Is Your Company’s Communication as Tidy as You Think?

I thought my desk was clean. Then I read today’s blog entry from business coach, Jack Bergstrom. Check out the pictures and see for yourself. Or just let me describe it to you: clutter-free. His desk is clear of papers. He keeps five active paper files, each dedicated to his primary business tasks. His bulletin board has only a few, meaningful images. And his computer desktop has five active folders.

His point? “Everyone performs better, achieves more, with less stress, when they focus on one thing at a time,” writes Jack. “You can quote me on that!” I just did. And I agree with him. I think we focus on so many things in our lives that we actually mistake being only marginally cluttered for being organized. The contrast between my desk and Jack’s desk proves it.

You can consult Jack’s website on how to de-clutter your personal and professional life. But since you’re on my blog, take a minute to think about the communication streams within your own business. How cluttered is your organization’s communication? How focused are you, really?

Try to account for the following:

• How many projects does your average employee take on at once?
• How many different teams are your employees interfacing with?
• How many “priority” and “mission critical” initiatives do you have going right now?
• How many internal communication channels (web, email, bulletin boards, flyers, team meetings) do your employees need to consult to stay abreast of company information?
• How many external information channels inform and shape the work going on within your organization?

No matter how large your company or how it’s organized, this is bound to be a long list. We rarely lack for information. What we lack is good information. How can you de-clutter the communication streams at your company?

Here are a few ideas:

• Be on the lookout for communication turf battles. Don’t let the web site be the sole domain of one department while email is dominated by another. Find a way to merge competing streams, making one reliable pool of good information.
• Take a look at your strategic initiatives. How appropriately are they communicated? Is the information about them timely and trustworthy? Does the messaging conflict with messaging about other initiatives?
• Engage employees in the streamlining process. Get a feel for how synchronous or conflicted their sources of information are and how they navigate those sources. Get a feel for how they then forward information along. Get your employees to recommend changes — and then take them up on it.
• If the above seems overwhelming, a professional communication audit may do wonders for you. A communication consultant can help you understand how communication functions within your organization, where it breaks down, and make recommendations for enhancing it.

I, for one, have been thinking about my own company’s messaging for quite some time. I think it’s a bit cluttered. It’s getting better, but it still needs help. Even communication consultants, I suppose, find that communication is an imperfect game. But one worth striving to improve, nevertheless.

If I could only transfer that to my golf game. . .

Technorati Tags: communication,business communication,organizational communication,business

 

When it Comes to Leadership, Chemistry Matters

Talk of the Nation, the National Public Radio (NPR) live call-in show, aired a segment last week about the numerous online surveys designed to line respondents up with their ideal political candidates based on a series of questions on key issues. Segment guest and Chicago Tribune columnist, Eric Zorn published a January 8th column about his experiences with the surveys. Though Zorn considers himself an Obama supporter, surveys matched him with Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich. Writes Zorn, “Kucinich and I apparently line up on a significant number of issues but, honestly, there’s no spark between us. No magic.”

The NPR segment was filled with calls from listeners who had very similar experiences. Another Obama supporter said that she was surprised to find herself idealistically aligned with candidate Ron Paul while only marginally aligned with Obama.

The consensus among the guests: When it comes to leadership, chemistry matters more than substance.

That this is true should come as a surprise to no one. What is surprising is just how much chemistry matters. Politics has for decades shown that candidates can have the right answers (at least the answers that test well) on critical issues but lose in a landslide. Are we so swayed by personality that we only think we agree on substance? Yup.

Malcolm Gladwell explores this contrast of thought and behavior in his bestseller, Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking. In it Gladwell discusses what he calls the Warren Harding era, a time when a handsome and imposing man was elected President of the United States despite a distinct lack of skills and experience. Voters fully believed, despite evidence to the contrary, that he was the candidate best positioned and prepared to run the country. But really, claims Gladwell, they liked the way he looked and they liked the way his appearance made them feel — happy and secure.

