Clogged Communication

Clear, constructive communication is the most powerful asset a company can create.

It's going to sound weird that I'm about to talk for a moment about toilets. Listen, I think you get it: having a clogged toilet is a major issue if you're at home. There's easy fixes that work most of the time, like your handy use of the plunger sitting right beside the bowl. But occasionally you're out of your depth.

Maybe you're a landlord like me whose second job is property maintenance. And you've got professional tools like a motorized snake, an impressive plumber supply and tool set, and the fortitude of a city morgue employee. You know, because *gross*.

But maybe you're not so equipped, and you have to call in the professionals. You know when you need it, there's no question about it. The toilet doesn't flush, and nothing you've done will make that water go down.

When the plumber arrives, it's impressive how quickly they work. Fixes happen in a particular order, ticking off boxes on a checklist from easiest fix to most complex (and expensive), and that toilet water finally recedes. Problem solved! Maybe you find out WHY you had the problem, like somebody flushed something that's labeled "Do not flush" and yet they did anyway. Or not so uncommonly, the building is old, the pipes are full of tree roots, or the previous occupant left some major issues for YOU to discover.

When you watch the plumber work, out of curiosity, or the belief that maybe the next time you'll be able to fix it yourself, sometimes the fix is embarrassingly obvious. Why couldn't you have fixed it yourself, you ask. Great question. Usually you never have to think about your plumbing in your house when everything is working. You really only encounter this issue every once in awhile. When. It's. Bad.

But the plumber sees these issues *daily*, knows this problem was inevitable, and that there were obvious signs that it was going to happen that you missed. I mean, there were signs all along.

A toilet that won't flush at home is an obvious red alert. But what if the problem isn't plumbing, it's communication at work? How do you know the communication is clogged? What red alerts do you observe that tell you it's time to call in the professionals?

I'll tell you: missed deadlines, frustrated admins, break room tension, surprised managers, department or project team silos with overlapping or conflicting goals, poorly defined scope of work, or billing issues. Or nothing really obvious but a *feeling* like we're not a happy team.

It's time to call in a professional. Maybe it's just one clogged communication pipeline. But maybe it's the whole communication system entirely. Tree roots in the break room.

What kind of professional can deal with an issue like this? You're going to be shocked, but hear me out.

There's a job that requires intense listening skills, a yes-can-do mindset, the ability to pivot in conversation on a dime, understanding and following a thread in context WITH subtext, creatively constructing roll-playing scenarios in a moment, all while making you feel good, maybe even making you laugh: professional improvisors. Yeah, like those funny folks you've seen on TV or YouTube.

But think about it. Are those skills? Can they be learned? Absolutely, unquestionably...otherwise how else how did THEY acquire it?

Who would hire such a professional? Fortune 500 companies would. Healthcare providers. Financial advisors. Government agencies. Technology companies. Trade associations. Service industries. You know, *people* people.

Clear, constructive communication is the most powerful asset a company can create. And it's going to save your company.

Chat with us about your communication clogs. See our Hire Us | Corp Training to connect with us (https://www.comedysportzaustin.com/hire-us) or book a free quick discovery call with me to talk about YOU at https://calendly.com/mike-topel/30min

I've got my toolbox loaded in the van.