Hello.
Reading time: 2 minutes, 23 seconds
How's the communication at your place?
Yeah, I thought so. Even with all of today's speed-of-light technology, things still get screwed up. But there are some things you and I do mean you can do about it.
Read below for three simple ways to minimize communication errors they could save you a lot of grief. Enjoy!
All the best,
Joe Grant
joe@joegrantconsulting.com
P.S. When was the last time you found out objectively how your clients feel about your agency? Our core skill is helping agencies do a better job for their clients by independently assessing agency-client relationships. Find out more at our website www.joegrantconsulting.com.
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If I Understand You...
They're everywhere people with cell phones in their ears or fingering IMs. It's remarkable. Before cell technology, did we have this compelling need to release pent up thoughts and just couldn't? And you'd think with all this urgent communication we'd see a momentous drop in relationship problems, i.e. fewer misunderstandings, breakups, and mistakes.
I believe the opposite is true. Because now, since there are so many more messages and ways to send them, opportunities to miscommunicate have exploded exponentially. The chances of getting something wrong increase as a function of the number of messages you send or receive grows.
So you better make damn sure you understand things accurately, especially when it comes to business communication.
Here are a few suggestions to cut down on miscues.
Listen actively When you're in a meeting representing either your agency or a client (that would be all meetings, huh) you must keep focused and in the moment. Daydream about last night's Brothers & Sisters or the new receptionist and you risk missing a critical fact or decision. To pull yourself back to now ask a question ("Can you explain that further?"), start taking detailed notes, or offer a comment so you're in the meeting not just at it. Another tip, especially if you're a little uncomfortable in groups: jump in the pool early. Make a comment or ask a question in the first few minutes. You'll feel more comfortable and mark yourself as a player. Hey, if you go to meetings and don't get involved, you're not contributing. And another word for non-contributors is unemployed.
Ask Memorize this: "If I understand you, what you're saying is..." Using these words instead of metronomic head-nodding or mumbling occasional uh-huhs forces you to listen, really listen, because you'll have to take in and repeat what the other guy's saying in order to ask the question. Try it in your next conversation and you'll be amazed at both what you may have misunderstood and how much richer communication becomes. Admit it and we all do this when someone else is talking you're thinking about what you want to say. But when you're playing back what you think you heard you absolutely must listen. Plus it gives the other person the privilege of clarifying your take on his or her message.
Confirm Conference or meeting reports are out of fashion these days but they're a powerful tool for keeping everybody straight about what was decided. See Who Needs Conference Reports on our website for how to write them. Always read back your notes at the end of a meeting. Confirm every detail. If you get a little twinge that maybe you should check something, that's a signal from the Universe that something might be going haywire. Send progress memos ("Just thought I'd summarize critical steps and deadlines for the San Antonio sales meeting"). It's astounding how often a simple assumption can trip you up. For instance, "Ship sales brochures to San Antonio Marriott" did you know there are 20 different Marriott properties in San Antonio? You won't understand what fun is until you screw-up a client's sales meeting.
Yes, these days there are more ways than ever to communicate texting, e-mail, voicemail, and more. But technology hasn't improved the one thing we all need to do better: listen. Commit to actively working to understand everything the sender is trying to convey. Once you receive a message in person, on your cell, whatever then it's your obligation to make sure that what's in his head gets into yours clearly.
Do you understand what I'm saying?
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The reason ideas come to us in the shower is that's one of the few times we give ourselves permission to disconnect. No matter what your job, you'll be more creative and productive if you disengage several times a day. Take a break right now and learn how to do it at LifeDev. |
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Since it looks like we'll all be stuck at airports again for hours this summer, why not have a bunch of good books right in your palm. Project Gutenberg provides over 25,000 FREE books you can download to your PDA. |
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About Grant Consulting
Grant Consulting, formed in 1992 by Joe Grant, is a consultative resource for advertising agency principals who want to improve their agencies. The firm works on a highly selective basis with agency senior managers to help them discover and then reach their full potential. Copyright 2008 Grant Consulting Associates, Inc. All rights reserved. We encourage sharing in whole or in part if copyright and attribution are included. Contact us at:
Grant Consulting
239.394.8220
joe@joegrantconsulting.com
www.joegrantconsulting.com |
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