Leadership impression, more than perhaps anything, affects one’s influence. A leader who resonates with the values and beliefs held by their “constituents” best resonates with the group. Does this make them most prepared? No. Does this make them the best leader? Absolutely not. But does it make them the most attractive? Yes. For the time being.

So what’s the take away of this story? Leaders only resonate with those they lead so long as they continue to keep those they lead feeling happy and secure. This can only be maintained through action — actions that uphold the values and beliefs held by those they lead and that keep those they lead feeling happy and secure. As much as impression can be an entry point to leadership, it is also an exit point. The same leader who once was seen as “put together” and “clean cut” becomes — in the face of inaction or inappropriate action — “slick” and “too good to be true.”

Impressions based on appearance and association may open the door. But it’s only acting in the best interest of those you lead that keeps the door from slamming in your face.

 

Speaking in Code

?4U. RU DL w/txtg? UR? XLNT! TTMOT, FMOCL. UKIT.

Enough already. For those of you who were able to read the above statement without a web translator, you’re likely under the age of 25. For those of you who glanced at the first line and thought my blog had succumb to technical errors, here’s a translation:

Question for you. Are you down low with texting? You are? Excellent! Then trust me on this, I’m falling out of my chair laughing. You know it’s true.

Believe it or not, I’m not writing this to rip into the communication tools of the text monkeys out there. But I do feel much older as a result of this post. . . No, the point here is to highlight a frequent tendency in the business world to rely too heavily on the mysterious, coded world of acronyms.

Just last week I was handed a 14 page presentation that had *16* words in the whole deck. The rest of the 14 pages of content consisted of acronyms. I had no idea what I was looking at. RUDLWT?

Acronyms play a key role in business lingo, yes. But here are a few rules to keep in mind:

1. Words come first. Unless you meet colleagues in the hallway and ask them if they “put the DBJ on the KC before BLN,” don’t write like that - in presentations, emails, memos, anything. There are very few acronyms that can be used interchangeably as words. For all others, spell out the entire word for the first mention followed by the acronym in parentheses. You may then use the acronym for the rest of the document.
2. Don’t go making things up. Look, there’s enough to keep track of these days without getting new acronyms thrown at you. I once worked with a guy who made a game of seeing how many new acronyms he could introduce into our team lingo. And he was pretty darn successful at it! But, please, keep the unnecessary lingo at a minimum and save the good ones for when you really need them.
3. Keep it at work. I once turned to my husband and asked if he’d “completed his latest CMAP.” You should have seen the look on his face. And then you should have heard him tell me to “please not consider me one of your clients.” He was right, and I’m thankful for being married to a man with such a good sense of humor. UKWIM?

 

Q&A Forum: Breaking Bad News

Q: I need to communicate some big changes to my team. They’re going to take it as bad news at first, even though it’s not. How can I break the news most effectively?

A: Three key points to keep in mind as you prepare to break big news:

1. Get to the point. When communicating important information, particularly bad news, it’s very tempting to bury the lead, so to speak. We start the message with loads of background or begin justifying decisions with reams of data before those decisions have even been communicated. Or, we state the point and jump directly, without pause, to the background and the justification, denying our audience the chance to hear and digest what we’ve just told them. In contrast, the rule I like to keep in mind when delivering tough news is that the person hearing it will have only about 30 seconds before their mind starts racing with “why’s” and “what if’s”. So, swallow your pride or your fear and state clearly and fairly the 2-3 key points you need your audience to understand and take away. Once you’ve gotten those points across, take the time to provide background detail and next steps.
2. Address concerns directly. You likely have a good idea about how your news will be received. And if you don’t, do your homework — thoroughly. When delivering news of any consequence you’ve got to be prepared to answer the questions that are bound to arise. For example, address major concerns directly in your announcement - if jobs will be lost, state that honestly and also address what will happen to the individuals in those jobs. Then, take time after the announcement for Q&A so that your audience is given the opportunity to ask clarifying questions. Table any questions that you’re not prepared to answer and, by all means, follow up! Bottom line, addressing major concerns directly and honestly demonstrates integrity and a commitment to your team. Hiding from them demonstrates cowardice.
3. Be human about it. Remember the Principal in high school who made a major announcement — maybe he canceled prom or insisted on leaving the lights during dances — then acted like a tool while turning deaf ears to students’ concerns? For us, he canceled in-school pep rallies, the 2 hours a year that the students came together as a single body to rally their team. “Please!” he hollered, baring his open palm to the crowd, “You think I’d just thrown you to the lions. It’s only a pep rally, not world peace.” Perhaps he made the decision he had to make. Perhaps. But he wasn’t human about it in that he didn’t allow for or listen to the expression of disappointment. And let’s face it — 16-year-old girls know how to express disappointment. So even though you may not be able to change the message, you can deliver it honestly, listen openly, and follow-through on your promises to follow-up.

