Today we talked a lot about how we could improve communication and information flow between business units.

So how do you communicate better in a business?

Set expectations.

When a new project comes in, communicate how many revisions you'll allow for with the client. Give them a timeline for the project, including each step of the process, time for approvals, and an expected due date. Follow through on the date.

Yes, this requires doing more legwork every day to keep yourself up above everything.

And yes, life requires work and foresight to enjoy freedom, downtime, and rewards.

If it were easy, everyone would be doing it, and it would not be valuable.

Be valuable!

Talk in person and on the phone. ("Ditch the email crutch")

It may be easier to rattle off an email, but when you're dealing with a creative project - and especially when you're having to say "no" to a client, it is much more effective to speak with that person either in person or on the phone.

If you're saying no, it means you have excellent and legitimate reasons to say no based on your team and company objectives. Those go over much better when you can connect with the client on an emotional level, rather than letting the cold, empty letters in the email take a life of their own in the client. Hint: when they take a life of their own in these instances, they will more likely become Frankenstein than the 6 Million Dollar Man.

Be empathetic.

Don't make them the bad guy. They're trying to do their best for their own team, their own company, their own objective. Let them know you're on the same time. If they make a suggestion, explain how it might work if you created it in the worwld that way. Chances are you've already thought about the possibility anyway and went with a better one. So just clue them in on the thought process of doing it that way. Be open and honest about the extra challenges their idea would pose to the design, what other cascading design changes you'd have to make given the new ingredient, and how much extra work it will entail.

When you help them come to the answer on their own, you're more likely to retain a long-term relationship. When they feel that you're more invested in realizing their vision than you are in your own, if they're operating in good faith, they're more likely to come around back to see things your way. That way everyone wins.