“Talking and Listening” lessons for business from this weeks political to-ings and fro-ings.

Last night the media was in a frenzy. On television, we were treated to unending shots of a silver Jaguar sitting in traffic which the broadcasters hoped was carrying the future Prime Minister to Buckingham Palace. After several days of negotiations between the Liberals and both the Labour and Conservative parties we were told that talks had broken down between the Liberal and the Labour parties and that the Conservatives had been more receptive to negotiate despite differences in their political manifesto’s and beliefs which had led to an agreement that they could govern together as a coalition.

What we saw last night was something that occurs regularly in business. That the people who are most prepared to talk, listen and negotiate are those who win, that its not a sign of weakness to seek middle ground whether in politics or business.

In the management standard ISO 9001, customer focus is a key requirement for certification, it specifies that businesses must develop communication processes to inform their customers about their products and services while also ensuring that they fully understand the customer’s requirements. If there are gaps between what is offered and what is required then negotiations should ensue until essential common ground is found or the order should be declined.

People say that talk is cheap, but in business it is invaluable when paired with listening to what your customers are telling you.

Fear, uncertainty and personality clashes follow change in businesses large and small.

Sneaking into the consciousness of the business press during this week’s election fever was an announcement that two large US airlines are to merge, United and Continental Airlines.

The national press covers the financial issues and concerns about cuts and redundancies but for the people on the ground working for these airlines this change will bring out sides of their characters many would prefer were left dormant.

Change for many is stressful and frightening, leading to paranoia, jealousy, bullying, negativity or even rebellion, none of which are positive contributions to a business environment and can manifest itself at all levels from cleaners to senior management in businesses large and small and sometimes in the most unlikely of people.

With careful management this impact can be minimised. Clear, honest, timely communication of the matters which affect people directly can go a long way in building trust. Investors in People (IIP) in particular tackles the need for people to feel valued by being included in the decisions which are being made in the interest of their working lives. The ISO management standards 9001 and 14001 also specify the need for staff to have a clear understanding of the businesses objectives in addition to their personal ones.

By adopting an open, honest communication style, business leaders could reap great benefits which go way beyond certificates on walls in the form of improved morale and better reaction to change. In business as well as politics, we all respond better to a leader we can trust.