 

Love it! When Not to Email

Thanks to David Shipley and Will Schwalbe for their list of situations in which you should refrain from sending email — no matter how tempting! Though I’ve seen similar lists before, this is the most comprehensive and thoughtful that I’ve come across. It gave me pause about some of my own choices and also gave me a few topics to address with clients.

Favorite excerpts follow. The full list was originally published in the September edition of the American Management Association’s Performance & Profits eNewsletter.

DON’T E-MAIL WHEN YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU WANT

“. . . you can’t do much about the e-mails you receive. But simply asking yourself, “What do I want and am I being clear?” isn’t a bad thing to do before you hit “Send.” If the e-mail that you are sending is vague, unreasonable, or unnecessary—then it’s an e-mail that shouldn’t be sent.”

GA comment: If you find yourself regularly frustrated by the lack of or incomplete responses you get to the emails you send, this may be a good point of reflection for you.

DON’T E-MAIL AT 3 A.M

“You can compose e-mails to your heart’s content at 3 a.m. But don’t send them. This sounds like a little thing, but it’s not. Part of the reason we are all becoming 24/7 workaholics is that we are all bombarding each other 24/7. If you are an insomniac, there’s a chance your correspondents are, too. (Birds of a feather…). And if you compulsively check email night and day and night, they may be checking at all those times, too. Laying off the crack-of-dawn emailing is particularly important if you are the boss. Give your staff a rest.”

GA comment: It’s a sad reflection of work ethics and business culture when a junior staff member thinks that getting ahead comes at the sacrifice of a clear head and personal boundaries. Is that sacrifice really best for your business?

DON’T E-MAIL WHEN YOU SHOULD BE CONCENTRATING OR PAYING ATTENTION TO SOMEONE OR SOMETHING ELSE

“You may think your e-mails are important, and we‘re sure some are, but, in the immortal words of the Bible and the Byrds, there’s a time for every purpose under heaven. For those around you—well, it just looks like you aren’t paying full attention to them or to the task at hand. And you aren’t.”

GA comment: Are you the executive who sits in the meeting but isn’t really present? Are you emailing and thumbing at your Blackberry while your team discusses the issues you’ve asked them to handle responsibly? If you don’t truly need to attend a meeting, decline the invitation. But if you need to be there, BE THERE. Would you allow your team members to behave the same way in the meetings you call?

DOES THIS REALLY MATTER?

“All communication, even the most trivial, has the power to do one of three things: Bring people closer together; Maintain the status quo; or, Drive those involved further apart. Any single e-mail could be the catalyst for cementing a relationship or for destroying it.”

Let me add one more of my own:

DON’T BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR WHAT YOU WANT

Think of the last time you tried to schedule lunch with a colleague. How many rounds did it take? Likely, it took 6 - 12 emails just to schedule lunch! First, you proposed meeting for lunch and she said yes: 2 emails. Then you went back and forth on dates: 2-6 emails. Then you looked at a location: 2-4 emails. That’s a minimum of six emails for a simple exchange.

