In today’s fast-paced world, it isn’t only face-to-face communication that matters; communication crosses borders and continents in an instant. And at all times, communication remains important.
Former presidential speechwriter, James C. Humes once said, “the art of communication is the language of leadership.”
Whether you start your own business, are looking to climb the ladder, or simply strive to live a meaningful and fulfilling life, communication is key.
It’s a two-way street that involves lots of other people.
In today’s fast-paced world, it isn’t only face-to-face communication that matters; communication crosses borders and continents in an instant. And at all times, communication remains important.
How you communicate matters, yet so many of us make one communication mistake after another.
But if you desire success (in any form), you need to become a skilled communicator.
Avoid These Communication Mistakes at All Costs
After interviewing 160+ successful people for my latest book — learning how they overcame their biggest ever mistake — I’ve learned that many failures ignite out of poor communication.
Bad communication not only creates mistakes, but turns small ones into giants that destabilise everything you have built. It’s a true minefield, but you can become a master communicator by avoiding these three fatal mistakes:
#1: Don’t Presume Other People Know What You Do
You know what you know, and it’s easy to slip into the trap of assuming other people do, too.
Don’t.
It brings nothing but pain.
This is a mistake most new entrepreneurs make, because they build a business on their own, gain initial success, and at some point need to hire other people (to scale and grow).
Ben Krueger discovered this issue when he began to scale Cashflow Podcasting. As the rise of podcast popularity gathered pace a few years ago, Ben found a profitable niche where he helped busy podcasters produce and promote their shows.
One client lead to many, and Ben soon had far too much on his plate.
So he hired someone to help, shadowed them for a few days, and left them to get on with it. But after a few weeks, his clients weren’t happy. The quality that had set him apart began to dip.
People were cancelling their contracts, and Ben knew he had a problem.
But it wasn’t who he hired. It was the fact he didn’t ‘show’ this new recruit how to recreate the successful process he had already built. He assumed he would know what Ben knew, but of course… this wasn’t the case.
Once Ben took the time to properly communicate and ‘show’ this person how to work, the clients came back. Ben hired more people, created more processes, and through the focus of strong communication, continues to grow ‘Cashflow Podcasting’ year-on-year.
#2: Don’t Listen To The YES Men…
One of the biggest mistakes you can make (in business and in life) is to surround yourself with people who tell you what you want to hear.
You don’t need a bunch of ‘yes men’.
You need the truth.
Communication is a two-way channel, so make sure you’re not the only one talking.
During his teenage years, Scott Oldford did all the talking. Today, Scott is a serial entrepreneur who helps online businesses build profitable (and scalable) marketing funnels — but not long ago he found himself in over $750,000 of debt.
His journey began as a young teen, building success on the back of his computer skills. He won awards and made more money than any teen should, and it all went to his head.
He surrounded himself with those who told him what he wanted to hear. He talked as they listened, and he talked some more as they nodded their head in agreement.
It created — as he told me in his own words — ‘Scott Oldford The Monster’, and formed an egotistical alter-ego that destroyed everything he had built.
Today, Scott continues to talk and lead an ever-growing team, but he also listens (A LOT).
He appreciates the key to any success is to surround yourself with those who push you to be better. Communication is a two-way street, so if you find yourself doing all the talking, take note.
#3: Don’t Forget To Ask For Input From Other People
An often forgotten benefit of communication, is collaboration.
It’s not about talking or listening, but what goes on in-between all this.
Are you ‘speaking’ with someone, or at them?
Are you ‘listening’ to someone, or just taking it in?
On your own, you’re capable of good. But if you desire greatness, you must involve others.
When I spoke to Danny Iny, he shared a story about a time before he found online success (first through ‘Firepole Marketing’, and today with ‘Mirasee’ — a business that helps thousands of online businesses grow and scale).
In the beginning, Danny had lots of ideas. He spoke to people, asked their opinions, and listened to his customers in a bid to build a product they loved. But although he listened, he didn’t properly ‘listen’.
He talked, but didn’t ask the right questions.
He tried to build upon his own ideas, instead of collaborating with those around him (staff, customers, etc…). It resulted in a good product, but one that didn’t provide enough value.
It did okay, but far from great.
And it’s this that taught Danny how to properly communicate and collaborate. Today, Danny and his team ‘involve’ their audience better than most. They build products people need, because they actually listen to what they have to say.
From Communication Mistake to Communication Success
Good communication is a cornerstone to success.
Without it, you will always struggle to build traction (not just in business, but your life as a whole).
Don’t just talk, listen!
Don’t just listen, talk.
And don’t just listen and talk… actually take it all in.
These three communication mistakes prevent you from doing this, so if you find yourself making one, stop. You have a choice, and you have the power to turn your mistakes into success (just like Ben, Danny, and Scott did).
The mistakes you make today do not have to affect tomorrow.
Turn them around, and if you need a little help on how, I have a short guide that’s perfect for you.
Above all, remember that “the art of communication is the language of leadership.”
Originally published at journal.thriveglobal.com