They May Need It, But They Won't Read It! - Email with Management

I seem to be on a Communication kick lately. This post is a direct result of a conversation with a fellow Project Manger earlier this week, where we were discussing how to model communication for managers and executives, to get them to actually read it. Along they way, I muttered the line "They may need it, but they won't read it!" and I realized that the topic was perfect for my readers.

Earlier in the week I identified that we all have the same number of seconds in a day, and asked what you were doing with your time. Well, managers and executives are even more pressed than most people, and are often flooded with "important" emails and meetings that eat away their ability to concentrate, make decisions, or manage their time. Very often they feel like this:

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Project Managers and team leaders often find themselves needing input or decisions from others, and feel they need to provide a lot of background to ensure that the recipient is well informed. The problem is that very often our recipient can feel like they've been thrown-up on with data, and unable to identify what exactly we are asking for. With that in mind, I would recommend a couple of courses of action to improve the chances that your targeted recipient will actually read the email you are sending:

How Critical is Clear, Concise Communication?

The Communication Cycle - C4Leader.com

Recently, my child reminded me of an important leadership/project management fact: The importance of CLEAR, CONCISE Communication. Previously in this blog, I've shared the Communication Cycle and the 8 Diffusers of Communication (1-7 here, 8 here). What my youngest inadvertently taught me was that the verify step is incredibly important and that even if you think you are being clear, the intent of a task or requirement can still be easily misunderstood.

During a parent-teacher conference with our son's 2nd-grade teacher,  Mrs. W pulled out an assignment she wanted to share. Her thoughts were that our child is easily distracted (he apparently tried to sneak books to read under his desk when bored) and doesn't always pay enough attention to follow directions. The assignment was Write About Your First Week of School. Here is my son's paper:

Your Body Speaks

A long time ago I joined Toastmasters as a networking opportunity. I made some fantastic friends and learned some powerful lessons (sprinkled within this blog). Recently I was reminded of a lesson from the very early stages of Toastmasters (Speech 5 in the Competent Communicator):

Your Body Speaks

Body language tells the story that your words don't. In fact (based on research performed by Dr. Mehrabian) communication is 93% HOW YOU SAY IT! From the research this breaks down to 55% for body language and 38% for tone of voice. These numbers have been called into question, but most aren't arguing 50%+ of communication comes from the body and tone of voice. 

8 Bad Communication Habits You Need to Break Immediately - Inc. Magazine

About a month ago, Inc. Magazine published an article about Bad Communication Habits. The article is a worthwhile read, and I wanted to share it with my occasional visitor. As you may know Communication  is one of the 4 Cs of the C4 Leadership Formula, and I have shared several lengthy posts on the importance of Communication (here, here and here).

As is typically the case, I encourage you to read the article on your own, as I will not rehash it here. The 8 habits are items we are all guilty of on occasion (if not frequently) and it is good to spread awareness regarding this habits.

Sadly, what I will say is that these Communication habits are prevalent, but also very surface level. The information found in this article can be found in dozens of other places online, and the suggestions of the author amount to: "Stop IT!"

Instead, I offer a direct suggestion that could help with several (if not all) of these Communication habits: Toastmasters.

Toastmasters is a not-for-profit organization with the goal of improving Communication and Leadership skills. It is (typically) a safe place to practice Communication skills (not just Public Speaking) and bring awareness to patterns / habits in your Communication style.

There are thousands of clubs worldwide. I would recommend visiting a few clubs before settling on one, as although each club operates by the same format, each club will be different in personality and skill level. Find a place where you are comfortable, and where there are people you can learn from. You don't want to start as the big fish in the little pond!

There you will gain awareness of your filler words, floundering, qualifiers, and a multitude of other things. Remember, Communication is a C because it is Critical to Leadership Success. We can always improve!

The 8th Diffuser - Technology

In a previous post, I discussed how communication is very similar to a body of water. It can be clear or very muddied, and a lot of it has to do with elements that diffuse (make unclear) the message. I listed 7 in the original article. After a conversation with a new friend (Steve Beckles-Ebusua, The Speaker With the Orange Tie) at a conference this past weekend, I realized there should be 8.

