So, Who Really Wins the Debates?

Gotcha. You were thinking about politics. Where whoever you believed in before the debate would be the winner. No doubt about it. My candidate in the presidential debate definitely won. That proves my little theory to be true. But what about the management instructions you give out? Do you think that different people could hear what you say and interpret it in two different ways? To quote a recent Alaskan governor, “You Betcha.”

At the Presidential debates, there are thousands of reporters who all say something different about what the candidates said or did. Maybe it was the blinking of an eye, or the slightest smile at the end of a sentence. One news station said it was apples while the other said it was bananas. How do you tell? Can you ever tell the right answer?

No.

Let’s translate this to your business. You have two foremen going out to work on a job, each with a six-man crew. Later in the day you stop by the job only to find out that one team did it right while the other team was in left field. When you asked the left field leader, he repeated what you said and he was spot on. The right field leader also repeated your instructions and he was correct. What happened was that any time you give definitive instructions to anyone, you must ask for feedback. Have it explained back to you; make sure you agree.

Your communications run your business. Whether written or oral, make sure you are saying what you mean to say and that everyone else understands. Then and only then you will know that you won the debate.