It is often easier to put greater emphasis on communicating the hope of what’s next than accurately communicating about ‘now’.
This needs to be looked at from the perspective of external communication and internal communication.
From an external perspective, are you sending out messages about:
- how your business will be improved,
- what people can expect to see in the future,
- the size of growth you are expecting,
without putting greater focus and attention into what your business is doing now?
Are you guilty of saying you will do something ‘when’ this happens or ‘if’ this changes, rather than promoting the good that your business is doing for others ‘today’?
What about internal communication with your staff? Is your team excited and confident about the present, or do they have a lack of focus and direction because they are lost in the hype of ‘tomorrow’?
During the Battle of Chancellorsville in the Civil War, Major Gen. Joseph Hooker was so convinced his Union Army would defeat Gen. Robert E. Lee’s Confederate Army that he told his troops it was OK to have a big BBQ the night before battle because victory would be their in the morning. “Fighting Joe” would never live down his decision. The Union Army’s embarrassing retreat from the battle the next day can be traced back to his misplaced ambition, over-confidence the day before.If Major Gen. Joseph Hooker had focused on being strong ‘today’, he would not have been tempted to take the easy (but fatal) option that ignores present problems and instead focuses only on the hope of the future.
Stop expending so many resources into communicating what is to come, and spend more time communicating what is happening now. Tell your stories of current success.
Telling stories we know to be true goes further than telling stories we want to be true.
Yes, you must think ahead and lead your clients and potential clients into the future, but not at the expense of communicating what is happening now.
How do you find a balance between the present and the future in your business?
