Email Emergencies
Posted by: bk2nocal on: December 5, 2007
I often wonder how I got through life before email became so widespread, and I certainly wonder how large national and international businesses survived the pre-email communication era. But, with every advance comes a few pitfalls, and email is no different. Although most larger company’s and internet-based email systems have figured out ways to deal with the spam and the unwanted viruses sent through email, there are still some problems lurking out there in cyberspace. BusinessWire recently included a short press release on a white paper from StratAssemble, titled, “Can your business survive email?” that certainly points out many of these problems.
The focus of this white paper is certainly not anti-technology. It is actually designed to demonstrate a need for newer collaboration project software in businesses. Although this is a sales device, it is one that does a good job of providing the necessary background information, defining specific problems and the ways that the new software would solve for those problems. Now, if your business is not suffering any of the ten email pitfalls on a regular basis, it certainly would not be worth your money and time to invest in this new software. But, the white paper offers some great insight into the ways email can become a problem in the future and you can brainstorm methods of dealing with these problems short of purchasing new software. For example, if you are finding that “scattered data” is a project problem in your organization, you might consider setting up a gmail account for each project and using their “documents and spreadsheets” area for storage of data. This provides a centralized “cyber” location for data without an expense to your business.
Email is definitely a big plus in my life, but after reading the white paper, I have a few areas which I think I will be working on in email communication with my students. I also think this is something that should be discussed with students in high school and college, where much of communication is switching to email/online. Starting out with an awareness of some of the email pitfalls makes it more likely that individuals will be able to overcome those problems without expensive alternative software. Perhaps this is also something to consider including in corporate training, if it is not already included at your company.
Integrity – What’s it good for?
Posted by: bk2nocal on: November 29, 2007
I was speaking with a colleague of mine today about student behavior and responsibility. We both commented that we felt like students today treat their professors with much less respect and take much less responsibility for their actions than students did when we were in college (which was not that long ago for either of us). This got me thinking about how this must translate once these students leave the halls of academia for the cubicles of the business world. It is true that some of these students mature and blossom once in the professional world, but for every one of those, there must be two or three who maintain that same laissez-faire attitude and obsession with the blame game as they move into professional life. After the conversation, I was struck by the total lack of training and focus on integrity and responsibility that many college classes (including mine) offer the students.
Let me start by saying that integrity and accountability are a two-way street as far as I am concerned. That means you cannot expect from your students what you, yourself are not able to do. I believe the same can be said of employers. Integrity and accountability start at the top and then they are integrated into the culture. I think there are a few things that can be done in order to increase the likelihood of this integration occurring.
(1) Leading by example. Employers and/or professors have to decide what it means to be accountable to their employees/students and then be sure to follow through on that. No shortcuts. That means that I may need to do a better job of planning classes, getting grades back more quickly and/or making myself more available to my students. Employers may need to do a better job of planning meetings and projects, getting feedback on performance back more quickly and/or making themselves more available to their employees. It is easier to get someone to do something when you have modeled that behavior for them first.
(2) Admitting mistakes and lack of knowledge. This is a tough one for me. In the classroom, I am supposed to be the all-knowing one who is able to direct my students to the right answers at all times. For the employer/team leader, they are seen as the “expert” who can lead their employees/team members to success. This is a lot of pressure and no one wants to look the fool or let down their followers. But, admitting when you do not know something or when you have made a mistake is much more likely to build respect and admiration than lying to cover it up. Even if lying works a few times, sooner or later the truth will come out. In addition, I want my students to be honest with me when they do not know or understand something, not to gloss it over and ignore it. I can only help to fix what I know is broken. I can only help to build what I know is under construction. Despite the difficulty (and sometimes the embarrassment), it is beneficial to model admitting our mistakes and our lack of knowledge in certain areas.
(3) Doing the work. I think grading is by far the worst part of my job. I procrastinate about doing it, I dread it, and I am frustrated while I’m doing it. Many of my students feel the same way about my homework assignments. If I expect them to suffer through the drudgery, I should expect the same of myself. I need to stay on top of grading the same way my students need to stay on top of reading and doing homework. I need to make sure they have the feedback necessary to make changes and improvements throughout the semester, not just two or three times during the semester after exams. Employers and team leaders need to take time out to provide feedback and allow feedback. Sometimes it seems as if evaluation and feedback are “judgments” and we avoid them. The problem is that evaluation and feedback is designed to be constructive criticism. This means criticism designed to be productive, to make improvements and to lead to success. If we approach this feedback and evaluation process from a constructive perspective rather than a judgment perspective, we could really make vast improvements in performance.
