Communication – Case Study

The owner of an office supply company and a key account executive were experiencing extreme tension. Communication had become emotionally charged, creating a toxic work environment and lost revenue.

Conversations between the owner and account executive became circular, vague, and emotionally reactive.
Communication often escalated into frustration, with little resolution or follow-through.
Tasks were dropped, priorities were unclear, and tensions bled into the broader team.
Revenue was slipping due to missed opportunities and inefficient account management.

Conversations between the owner and account executive became circular, vague, and emotionally reactive.
Communication often escalated into frustration, with little resolution or follow-through.
Tasks were dropped, priorities were unclear, and tensions bled into the broader team.
Revenue was slipping due to missed opportunities and inefficient account management.

Observed real-time conversations and conducted separate interviews with both parties to uncover the root cause of the issues.
Identified that the executive lacked direct access to operations, forcing him to go through the owner for basic information. This “broken telephone” communication led to delays, frustration, and confusion.
The owner was burdened with operational issues and was often dragged into the executive’s requests, which exacerbated stress and added to the misalignment.
The monetary dispute was a symptom of deeper misalignments around roles, expectations, and authority.
Realized that the owner lacked visibility into the executive’s daily activities, fueling frustration and a sense of being overwhelmed.

Observed real-time conversations and conducted separate interviews with both parties to uncover the root cause of the issues.
Identified that the executive lacked direct access to operations, forcing him to go through the owner for basic information. This “broken telephone” communication led to delays, frustration, and confusion.
The owner was burdened with operational issues and was often dragged into the executive’s requests, which exacerbated stress and added to the misalignment.
The monetary dispute was a symptom of deeper misalignments around roles, expectations, and authority.
Realized that the owner lacked visibility into the executive’s daily activities, fueling frustration and a sense of being overwhelmed.

Resolve the monetary dispute, ensuring alignment between the executive and owner on financial expectations.
Eliminate the communication bottleneck by ensuring direct access between the executive and operations, without needing the owner as an intermediary.
Establish a clear communication framework that delivers timely and relevant information, minimizing unnecessary escalations.
Clarify roles and responsibilities to ensure both the executive and owner understand their respective financial and operational expectations.
Foster a consistent and productive communication channel between the executive and the owner to streamline decision-making and align priorities.

Resolve the monetary dispute, ensuring alignment between the executive and owner on financial expectations.
Eliminate the communication bottleneck by ensuring direct access between the executive and operations, without needing the owner as an intermediary.
Establish a clear communication framework that delivers timely and relevant information, minimizing unnecessary escalations.
Clarify roles and responsibilities to ensure both the executive and owner understand their respective financial and operational expectations.
Foster a consistent and productive communication channel between the executive and the owner to streamline decision-making and align priorities.

Facilitated a resolution for the monetary dispute, ensuring both the executive and the owner were on the same page regarding financial expectations and authority.
Eliminated the broken communication loop by appointing an operations liaison to bridge the gap between the executive and operations.
Clarified roles and responsibilities to ensure the executive had direct access to operations without relying on the owner as an intermediary.
Introduced a structured communication framework to ensure the executive received the necessary information in a timely manner, reducing the need for constant escalation.
Established a 15-minute daily check-in to create a consistent, productive communication channel between the executive and the owner, ensuring both parties were aligned on priorities and responsibilities.

IMPLEMENTATION

Facilitated a resolution for the monetary dispute, ensuring both the executive and the owner were on the same page regarding financial expectations and authority.
Eliminated the broken communication loop by appointing an operations liaison to bridge the gap between the executive and operations.
Clarified roles and responsibilities to ensure the executive had direct access to operations without relying on the owner as an intermediary.
Introduced a structured communication framework to ensure the executive received the necessary information in a timely manner, reducing the need for constant escalation.
Established a 15-minute daily check-in to create a consistent, productive communication channel between the executive and the owner, ensuring both parties were aligned on priorities and responsibilities.

Communication time was reduced from over 1.5 hours to just 15 minutes daily, freeing up valuable time for productive work.
The executive gained direct access to operations, enabling faster decision-making and reducing dependency on the owner.
The monetary dispute was resolved, eliminating friction and allowing both parties to focus on business growth.
With clarified roles and responsibilities, both the owner and executive were aligned on expectations, leading to improved efficiency.
A consistent communication flow enhanced collaboration and minimized miscommunication, ensuring alignment between the owner and executive.
Monthly revenue of $25,000 was restored, helping the business regain momentum.

Communication time was reduced from over 1.5 hours to just 15 minutes daily, freeing up valuable time for productive work.
The executive gained direct access to operations, enabling faster decision-making and reducing dependency on the owner.
The monetary dispute was resolved, eliminating friction and allowing both parties to focus on business growth.
With clarified roles and responsibilities, both the owner and executive were aligned on expectations, leading to improved efficiency.
A consistent communication flow enhanced collaboration and minimized miscommunication, ensuring alignment between the owner and executive.
Monthly revenue of $25,000 was restored, helping the business regain momentum.