Communication

Don’t let big words bog down your communications

If you’re a fan of clear communication, the sign in this photo is going to bug you. Look at those four words at the bottom: Wash produce before consumption. Produce. Consumption. Really? The sign-writer should’ve written the way people talk: Wash fruit before eating. Now, it’s not a big deal when big words end up on store signs. But when they’re consistently used by organizations in their external and internal communications, they can confuse and frustrate and fail to get the intended point across. Consider this paragraph from a government brochure on winter safety tips: Timely preparation, including structural and non-structural mitigation measures to avoid the impacts of severe winter weather, can avert heavy personal, business and government expenditures. Experts agree that the following measures can be effective in dealing with the challenges of severe winter weather. Fortunately, the agency rewrote this paragraph and the rest of the brochure. The new paragraph is concise and clear: Severe winter weather can be extremely dangerous. Consider these safety tips to protect your property and yourself. Want to bring new clarity to your own communications? Here are tips we can all put to work, whether we’re writing a  memo or revising a form or producing something bigger like an instruction guide or brochure: Before you write anything, get clear on the point you want to communicate. Use shorter words, sentences, and paragraphs. Click here for a massive list of recommendations. Write like you speak. Avoid jargon, legalese, and acronyms. With longer writing, use headings and lists. Organize the information so it’s easy to follow – by putting the most important info at the top, or by providing a sequenced list. Use active voice. No: When your application is received, you will be contacted by a customer service rep. Yes: A customer service rep will contact you when your application is received. Put your writing through this readability calculator. You’ll learn all sorts of things, including the grade level that’s needed for a reader to understand what you’re trying to say. By Tom Terez •...

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Sherlock knows: Communication isn’t the problem

Ask people in any workplace where there’s big room for improvement, and nearly all of them will point to problematic communication. We don’t communicate well. Leadership nevers tells us anything. If people would communicate, we’d be a better team. The fact is, communication breakdowns (real or perceived) aren’t problems in themselves — they’re symptoms of problems. It’s an important distinction. If you’re going to effect real improvement, you need to get to the root of what’s really going on. So the next time you hear that “there’s not enough communication around here,” put on your Sherlock Holmes hat and begin to ask questions. “When you say communication, what exactly do you mean?” “In what way is communication breaking down?” “Why is this happening?” Just be ready for the answers, because you might hear some heavy stuff. When I ask the same question to two managers, I get two conflicting answers. Our workplace is divided by status, and I feel like a second-class citizen. My job is seen by management as being unimportant. People don’t value my opinion. Management is trying to hide something. There’s a serious lack of trust in our workplace. It’s not easy being a Sherlock Holmes type who tries to decode what’s being said when people talk on the surface about “communication problems.” But meaningful improvement depends on it. By Tom Terez •...

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You know your meetings are terrible, so try this

Yes, painless meetings are possible. Here are 6 ways to make it happen — starting with NOT having a meeting.

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To build a better team, cite what’s going right

It’s the quickest and easiest way to improve your team. At the end of a meeting, when the group is still together and you have everyone’s attention, cite one thing that went very well. Take just 20 or so seconds for this. Be casual, but be specific. Here’s an example: “It was great how everyone weighed in with their ideas. We made incredible progress in just an hour.” Over the next few days, during a few of your conversations with team members, make the same observation. Phrase it a bit differently, but maintain the core message. “That last meeting was our best in a long time. With all of us adding in ideas, we got more done in an hour than a lot of groups get done in a whole week.” After you do this a few times, one or two people will be saying the same thing, guaranteed. And the words will become a new understanding shared by team members: When all of us participate, we get better results. At the next team meeting, if the opportunity presents itself early in the session, convey the same message once more. “That last session was fantastic. No one held back, and that made a huge difference. Here’s a handout with all the ideas we generated.” You can see what’s happening here. By reflecting back on one specific thing the group has done extremely well, the person is making it visible for all to see — and establishing it as a new team benchmark. The reflection technique doesn’t require special skill. It doesn’t take a lot of time. And you don’t need high-level authority. Anyone can do it — as long as they’re observant enough to see that one action, behavior, or quality that’s emerging as a team strength. Every team has at least one. So stay alert, call it out, and make it your team’s new norm. By Tom Terez •...

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Getting your ideas (finally) implemented

Coming up with ideas for improving the workplace should be a good thing. So why can it be so frustrating? “Few of my ideas are ever implemented,” one person told me recently. “It’s getting to the point where I rarely bother to suggest anything anymore.” If you can relate, don’t give up. There are specific ways to move more of your good ideas from drawing board to reality. • For starters, make sure your ideas aren’t all about things that other people should do. Come up with improvements you can implement on your own — and get them done. • With an idea where you don’t have the authority or ability to implement, take a second look. Perhaps you can narrow the concept to something smaller that you can do. Let’s say you’ve pitched an idea for having your organization survey its customers, but senior leadership is unresponsive. No problem. Just scope down your idea to something you can do: Conduct your own survey of your own customers. Others will take notice, some will follow suit, and your idea for an all-company survey is likely to get attention. • When communicating your ideas, speak to people in their preferred language. If you’re presenting to someone who’s obsessed with financials, lead off by explaining how the idea will benefit the bottom line. With someone who’s planning-oriented, show how the idea will help the organization achieve a goal. With someone who’s competitive, demonstrate how the idea will give the organization a significant edge. • If none of the above seems doable, engage in a little guerilla marketing of your idea. Start talking it up, especially with individuals who wield influence and shape opinions. Growing chatter among the right people will give your idea added credibility. The next time you come up with a great improvement idea for your workplace, you might be tempted to rush forward and tell everyone right away. Or you might be inclined to keep quiet because previous ideas went nowhere. Avoid both of these extremes. Instead, advance your idea with the more nuanced approaches described above. It will take more time, more thought, and more patience – but you’ll achieve much more...

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5 gentle cures for chronic talkers

If you have a lot to say and like to say it, remember: Less is more when it comes to getting our messages across.

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When trust is in trouble: The top 10 alarms

Want to build trust in your workplace? Then keep your ears wide open to these trust-in-danger alarms.

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An open letter to all males everywhere

Gentlemen, it’s time for some personal change. Are you tough enough to get it done?

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