to make an effort to ask for and share information with each other.
When in doubt, err on the side of sharing information with a wider group.
2. Check in Often
Meetings: We all love to hate them, but they’re an important tool to stay connected in today’s remote workplace. And if handled well, they can actually be fun.
Several meeting types that should take priority on your calendar:
Formal Development Meetings: Surprise! Giving timely feedback and understanding each other’s expectations did not go on hold during the pandemic. Consider monthly employee-led check-ins and quarterly manager-led meetings—and add them to your calendar.
One-on-One Check-ins: Aside from these employee development meetings, less formal and more frequent check-in meetings are necessary for most employees these days. I’ve found that weekly check-ins have worked best for most of my direct reports. We usually jump on WebEx to share updates, discuss challenges, and catch up on what’s happening in each other’s lives. And turning on our cameras always helps us connect even more.
Team Meetings: All of the teams who report to me have increased the frequency of their meetings—to twice a week or even a quick, daily WebEx—to address pressing concerns, give progress updates, and maintain relationships. Be sure to leave some time for coworkers to catch up or play a quick game. It’s easy to get distracted in web meetings, especially with your camera off. Just remember, your participation and focus in these meetings are key to staying informed and maintaining your team’s culture.
3. Choose the Right Communication Channel
At USANA, we’re fortunate to have many ways to communicate with each other, including WebEx meetings and messages, email, text, Slack, Zoom, Jabber, and the good, old-fashioned phone. But all of these choices can lead to confusion about what channel to use and when.
With no hard or fast rules to follow, considering everything from the sensitivity to the urgency of your message will help.
Which Channel?
Email: Info that’s straightforward, non-sensitive, non-urgent, and doesn’t require a lot of discussion or responses (e.g. A monthly project update to a large group)
Video Meetings: Collaborative meetings, sensitive messages, and complicated topics that require discussion or responses (e.g. A weekly team or employee check-in)
Chat/Instant Messaging: Quick questions, real-time collaboration, urgent info, or socializing (e.g. A brief project question to a small group)
Phone: When a video meeting isn’t a viable option and the message is too lengthy, complex, or sensitive to handle via email or chat (e.g. An urgent conversation with your manager about a complicated issue)
Text: Info or questions that are brief, urgent, and don’t require a lot of collaboration or discussion; also, funny memes (e.g. A heads up to your manager that you’ll be late to an upcoming meeting)
Whatever channel you use, keep it concise, courteous, specific, scannable (if it’s written), and relevant to your audience.
4. Establish Rules of Engagement
Work may be at home these days, but that doesn’t mean the office is open 24/7. Take note of when you reach out to people and ask yourself whether your expectation for response time is fair.
To help navigate changing expectations, many experts recommend you establish “rules of engagement” with your team to make life easier for everyone. These “rules” could include when people are available via email, how often you expect updates from each other, and even “office hours” when managers are free for unscheduled employee conversations.
5. Provide Positivity and Support
In times of crisis, high anxiety, or high stress, employees look to managers for emotional cues. Like COVID, negative emotions are highly contagious. If we’re communicating stress or helplessness, our employees will likely do the same.
Recognizing this doesn’t mean we have to be fake or overly cheerful. Acknowledging the situation or validating someone’s feelings while offering encouragement and trust will go a long way toward helping our coworkers feel calm and confident.
You’ve Got This
“USANA has weathered some big storms this year, and we’re stronger for it,” Haran says. “You are capable of staying connected with your coworkers, maintaining our amazing culture, and remaining focused on your goals—whether you’re working from a cluttered guest bedroom (raises hand) or a corner office.”
Recently, health-focused business owners from throughout North America and Europe met in Salt Lake City to celebrate, connect, and learn (scroll for video highlights from the event).
