Communicating in a Dispruptive World
August 13, 2009
Communicating in a Disruptive World
George E. Gercken, Ph.D. Consulting Psychologist
A client of ours for many years, a CEO of a successful business and an impressive athlete in his day, often talks to me about “fundamental laws”. And he even has a Fundamental Law of the locker room. He says that if you enter a locker room after a game or a workout and there is only one other individual in there at the time, odds are quite high that your locker will invariably be located next to that person. Our client recites this somewhat in jest, but sure enough, it does have a certain veracity to it. More to the point, his “Fundamental Laws” got me to thinking about my own experience in working with corporations, large and small, over the past thirty years, and one Fundamental Law or truth has to do with communication. I have witnessed time and again that the more turbulent the world or environment, the less we tend to communicate. The irony of all this is that at a time when we should be communicating more to our employees, clients, and key constituents, we actually are “missing in action”, doing other important stuff, to be sure, but neglecting this all important sustenance of the business world. And so under the banner of “physician heal thyself” I have made a commitment to communicate more frequently with you on issues that are important to you, and hopefully the net effect will help you and your organization to navigate turbulent waters more effectively. Enhanced communication within the workplace has the distinct advantage of improving both morale and productivity. So, what are some simple and practical ways to do this? Bear in mind the following:
1. Communication defies the law of gravity, it does not fall to the earth naturally; it has to be pushed and force-fed. Telling your direct reports will not do it. As talented as they are, they will unconsciously be oxygen thieves. If you have an important communication, you have to ensure that it is distributed to every level of management, with an instruction to deliver the message to the troops.
2. Script your communication care- fully, and make it simple. Do not rely on the spoken word. Spell it out in a script to ensure uniformity and consistency.
3. Be consistent. Set up a system that works for you and stick to it. Doing something once or twice and letting it die will have little or no impact. One of our clients, a very sales-driven organization, does a weekly summary of key business development successes. They do a weekly report via email and it has greatly improved the communication flow.
4. Be creative. Another client, a CEO of a Regulated Utility in the Northeast, does a weekly broadcast voicemail to every employee. He has 60 seconds to get his message across and each week he has a different message. Some weeks it is about customer service, or occupational health and safety, or wellness. The response from the workforce has been superb.
5. What people lack in fact they will create in fiction. If you are not communicating effectively the rumor mill will be rife with all kinds of incredible, and often harmful, stuff.
6. Employees have an amazing ability to handle bad news. Some leaders tend to hide information on the health of the business fearing employees will react in negative ways. Employees want the truth and will respect you for your honesty.
7. Listening is a key component of effective communication. Another client does an annual “What’s Up” talk with small groups of employees, where he gives them a “here’s what’s happening in the business” summary, and they get to ask any question. He makes it a point to listen more than he talks. It is a time consuming journey for him, but one that pays huge dividends. We do indeed live in a disruptive world, and while we have more technology, gadgets and creature comforts to allow us to “stay connected”, the truth is that more often than not we miss the mark by a country mile. Remember, in turbulent times we need to be communicating more, not less. If we can help you with this in your own organization, give us a call.
The Chamber invites comments on ways in which you improved communication in your businesses.
G.E. Gercken Associates 209 Montowese Street Branford, Connecticut 06405 Tel: 888-488-4324 info@gercken.com www.gercken.com
Branford Chamber www.branfordchamber.com
