by Lawrence M. Kohn and Robert N. Kohn

We've coached hundreds of professionals and executives across the country and have come to the conclusion that the single most important business skill is a commitment to commitment. This means a clear, deeply rooted philosophy that promises are made to be kept. It is a lifestyle that becomes your reputation, and it will dramatically enhance productivity in your practice in at least two fundamental ways:

1. It creates trust. When people trust you to fulfill your commitments, they will go to extremes to maintain the alliance. Your clients will remain loyal. Your vendors will try to give you the best deal. Your co-workers will put in extra hours, and your prospects will see you as the preferred provider.
2. It ignites your passion. Over the years we have worked with hundreds of clients who have felt frustrated with their inability to motivate themselves or their partners to bring in new clients. Creating a reasonable plan is always the first step. However, the next step is to confirm their commitment to execute the plan. Everyone should verbalize his or her commitment to others in the firm. It's a good idea to shake hands to formalize the promise. Once the commitment is verbalized, the passion kicks in. When you're passionate, you're productive.

There are two elements to communicating your commitment to commitment. The first is communicating that you live up to your commitments. Most often, this is accomplished in small ways: returning calls, meeting deadlines, arriving promptly. Failure to live up to your promises -- even the small ones -- invites reciprocity.

The second part is letting people know that you expect them to live up to their commitments. This requires that you discuss your understanding of the meaning of commitment. Your ability to talk comfortably and directly about the value of commitment will reveal its significance and build the foundation for a productive relationship.

For more tips, check out our article "Four Communication Rules to Maximize Productivity."

Labels: communication, management, productivity

Melissa M. Udell, PhD

Listening is half of the communication equation, perhaps the more important half, yet most people don't do it well. In order to communicate effectively with clients and associates, you must listen effectively. Here are four keys to how to listen:

1. Be quiet. Actually listen.

2. Don't rehearse. A lot of people fall into the trap of practicing what they're going to say next in their head. They're already formulating their response, and they miss what the other person is trying to say to them. Don't just wait for the other person to stop talking so that you can tell them what you have to say next. Listen to what they're saying and respond to that.

3. Summarize. Once you know that the other person has finished what they're going to say, run it by them again. Give them a summary: "I want to make sure we're on the same page here. This is what I heard. You just said ... Am I hearing you correctly? Any other thoughts?"

4. Clear up miscommunications. If your summary reveals that you have misheard, clear it up on the spot. This gives the other person the opportunity to clarify what they meant to communicate: "Oh, no, no, no, I didn't mean to say that. What I meant was ..." If the message sent was not the message received, and then people act on whatever they heard, people get into problems later. Clearing up miscommunications avoids a lot of problems down the line.

Labels: communication, management