A Radical Communications Protocol
A Tornado of Communication! A Radical Communications Protocol
Using too many communications tools often leads to expensive miscommunications. Good managers are now creating strict communications protocols.
If communications is always the employees’ #1 complaint, it should be the #1 use of a manager’s time.
The Whirlwind of Miscommunication: Bad Data, Conflicts, Gaps, Delivery, and Overload
One: An insurance company sent out a premium notice, but few people paid because the company hadn’t signaled the change in format. A non-payment problem spiraled into a loss of trust.
Two: An office interiors firm with satellite offices and remote workers saw that staff were getting burnt out by the steady stream of evening and weekend texts. They banned texts outside of work hours.
Three: A multi-national manufacturer is rolling out their new strategic plan. They’re creating a marketing campaign which will be as thorough as a new product campaign.
3 Key Points
- The superabundance of communications tools is making communications worse.
- Businesses need a strict protocol for internal and external communications. See below.
- Good managers allocate 30-50% of their time to truly communicate with their teams.
Participants
Nick Drewson, Magalie Eveno, Sarah Hoke, Corey Knautz, Allissa Lawton-Tieg, Bill Mitchell, Jerry Pettigrew, Kristi Thering, Derrick Van Mell
Know your Audience: When the Receiver is Ready, the Transmitter Will Appear
A Workgroup member was succinct: “Just because you sent it, doesn’t mean it was received.” Another was asked what percentage of time he spends on structured and unstructured communications. “50%. The CEO said I wasn’t spending enough of my expense account.”
I think the #1 failing of managers is that they don’t take the time to get to know their employees and peers. Once there’s a human connection, there’s trust and an eagerness to listen and help. Good managers know how to balance friendliness with friendship, so the objectivity and discipline that’s essential for the good of the team are still possible.
Introverted managers might prefer one-on-one communications over group social events, but they still need to have social and celebratory time with the group. If all you do is go from meeting to meeting, you’re not building real connections, and communications will remain a struggle.
Good Writing is Everything (Miss Elmer was Right)
I still have my grammar book from Miss Elmer’s 8th grade English class. Grammar isn’t an arbitrary set of rules: it’s how to communicate your ideas clearly and compellingly. The best way to improve your writing is to read the best writing. Most of management writing is junk, but reading classic history, fiction, and poetry will help your write good emails. I listen repeatedly to Winston Churchill’s speeches and read and reread Ursula Le Guin’s “Earth Sea” books because the language is just so beautiful.
Of course, out subject is management, so don’t forget that The Index is the language of management. I recommend Wordcraft, by Jack Hart. See its “Selected Resources for Writers.”
Writing is thinking (see “Writing Through Thinking”): learning to write well makes you smarter! It’s worth reading about writing If you want people to appreciate your ideas and everyone else’s. Good managers help their teams be the best person they can, which includes helping them formulate and communicate excellent ideas.
A 1-Page Communications Protocol: The right tool for the Job
People have communications preferences, but organizations must have consistency. Executives need to be strict, as in “If you send me a text during the day, I’m not going to read it.” This draft protocol won’t work for everyone, but will give you a model. Click here for PDF.
