Great Communicators Don't Leave People Hanging

Found this article in the New Jersey Journal. 
Great communicators understand they need to be proactive. They understand that most people on the other end are expecting you to reach out and let them know where things stand without that person having to follow up with you.

The simple concept of "closing the loop" is so significant, not just in terms of client service, but also for professionals who report to their managers and leaders of organizations. Ask yourself this question: If you were the head of a department or division in a company with many people reporting to you dealing with numerous projects, would you rather chase down information about where things stand or have your team members proactively communicate about the status of those projects and the projected completion of them? The answer is obvious.

But in spite of this, too many people are too passive in their communication and wait to be asked, prodded, begged and sometimes pushed very hard by their boss to do what is essentially their job. Simply put, keep your boss in the know. Close the loop. Doing this will reduce your boss' anxiety level, will make you look good and, further, will allow the leader of your team to focus more on the bigger picture rather than micromanaging the information flow.

Even if the project or assignment you are working on is not completed, or you are facing real obstacles or challenges, close the loop by sending an email or communicate via phone or in person to those who need to know about the situation. That way, you can deal with the situation together.


Written by Steve Adubato. View full article http://www.nj.com/business/index.ssf/2014/03/great_communicators_close_the_loop.html