(4) Truth-telling. The infamous question, “do these pants make me look fat?” often is used as a hedge against this one. After all, no one wants to hear the whole truth all the time. But, in teaching and in business, truth-telling is often the only way to long-term success. Sure, a little white lie may get some positive response in the short-term, but in the long-term it is sure to backfire. Taking the “do these pants make me look fat?” question, we can see that if the pants are truly not flattering on the person, lying to them and saying they are is not going to make the lack of flattering fit go away. So, it would be better to be honest, if diplomatic (“no, but the cut just doesn’t show off your best features very well – I think you should try this other type of pant”) than to allow the person to go around in the pants until someone says, “wow – you look awful in those pants.” For this truth-telling to work effectively, you have to have created a safe environment for the honesty. If individuals know and feel that you truly care about them and not just the bottom line, then they become much more open to criticism. It is when individuals feel scared, threatened or just plain unappreciated that criticism takes on an unattractive palor.
Integrity is good for people and its good for business, but its a lost art in today’s world of “lie, cheat and steal as long as you don’t get caught” mentality. I am going to start to think more about ways I can implement lessons in integrity into my course curriculum. And I am going to take my own advice and begin to work on the four concepts above in my everyday teaching. I hope that we can all find ourselves in workplaces of integrity with people we can trust and be open with. This would truly change the face of business and the stress levels of workers.
Bullying – Not Just for Playgrounds Anymore
Posted by: bk2nocal on: November 26, 2007
We all remember those awful peers, who seemed to thrive on the torture and humiliation of others in K-12. But, from the recent media attention, it seems some of those peers have grown to be bigger, but not necessarily better, people. “How to stop bullying behavior in the office: A guide for managers,” is the second reference to this phenomenon that I have seen in the last couple of weeks. I never really consider this to be a communication trait I need to discuss in my classes, but I am definitely adding a discussion of it to my list for the next time I teach Small Group Communication.
The article above, from Allbusiness.com, discusses the intimidation factor that plays a role in crossing the line from simply inappropriate or socially awkward to bullying. I have definitely experienced a bullying boss before. One of my first full-time jobs was at a produce wearhouse and the boss was known for his outbursts of anger whenever a mistake was made. I suppose it was his idea of “preventative medicine” – if everyone was scared of his response, they would think twice about doing things and prevent needless mistakes. The problem was that his reactions were the same whether your mistake was big or small and after a while, people became somewhat immuned to his outbursts. After all, we are all human and make mistakes, so why bother walking around on eggshells if the outbursts are inevitable.
I think the article provides some good advice for the person having to deal with a bully (these apply to any type of problem behavior really), whether as a victim or a manager. Here are my highlights from the article:
- Documenting examples. I always tell my small group students to keep documented records of how meetings went, who was there, what they discussed, who participated and who tended to just sit there and ignore the group. These are great “back-up” materials to have when you are having a discussion about someone’s performance. And, as the article indicates, they provide you with some level of protection. In addition, document meetings you have had with the person about the issue and have concrete suggestions for behavior modification that are signed by both you and the individual in question.
- Talk to superiors (or those with more experience) about the problem. They may have dealt with similar issues in the past and you can learn from their successes and failures. Just like ideas, problems are rarely new in the business environment. There is no need to reinvent the wheel.
- Perform follow-up. Make sure you do not drop the ball once you have initiated the discussion. It is impossible to evaluate behavioral changes without doing some follow-up over a long-term period of time. You may be able to include it in a semi-annual review or something similar, but you need to be sure that any changes that do occur are maintained in the long-term.
If you have a serious problem with a bully, you may want to visit the Workplace Bullying Institute for additional resources and a link to a legislative campaign dealing with the issue. After all, we all deserve to have a healthy and respectful workplace. Without that, furthering the success of either the individual or the company will be greatly impeded.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Posted by: bk2nocal on: November 23, 2007
Just a note to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving! My guests all just left and I’m looking at a big mess to clean up, but also feeling very happy that I was able to host some family and friends in our humble abode. I hope that all of you were able to enjoy the holiday and will enjoy a nice weekend to rest up, recharge and refocus!
Retail…gone to the dogs?
