Trick of the Trade
We often need to know when a colleague or supplier will deliver a component, test result, or needed bit of information, but colleagues and suppliers are often reticent to offer concrete promise dates (for a variety of reasons). When someone will not or cannot offer an estimated delivery time, try this trick: “Can I have it after lunch today?” (The usual response is “No, that’s nowhere near enough time!”) “Okay, could I have it by this date next year?” (The usual response is “Of course, that’s plenty of time.”) You have now established that they do have some idea of how long the task will take, and it’s just a matter of tightening those boundaries.
Continue by asking, “So, between this afternoon and next year, what’s your best guess?” This usually results in a reasonable but somewhat optimistic estimation (depending on the individual and on the local culture). Next ask “If everything went perfectly, no competing priorities, no mistakes, and no snags of any kind, when could it be finished?”, the response is the best-case timing. Then ask, “What if everything went wrong, needed resources weren’t available when expected, problems popped up, other projects got hot and took priority?” This reveals the worst-case timing. Now you are in a position to agree on a realistic timing window and assess the risk of the task being completed late (and take any needed actions to help move things along).
If you want your message to land, it's essential to select the correct mode of communication. What's the correct mode? It depends.
Juran realized that all defects can be classified as "operator-controllable" or “management-controllable". Management (and engineering) plays an absolutely essential in quality outcomes.
Networking and communication build and sustain the relationships that make business work. Avoid these bad habits immediately or people will dislike you immediately.
Mastering these 5 missing skills quickly maximizes your productivity and influence, which in turn enhances both job security and advancement potential.
I explained the goal in designing any component. Overly tight specifications would make it harder to find suppliers and would drive up costs. The engineer's entire approach changed.
Preparing for a presentation is vital in enabling team members to convey critical points, and influence outcomes with customers. Here are the steps involved.
When customer tensions rise, the right approach can turn friction into collaboration. At CAEDENCE, we call it the 3C’s: Calm, Clarify, Control. Here's more detail.
Will AI Replace Direct Customer Communication? Absolutely Not! In an age of chatbots and algorithms, the highest-impact discussions still happen person-to-person.
B2B customer relationships are not a breeze. We’ve navigated hundreds of challenging accounts and distilled five secrets that consistently turn friction into forward progress.
Ever notice how a quick fix from the top can feel like a shortcut, but it ends up stunting your team’s growth? When managers rush to answers, they inadvertently affect team development.
