Here's how you can navigate common communication pitfalls in the telecommunication services sector.

To navigate communication pitfalls in the telecommunication sector, prioritize clarity and simplicity in all interactions. Ensure that technical jargon is minimized or explained to avoid confusion. Implement robust training for customer service teams to handle diverse queries effectively. Use multiple channels for communication—such as phone, email, and chat—to cater to different customer preferences. Regularly gather feedback to identify and address recurring issues. Foster a culture of transparency and responsiveness, ensuring timely updates on service changes or outages. Effective communication practices enhance customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.

It is helpful if both the sender and the receiver are sensitive, aware and ready to decode the main thing being communicated. If the sender lets the receiver know and understand the code to decode the information, and the receiver should be ready receive the code to decode the information. Commuincation should be simple, understandable, easy to access, and specific. Questions help to make sure the receiver is able to access and use the code. If receiver "listens" to the sender it will make the job easier for the sender. The challenges in communication include- lack of listening, presumption, always in our own world, insensitive to others, and lack of specificity. Communication is achieved when the receiver and the sender align.

Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic Time bound (SMART model) can be useful in setting objective. However, I will add to SMART, who, where, when, how and audit model to make sure objectives are clear enough. Who does what at when and how will it be done, then auditing such plan to see if there are any need to adjust with changes when contingencies arise. A good manager is always at alert and up to date with information and ready to re-adjust. I have seen objectives set in 2023 failed to be realised in 2024 because of rigidity. Researchers are always discovering new things and such new discoveries should be given room in our setting of objectives.

Call it feedback, objections or customer response, they are gold may be in crude form or refined form depending on the way it was delivered. If we pay attention to feedback, refine and define it if the need be, look for a way to address to resolve it, we are close to excellence. I have seen managers who excelled because they didn't shy away from feedback but paid attention which resulted to innovation of new services, new production lines, better customer relationship and improved the idea of customer centric business approach. I once had to tweak a promotion brief in my territory because I was open to feedback, and my report of my reason to the business resulted in my promotion.

Objectives should be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time bound. However, objectives should avoid being rigid, rather perhaps it should be re-adjustable. I have seen objectives set in 2022 which could not be implemented in 2023 because of rigidity. Thus, editing and auditing of objectives to cushion contingencies are essential. Who does what at when and how should be part of setting objectives, yet the ability to adjust with unforeseeable changes is paramount. We learn from auditing to maintain sustainability.