6 lame excuses for not communicating

Here are some of the most common excuses. You’ve probably come across these in your own organization. Maybe you’ve even used them yourself a time or two. Here’s why they don’t hold water and how you can overcome them.

We can make it better

Do documents and publications in your company routinely get caught in a perpetual churn cycle, where people offer endless edits that add little in the way of real value?

That may be the sign of a dysfunctional organization. After all, if people are fussing over every detail of a speech or Web page for weeks or even months, how are they handling the really big decisions?

These so-called perfectionists mistake changes for improvements and activity for action. They missed the lesson on the 80/20 rule.

So, tighten the review circle, identify the bottlenecks, and cut them out of the process. Enlist a high-level ally if necessary. Enforce quick deadlines, demand fast turnaround on approvals, and use the old, “If we don’t hear from you by [x date/time], we’ll assume it’s OK to go forward.”

We don’t have all the information

When do we ever enjoy the luxury of having all the necessary facts at hand? Even in an age where the information spigot is wide open and always gushing data, it’s a rarity.