The 8th Major Diffuser of Communication:

Technology

Why Technology? Have you ever misread the intent of an email? A text message? Missed an implication of a phone call? The list goes on and one. While everyone looks at Technology as a great simplifier, when not used properly, it is actually a great complicator. 

So here are some guidelines for technology:

1. Pick your medium carefully

Email, Text, Phone, Skype, Face-to-Face all have different implications. While Email may be the easiest because it is send and forget, it is also the easiest to confuse. Is the information or request you are sending simple to understand (and not just you THINK it's simple)? Is there any chance that the receiver can misinterpret? Is receiving a response important? If you answer yes to any of these, you should probably start working your way to more interactive forms of communication.

2. How are you communicating within the medium

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO YOU? In writing, ALL CAPS is practically yelling at people. Use it carefully (or not at all!). On a phone conversation, are you trying to be funny? Without the facial ques from you, can the person on the other side of the line tell? 

3. Are you ensuring full comprehension

As identified in the first Communication post, it is the job of the Communicator to ensure comprehension by asking the Receiver to reiterate back what they heard / understood. Too often this step is missed, especially when communication happens via technology. I can't count the number of misunderstandings that were recognized by the statement "But I sent you an email!" How that email is interpreted, what type of follow-through, and any follow-up were all dropped because the Communicator thought an email was good enough and never checked to ensure full comprehension. When you work through technology, at the simplier levels you miss out on the ques that can inform you of comprehension or confusion. In email and text you don't get the tone of voice, facial reactions, or body language.

A phone call adds the tone of voice, video conferencing the facial reactions, and face-to-face the full spectrum including body language. As many communication experts will tell you, in communication, it isn't generally what you say, but how you say it. If you take away the ques and slash it down to plain words, the level of comprehension can drop too. As the Initiator / Sender, it is your responsibility to confirm understanding. That may mean following up an email with a phone call or face-to-face just to ensure understanding (especially if there is a lot of information or chance for misunderstanding). 

Final Thought

One Final Thought, Technology is also a Diffuser because it is one of the greatest distractors today. We look at our phones constantly, even when we are talking to other people. That little device is more important to some people than the person that is in front of them! Social Media updates, Sales notifications, new YouTube videos can all distract a Receiver from the message you are trying to send. Ever been on a conference call where someone obviously was doing something else? Ta Dah! Technology (and multitasking) got them. 

So, when you are communicating, remember the original 7 Diffusers, but don't underestimate the 8th Diffuser: Technology. 

Wacky Wednesday - Communication

The last two weeks we've discussed Communication. As Monty Python proves, sometimes no matter how clear you are, other people may not have the capacity to understand. In these cases, find someone who can!

Communication: How Hard Can It Be? (Part 1)

We talk, text, email, call, and converse nearly every day of our lives, and yet Communication is hard. In fact, I would say that Communication is the most often misunderstood job of a leader. How often have you misread an email, or added context to a text message? Listened to a voicemail that makes no sense? Or been part of a conversation that apparently had no point?

Trust But Verify

 Trust is one of the most fragile assets a leader has. The team's trust in you, your trust in the team. I discussed this on a previous blog entry. But trust is earned, and blind trust can cause massive problems.

Trust But Verify. Believe it or not, this is a Russian proverb ""doveryai no proveryai"" taught to President Ronald Regan by a Russian Writer named Suzanne Massie. It eventually became a phrase associated with Ronald Regan's entire Presidency. The original intent is a form of advice, recommending that while a source of information might be considered reliable, one should perform additional research to verify that such information is accurate, or trustworthy.

High-Powered Stakeholders and Communication

Several months ago I presented two sessions on Change Management for the Project Management Institute of Houston. The title of the presentation is: Without Change Management, It Can All Come Crumbling Down.
 

Image courtesy of sheelamohan at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

One of the key components of Change Management is Effective Communication. As with many leadership examples, without Effective Communication in a project, the chances of failure increase exponentially. After all, you can have the most fantastic plan in the world, however, if you don't let the team know about it, then the whole project will fail.