Effective communication

I am constantly amazed at how many problems can be solved by simply making sure there's good communication between all parties. When the left hand knows what the right hand is doing, each can be the most effective at their task. Time doesn't get wasted because tasks are being duplicate or having to be redone, and the ball doesn't get dropped because everyone just assumed that someone else would do it.

At Tate Publishing, we focus a lot of attention on making sure good, effective communication is always happening. On a daily basis, one of my primary responsibilities is to make sure that all departments are pointing towards the same target—that editors are aware of what graphic designers are doing, that graphic designers are aware of what the print facility is doing and that marketing is aware of what's going on within production.

The most important communication happens between our staff and our authors. When you partner with your authors like we do, it's a daily responsibility to make sure everyone's on the same page. Sometimes I feel like our authors are afraid to ask questions, at the risk of saying the wrong things or looking foolish. But for many of our authors, this is their first trip around the block in the publishing industry, and it's vital that everyone know their role and their responsibility to the goal.

Many times I tell authors I want them asking questions—I need them asking questions, as an educated author will be more effective at their task if they know what the overall goal looks like. That's why our authors work directly with the production staff members that are working on their book, so they know what's happening at every step.

Good communication doesn't mean that you always tell the person what they want to hear. Sometimes the news is bad, but it's at these times when communication is even more important, so that everyone is aware of the situation and can work together to create a solution.

I've watched many companies crumble because in their success of getting larger, they lose their grip on good communication. As you get larger, it becomes more and more difficult to maintain good communication between everybody involved, and that can ruin a successful business. Tate Publishing has seen unprecedented growth in the last few years, so I work hard everyday to make sure we continue to work fluidly and effortlessly.

I encourage you to take a look within your own life. Good communication typically doesn't come naturally—it's something you have to make a consistent and conscious effort to do. But if everyone knows how their piece of the puzzle fits, the sum is always greater than its parts.