Unbeatable Business Communication - How to Set the Stage for Success

How to Align the Stars in your Business Communication~

Just as the stars seem to align for a perfect circumstance, so can your business-- and this time you can be in control of the stars. How fast would your business move if you got the results you wanted? When you create alignment in your business, you ensure that each person involved is working toward a common goal.

Because you have created shared desires with each other, each party feels as if everything is working in their favor and you set yourself up for better results. Creating alignment is more than just learning new listening techniques or overcoming objections. Every successful business interaction, or any instance where people are working together to create the most favorable result, needs to start with alignment.

You can understand this concept more fully if you think about life in general terms. Each day you drive down the highway to work, the store, or pick up the kids - going in your own direction. Although you are going your own way to achieve your desired outcome (getting where they want to go), there are others on the road trying to reach their own destinations. Although each person may reach different destinations, the transportation laws communicate to everyone to drive in the same way, this creates alignment. At the end of the commute, everyone achieves the result they set out to accomplish.

Alignment in business works the same way. It involves communicating with those around you to reach a common goal creating enhanced results.

~First Things First - Build Internal Alignment~

You cannot create alignment with others without first creating alignment with yourself and being able to express that clarity to others. In order to effectively communicate your goals to others, you must explore and determine the underlying values within your desired outcome.

For example, you might want everyone who attends a meeting to bring paper and a pen to write notes. As you explore this desire, you may discover that organization is very important to you or that active participation is a high priority. Every outcome you desire has an underlying value supporting it and that value is what motivates you to want what you want in the first place.

~Alignment in Practice: Conversing with Others~

After determining the personal values that motivate you, you need to discover what values motivate the others with whom you will be working. To begin, simply express your values to the others and ask if they too share these values, and if they would be willing to consider ways of creating that kind of environment.

This is how we align our values-we create a shared goal. Your shared goal might be to achieve increased results or to enhance productivity, or even to have a more harmonious relationship. Once you are both on the same page and understand your shared goal, you can begin working out strategies to achieve the results you want.

Points to Remember when Having the Alignment Conversation:

During the initial conversation, it is better to avoid strategizing with the other person. It is important to focus on coming to an agreement on values and to create a shared goal. Once you are set on a shared goal, you can move on to determining the details of how you will get there.

Another trap to avoid is discussing failure. It is easy to play the blame game and talk about how things did not go well last time, but you will have more success by focusing on the positive in this case. Only discuss the past as it relates to a value that may not have existed back then, not to blame or create negativity amongst the group.

Other Keys to Cover in the Conversation:

• Be willing to negotiate detailed strategies that benefit all those involved• Dedicate yourself to letting go of judgment and criticism

• Be ready to celebrate all successes that come from the conversation

When you have set an understanding of values and created a shared vision, you have already been successful in working together for a mutually beneficial outcome. It will now come more naturally to create situations where everyone gets what they want.

You will begin to see just how enjoyable it can be to work toward a common goal, when everyone is agreeable. You will find yourself in a collaborative and supportive work environment that lends itself to enhanced productivity and wins for all.

Creating alignment is just part of a series of steps you can take to create vibrant relationships and successes in your business communications. For more tips, suggestions and advice, sign up for our free thought-provoking and motivational Weekly Action Tips email series at:

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