Posted by: bk2nocal on: November 21, 2007
As the holiday rush approaches in a…well, rush, I thought I might do a blog entry on more of the “biz” side of things than the “speak” side. So, I flipped over to MSNBC’s business page and the top story immediately caught my eye. Being a lover of pets, but a hater of anthropomorphising them, the “Puppy love knows no bounds” story immediately had me both “awwwwing” at the pictures and “ewwwwing” at the underlying story. Perhaps it is jealousy that many of these animals have had more expensive spa treatment and are definitely wearing more expensive clothing and accessories than me, but I can think of so many better ways to be spending this money. Especially disturbing to me is the “$250 crystal-encrusted dog collar made from python skins with a matching $190 leash.” I don’t know what it is, but animals wearing other animal skins is a little over the top. Where is PETA when a pet really needs them?
But, I guess if you’re looking for a niche market in which to get involved, this pet accessory area is a good one. The article indicates it is “recession-resistant,” at least in the upscale areas. So, if there is anyone out there looking for a new business venture and you are not bothered by ridiculous amounts of money being spent on cats and dogs, then this is something worth looking into.
Personally, I think your cat and/or dog would be just as appreciative of an especially long petting session, maybe a long walk or run in the great wide open, and perhaps a special food treat, as they would be of the Python skin with gems. And you could donate the $400 you have left over to a food bank or shelter in your area. This would feed a vast number of humans. Not nearly as hip or trendy as the purchase at Barker and Meowsky, but a little more meaningful in my mind.
“Forgiveness consultants”? Really?
Posted by: bk2nocal on: November 18, 2007
I just read in Pink Magazine that companies are now hiring “forgiveness consultants” to improve morale and productivity. Perhaps I’m a bit naive, but is this something for which we really need to hire consultants? Are parents not doing their jobs? Are we so utterly incapable of empathy and common humanity that we need consultants to come in and explain to us how to forgive? Maybe we should just make All I Really Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten required reading for new employees or college graduates. I don’t think the forgiveness consultants have caught on yet, as there are none listed on google as of yet. But, I’m sure there will be a run on them soon. In the interest of saving some of you the added expense of these consultants, here is a clip from the aforementioned book:
All I Really Need To Know
I Learned In Kindergarten
by Robert Fulghum
- an excerpt from the book, All I Really Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten
All I really need to know I learned in kindergarten.
ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW about how to live and what to do
and how to be I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not
at the top of the graduate-school mountain, but there in the
sandpile at Sunday School. These are the things I learned:
Share everything.
Play fair.
Don’t hit people.
Put things back where you found them.
Clean up your own mess.
Don’t take things that aren’t yours.
Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody.
Wash your hands before you eat.
Flush.
Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
Live a balanced life – learn some and think some
and draw and paint and sing and dance and play
and work every day some.
Take a nap every afternoon.
When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic,
hold hands, and stick together.
Be aware of wonder.
Remember the little seed in the styrofoam cup:
The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody
really knows how or why, but we are all like that.
Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even
the little seed in the Styrofoam cup – they all die.
So do we.
And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books
and the first word you learned – the biggest
word of all – LOOK.
Everything you need to know is in there somewhere.
The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation.
Ecology and politics and equality and sane living.
Take any of those items and extrapolate it into
sophisticated adult terms and apply it to your
family life or your work or your government or
your world and it holds true and clear and firm.
Think what a better world it would be if
all – the whole world – had cookies and milk about
three o’clock every afternoon and then lay down with
our blankies for a nap. Or if all governments
had a basic policy to always put thing back where
they found them and to clean up their own mess.
And it is still true, no matter how old you
are – when you go out into the world, it is best
to hold hands and stick together.
© Robert Fulghum, 1990.
Found in Robert Fulghum, All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten, Villard Books: New York, 1990, page 6-7.
Getting ready for presentations…
Posted by: bk2nocal on: November 18, 2007
You’ve been assigned a presentation. You know the content quite well, but you just are not sure where to begin to put it all together into a coherent presentation that will make sense to others and impress your boss and peers. I think going back to the journalist’s 5 Ws and the H is a good way to go:
Who are you going to be talking to? This will dictate the style of presentation as well as giving you an idea where to focus your efforts. If you are speaking to a hostile audience, than you will need to spend time establishing your credibility, finding points of similiarity between you and the audience, etc. If you are speaking to a friendly and supportive audience, than you can skip those steps and get right into the presentation. If you are unsure, it is always better to establish your credibility than to leave the audience in doubt. In addition, the audience will define the formality of the presentation. If your presentation is taking place in a formal setting, than your presentation should be formal. If it is taking place in an informal setting, you should be more informal and plan on engaging the audience with questions and answers. If you are unsure, it is always better to be more formal than is required.
