Shizu Okusa, the founder and CEO of wellness company Apothékary, identifies poor communication as a significant red flag in the workplace. Okusa believes that this issue often leads to failures, especially during conflicts or disagreements. Based in New York, her company experienced impressive revenue growth, bringing in $20 million over just nine months last year. Despite this success, Okusa emphasizes the importance of addressing communication issues to maintain a healthy work environment.
Okusa advises managers to address communication concerns by privately calling individuals in for discussions. This approach encourages open dialogue without fear of embarrassment or judgment. She stresses the importance of assessing the situation before taking action, ensuring that the conversation remains constructive.
"When something bad happens, it could be really easy to hop on a meeting with many other people and [call someone out]," – Shizu Okusa
Career expert Carolyn Kleiman supports Okusa's approach, advocating for direct communication when addressing workplace issues. She suggests documenting problems and discussing them in one-on-one meetings with supervisors. Kleiman emphasizes the necessity of a clear and respectful exchange of ideas.
"I've noticed that you tend to [example of poor communication]. It would be helpful if you did this instead." – Carolyn Kleiman
Harvard career advisor Gorick Ng offers further insight into handling poor communication at work. Ng recommends assuming positive intent initially but advises escalating the issue to human resources if the behavior persists and if others share similar experiences. This step ensures that the problem is addressed at a higher level if necessary.
"Either things could have been said better, things could have been shared better, or the context was off." – Shizu Okusa
Okusa's focus on communication stems from her belief that it is often the root cause of organizational failures. Acknowledging this, she urges leaders to foster an environment where employees feel comfortable expressing concerns and seeking resolutions collaboratively.
"I think that most things fail because of poor communication," – Shizu Okusa