Women are particularly hesitant to be direct about what they want. If your first email invites your colleague to lunch and indicates open dates on your calendar, you cut a full round of emailing, saving yourself 2-8 emails and the time it takes to compose, read, and navigate them. When the average person sends and receives more than 100 emails a day, being direct can make a big difference!

Technorati Tags: email , email guidelines , management , leadership

 

Winning Characteristics of Small Businesses

From the Wall Street Journal, October 1, 2007:

“The Wall Street Journal teamed up with Winning Workplaces, an Evanston, Ill., nonprofit that helps small and midsize companies create better work environments, to spotlight 15 Top Small Workplaces. While each company is very different, we encountered some common themes: These small businesses tend to let employees at all levels make key decisions, and they groom their future leaders from within. They offer generous traditional and untraditional benefits (how about a six-week sabbatical?). And they constantly hunt for new ways to improve the employee experience or engage employees. . . And many share a sizable slice of their profits with employees, teaching them to read company financial statements so they grasp how their job is connected to the success of the organization.”

Letting go: I noticed as I read this piece that each of these winning characteristics requires organizations to let up on the management stranglehold so often seen in small businesses. Small business owners have a dream. They work, breathe and sweat every day to bring that dream to life. And yet, as this research shows, a business only grows when management:

•  Allows and encourages fresh and creative thinking by all

• Rewards risk, not just success

• Puts every employee on the frontline of success

Full article.

 

The Good, the Bad and the TRULY UGLY of Customer Communications

Earlier this month I received an email from my web hosting company notifying users that the company would shortly perform a server upgrade.

 

The Bad:

• The email was nearly unreadable, dense and full of jargon.

• It said, in essence, users would experience brief and minimal issues.  IT WAS WRONG!

  The Ugly:

• My business email accounts were down for several days.
• Unknown numbers of messages were lost.
• Clients (and untold others) received several “undeliverable” errors on emails they sent me.
• All of my customer service requests remain unanswered 15 days later.
• I’ve had to navigate, resolve and apologize for the whole mess myself.

Why haven’t I named the provider here? Because, being fair, I plan to continue to address this issue with them directly. Also, I’m superstitious and don’t want to jinx my systems further.

The Good:

• Blogrush.com – Just yesterday I received the most honest, fall-on-our-sword customer email I’ve seen in recent memory from another service provider of mine.  See the CEO’s blog for a transcript: http://www.income.com/blog/2007/09/25/shocking-changes-at-blogrush/

Bottom Line:

Customer communication doesn’t end with marketing. Marketing may win customers, but a company must earn customers’ ongoing loyalty. Clean, honest, timely, accessible customer communication is a deal-breaker. One thing’s for certain — I’m shopping for a new web hosting provider.

  

 

Honesty, Even at it’s Most Painful

Last week I attended a forum featuring four prominent Boulder, Colorado business leaders. All four panelists spoke about the values critical to operating their businesses and, for each of them, honesty topped the list.

 

With a decade of consulting experience under my belt, I’ve seen many corporate value statements. Almost all of them list honesty among their core values. I don’t think it should be any other way – honesty is critical to doing business well.

 

It is also the most difficult value to demonstrate – day-in and day-out – because it can break down on so many levels. Major accounting and investment fraud aside, honesty can break down on every level: a manager, who is not yet allowed to disclose a piece of confidential information, answers a question with information he/she knows to be untrue; an employee takes the afternoon to visit the doctor, instead of admitting to taking personal time; executives attempt to rally employees behind a program that everyone knows means more work, not more benefit.

 

But let me share a story that one of the panel members told last week (as this is her story to tell, I’ll leave out the personal details). After having been in business for several years, this now successful business leader nearly had to file for bankruptcy when, in one year, she went through a divorce and nursed a child through a life-threatening illness. Honesty and communication, she said, were the keys to keeping her business. She recalled, at one point, calling a major supplier (a name you’d immediately recognize) to tell them exactly what was going on. Imagine having to admit to your biggest supplier you’re most personal and emotional information.

