Chapter 1. When the Dots Connect

The root of most conflicts and misunderstandings lies in the absence of communication.

—James L. Barksdale, former CEO of Federal Express, AT&T Wireless Services, and Netscape, now head of the Barksdale Group

First they tell me one thing. Then they tell me something else. When it's time for me to do something, what do I listen to?" "When I need to decide, I need to decide now—right now. But if I don't have the right information when I need to make my decision, I could make the wrong decision."

"I'm just guessing most of the time."

Confused and uninformed people... they're a drag. They're a drag on productivity. They're a drag on quality and service. They cause costs to rise. They cause everything to move slower ...

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