What do you want to say? Make a list of all the things you need to include in the presentation. Just list them in any order. If your presentation is new, you may want to make this list over the course of a couple of days and ask others for input, just to make sure you don’t forget anything.
Where are you presenting? This is important to the design of your presentation. Does the location have technology available? Will you have a microphone? Will that be a mobile microphone or one attached to a podium? Will you have a podium? Will the room be conducive to taking questions? If you can visit the location ahead of time, that would be best. If not, make sure to have a list of questions to ask the people in charge of the presentation.
Why are you saying it?
1. Once you’ve made that list, go over it with a fine tooth comb and make sure you know why you are including each thing. If you can’t answer the why question, than leave it out. So much important information gets lost in the midst of useless information when presentations are not well thought-out and edited. Once you’ve completed this step, you should have a list of things you will include in the presentation.
2. Now that you have the list, decide if you are presenting to inform, persuade, or entertain. This will give you a way of organizing the presentation. Group like with like and then decide on two or three main points you would like your audience to receive during the presentation.
When are you presenting? This may seem like it would not change your presentation, but anyone who has had to speak right after lunch knows the difference it can make in an audience. If you are presenting first thing in the morning, you may have to deal with stragglers coming in during your presentation. If you are presenting after lunch or in the evening, you may need to consider some more “active” presentation styles to keep your audience engaged and awake. If you are presenting after someone else who is highly animated, you may need to make some adjustments to your presentation to be sure you do not look deadpan. If you are presenting after someone who is deadpan, thank your lucky stars!
How will you be presenting? This is an important consideration. You should consider if this is an “interactive” presentation or a “lecture” style presentation. I think this can be largely dictated by audience size, but that isn’t the only consideration. Age and profession of the audience, context of the presentation, goal of your presentation, time of day you are presenting, etc. can all influence this decision. Although large audiences are difficult to include “interaction” with you, you can insert time periods for them to interact between themselves during your presentation, or to interact via paper responses.
Considering all of these before you write and structure your presentation will make you feel confident and prepared. It will take the guess work out of a lot of the decision-making that goes into planning a presentation, which will in turn make you a better presenter when the time comes.
Resource Review – Fripp.com
Posted by: bk2nocal on: November 14, 2007
I will try to do “Resource Review” posts every once in a while to point you all to places you can go for more information on improving your communication and speaking skills. Today’s resource is http://www.fripp.com/. I came across this website when teaching a public speaking class a while back and used a couple of her audio clips in class as a way of breaking up my own lectures and bringing in an outside, “non-academic” source to support what the textbook was saying. I appreciate the access to material that Fripp.com provides to visitors for free. And the clips I’ve used have been quite good. Although most of the clips are only excerpts of longer programs, they give you a taste of what a great speaker sounds like, how she organizes her information, etc. And who doesn’t love a good accent in public speaking?
She has a number of articles at http://www.fripp.com/articleslist.html that allows you to email them out to co-workers, etc. if you’d like, as long as you provide credit on the article. This is a great way of not only boosting your own knowledge base on communication and public speaking, but spreading the word to the rest of your organization, making everyone better at what they do.
I think a good way to approach these types of websites is to have them bookmarked for future use. When you realize that you or a co-worker has a specific issue with communication or public speaking, go to your bookmarks, figure out which website would be likely to include some helpful information on that issue and then do a search on that website. This allows you to be a resource to others, but also to learn about yourself and how to make improvements. In today’s information-driven world, being a person whom others can come to as a resource and having necessary information at your fingertips can make you a stand-out among the best. In addition, it is always good to be seen as someone who is doing something to help everyone in the organization rather than just helping themselves.