 

“I will pay you as soon as I have the money,” she said. “But, I’ve also secured a bankruptcy attorney and I can meet you in court in ten minutes.” I don’t believe she had to go to court once.

 

I’m so moved by this story because a woman, acting with humility and good intention, put her ego aside in favor of honesty. And it worked.

 

Here’s the piece we need to take away. Honesty works because it demonstrates a history of doing the right thing. Obviously, this business owner was in decent financial standing with her suppliers and shelikely only got one “free pass.” But by communicating honestly, she demonstrated that her business intends to keep its word.

 

Now, I’m not starry-eyed. I know there are times when information cannot be disclosed and when complete detail cannot be provided. But those occasions are the very opportunities to demonstrate honesty and the intent to do business well. Every misleading, overstated, and downright dishonest statement made in business dishonors a business. And as such it slowly breaks down the trust held in it by employees, partners and investors.

 

Bottom line: Find a way to do business well and you’ll find yourself doing well in business.

 

Planning for 2008: Take the Pizza Delivery Challenge

A few weeks ago I left the office shortly after five p.m. and realized there was no hope of transitioning from “business owner” to “mom” in time to get dinner on the table before our kids headed into a meltdown.  I picked up the phone to order pizza.

 

I told the woman at the other end of the line that I’d seen an ad for a large, single-topping pizza for $6.99.

 

“Really?” she said. “I’ll take your word for it. Corporate tends to forget to tell us about their latest promotions.”

 

It’s a familiar story, isn’t it? Companies large and small invest precious hours and budget dollars planning their marketing, advertising, and customer relations, but leave their employees – the ones on the ground and face-to-face with customers – in the dark.

 

I’ve taken to using the pizza example with clients heading into 2008 planning sessions. The point, I say, is to practice the Dominoes delivery challenge (with apologies to Dominoes Pizza for the reference to an outdated delivery guarantee): can you trace a straight line from development to customer satisfaction within your organization? Do you understand what your customer wants and can you deliver it correctly, in an appetizing package, while it’s still hot?

 

I’ve said this many times and I’ll say it again because I believe it: the silos we create in our organizations around design, development, marketing, and sales actually serve to distance us from the customer. Sound traveling through insulation layers becomes muted. Messages requiring multiple translations get jumbled. Pizzas stopped at checkpoints get cold.

 

As you head into 2008 planning sessions, take some real time to analyze the information flow within your organization. Are the goals of each business unit directly aligned with the overall goals of the organization? Does each business unit have the business and customer information – in other words, is there sufficient 2-way information flow – to achieve its goals? How straight can you make the path between customer desire and customer satisfaction?

 

German Home Smashed a 10th Time. Feel Familiar?

On Thursday, according to MSNBC.com, a Berlin resident reported that a vehicle crashed into his home for the 10^th time. Thankfully, no one was hurt. The man, who built the home himself, located it on a curve along a busy highway. At the risk of sounding as if I’m making fun (which, I assure, I am not) I’m left to wonder how many crashes will have to occur before the family decides to relocate. It appears the family is functioning in reactive mode: crash, rebuild, crash rebuild.

 

Fall is traditionally strategic planning season for organizations: marketing plans, sales plans, and the like. As you reflect on the plans you created last year, consider how close you came to your goals. Where did you meet them? Where did you fall short? Where did you build your house on a curve?

 

Are you stuck in a perpetual crash and rebuild cycle? Before you start 2008 plans, take the time to review the landscape on which you stand. 

1. Understand the dangers that threaten you and precisely why you stand in their destructive path. It’s easy to believe we’ve done this, but difficult to do it right. Take the time to learn why your competitor, who stands in such close proximity to your market space, is able to avoid the things that hit you, instead.
2. Consider the need for effective buffers. Even with the best planning, crashes may be inevitable. What protections can you construct to shield you from excessive damage?
3. Analyze your structural integrity. In other words, take a look at your organization from the inside-out, from its very foundations to its glossy finish. Are you prepared to withstand the unexpected?