Devoted to Managers and those that seek to improve their management skills

Thinking Small Series - Part Two

Last post, in the opening of the Thinking Small series from Sam Walton, we talked about the way Walton, Wal-Mart (WMT) and its associates connected with their customers in their small-town way.

This post we'll talk a little on communication and thinking small.

Thinking small in reference to communication doesn't mean that we pretend that there are only a few people in the company when there really isn't. What it means is that new ways of communicating that makes sure the message of the moment is being known and understood by everybody.

As a company grows there are two things that must be understood here: A company must have a vision of communication that is one of its top priorities, and from that vision look for practical ways that it can be done.

This can't just be done by intellectually agreeing with these ideas, but rather there must be a commitment to it and an understanding of how crucial it is to a business.

How do you know when there's a lack of communication? Look across the business and see if performance is pretty much uniform across the entire scope of the business. How many times have you had an experience at one store in a town, and then go to another town and have a totally different one? This is a sign that communication and understanding of that communication is not what it should be.

Thinking small in communication means that we want everybody in the company to be on the same page at the same time. Anything that is short of this means that there is work to be done.

Be assured that the bigger a company gets, the more important it is to focus on ways of communicating the ensures that what is wanted within the company is understood and implemented. Thinking small is what will bring it about.

Other Sam Walton Sources:

Sam Walton

Sam Walton: 10 Rules for Building a Successful Business

Sam Walton - Retail Success Story

Sam Walton and Wal-Mart

How Wal-Mart Got Started

Sam Walton: King Of The Discounters

Sam Walton: Great From the Start

Is Wal-Mart Too Powerful?

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