Confidence and Clarity in Communication
Posted by: bk2nocal on: September 18, 2007
A recent post on Ian’s Messy Desk reminded me of some important issues for those communicating in a professional context. For those of you who are not familiar with the work of Deborah Tannen, she has done research and written a number of books exploring gender communication differences in both academic and professional settings. Some of her more popular books include: You Just Don’t Understand: Women and Men in Conversation and my favorite as a debate coach, The Argument Culture: Stopping America’s War of Words. Ian’s post reminded me of the importance of not only being aware of how your communication is perceived, but being aware of our own perceptions and making sure to check them before reacting to situations. Let’s look at the first important concept:
How Your Communication is Perceived
According to researchers like Tannen, women are much more likely than men to use language that calls into question their competency and confidence. According to research, women are more likely to use “hesitancy” language. This includes phrases like, “Do you think that…,” or “Maybe we should consider…,” or “I’m not sure, but…” This type of language has its advantages. You allow others an opportunity to disagree easily, making discussions more open. But, this type of language has its disadvantages as well – you allow others an opportunity to disagree easily. I know those both say the same thing. The important difference between them is the perception of those around you when you use these statements. If the group is supportive and made up of people who you can trust to take into consideration all that is being said and you are one amongst many decision-makers, then this is a perfectly acceptable approach. But, if the group is in conflict and you are supposed to be the decision-maker or leader and some members are trying to undercut that authority, this can be an approach that guarantees failure.
Consider both the context in and the task for which you are communicating and communicate accordingly. If you are at brainstorming stages of a process, more open and receptive and less concrete language is productive. If you are at the final stages of a project and someone is seeking approval, concrete, closed and specific language is more appropriate.
My suggestion for you is to build awareness about the language you use. Start paying attention to the way you communicate with others. Do you ask questions when you actually wish to make statements? Do you say, “I think,” before statements that you actually know? Do you say, “Maybe we should…” instead of directing your team to a necessary task? Do you then sit back and say, “no one ever listens to me” when the action doesn’t match your direction? The rest of your group may be saying, “I wish she would just tell us what to do instead of making us stumble through…” Remember, you can always make a statement and then say, “Is there anyone who has an alternative direction/task we should discuss before moving on this?” This makes you seem open, while still completely competent in what you have suggested.
How you perceive communication
As recipients of communication, we should be sure that we are perceiving the message as it is meant. Although there is responsibility on the part of the communicator, we should not ignore our responsibility as recipients. We can use tactics such as asking clarifying questions, for example, “Are you looking for input on this or have you decided this is the way we should go?” This provides the communicator with a choice and the answer should provide you with some direction in how to proceed. You can also pay close attention to the pattern of communication of those around you. Watch how they interact with others, listen to how they say things in meetings and at social gatherings. The more you get to know the person’s communication style, the more likely you are to correctly determine what they are trying to say to you when you interact with them. Finally, do not be afraid to ask for what you need. Do this constructively, but most managers/team leaders will appreciate someone saying, “I would feel more comfortable receiving more concrete direction from you since you are the expert in this area.”
There is no one right way to communicate. Different communication styles are appropriate in different contexts. The most important thing for communicators to do in any context is to make sure that the message they are sending is the one that is being received. On the flip side, the most important thing for recipients of communication is to be sure that the message they are receiving is the one intended by the communicator. Although we all communicate day-in and day-out, we often forget that successful communication is not necessarily a natural ability, but something that has to be worked on and improved constantly. If that weren’t the case, a lot of marriage and family counselors would be out of work! Professional communication is no different. It takes awareness and practice, but in the end, anyone who wants to can be a good communicator.
Welcome to Biz Speak!
Posted by: bk2nocal on: September 16, 2007
- In: Uncategorized
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Welcome to my blog. This blog is designed to share information about communication, presentation skills and professional advocacy with you, the audience. I am a college professor in Communication Studies with a special interest in public speaking and advocacy. Although I am happy that the students who choose to major in Communication Studies graduate with a basic understanding of important communication, presentation and advocacy basics, I would like for other majors and professionals out there to have access to this information. I can not imagine a more valued and important skill than that of communication, both oral and written. And from a brief perusal of job descriptions on both the internet and in local print publications, it would seem that most employers tend to agree.
I remember when I took my first “professional” job in corporate America, after receiving a Masters degree in Communication, I often wished I had a resource for explaining some of the differences in expectations in the corporate area versus that which I had learned in academia. I also wished for a resource to keep me current on what was happening in the field of Communication that applied to the professional context (I was working in a Communication department after all), but it seemed that academia was its own world, and professional communication was its own world. I hope that this blog will supply someone, not unlike myself, with a connection to the academic discoveries and explorations that may be of value to those in the professional realm. I also hope it can serve a resource for academics as to what areas the professional world is interested in having explored.
I will of course, also include some tips on communication in the professional context. I will try to cover the gamut – interpersonal, small group, team building, corporate communications, etc. I will happily accept suggestions. I just hope that readership builds for this website and we can foster a value-added conversation for all involved.
Once again, welcome!
