Talk Internal Communication

Has an employee ever come to you with a problem to which you helpfully answer, , “If I were you, I would…” You may feel satisfied that you have helped but you may well be storing up trouble for yourself.  The reality is that when this employee came to you they had a problem. You helpfully took ownership of that problem and relieved your employee of responsibility for solving the problem themselves. As a manager this type of action trains your staff to come to you with their problems instead of trying to resolve the issues themselves. This can lead to you becoming embroiled in office politics taking you away from your role as a leader. Beware! The key is to actively listen and allow staff to think through, analyse and arrive at solutions themselves. 

You can view all my recommendations for communication books on  http://www.delicious.com/laoise.omurchu .

Arthur Page was the Head of Communication in AT&T over 70 years ago. The guidelines by which he worked became known as the Page Principles. They are still relevant today. Tell the truth. Let the public know what’s happening and provide an accurate picture of the company’s character, ideals and practices. Prove it with action. Public perception of an organization is determined 90 percent by what it does and 10 percent by what it says. Listen to the customer. To serve the company well, understand what the public wants and needs. Keep top decision makers and other employees informed about public reaction to company products, policies and practices. Manage for tomorrow. Anticipate public reaction and eliminate practices that create difficulties. Generate goodwill. Conduct public relations as if the whole company depends on it. Corporate relations is a management function. No corporate strategy should be implemented without considering its impact on the public. The public relation...

Most of us now know of the Gallup poll that says the number one reason people leave their job is because of a poor relationship with the boss. “People leave managers not companies…in the end, turnover is mostly a management issue.” Gallup adds that poorly managed work groups are on average 50 percent less productive and 44 percent less profitable than well-managed groups. There is a long list of “bad boss” behaviours that contribute to poor but, the most common complaint is, “My boss doesn’t listen to me.” The way to become a better listener is to practice "active listening". This is where you make a conscious effort to hear not only the words that another person is saying but, more importantly, try to understand the complete message being sent. In order to do this you must pay attention to the other person very carefully and take the following steps: L: Look – make eye contact. I: Inquire – Use who, what, where, when and why questions but do not mak...

In recent months several high-level leaders have mysteriously lost their way. Dominique Strauss-Kahn, former head of the International Monetary Fund and a leading French politician, was arraigned on charges of sexual assault. Before that David Sokol, rumored to be Warren Buffett's successor, was forced to resign for trading in Lubrizol stock prior to recommending that Berkshire Hathaway purchase the company. This article in the Harvard Business reviews "Why Leaders Fail". http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/6741.html

Here is an interesting article if you want to learn what the best companies do to help build effective leaders.  Corporate officers for each of the top twenty companies listed discuss their employers' approach to developing strong leaders. Short and to the point - it makes an interesting read.  http://images.businessweek.com/ss/10/02/0216_best_places_for_leadership/index.htm?chan=careers_special+report+--+best+places+for+interns+2010

I found a very interesting book which struck a cord with me as it outlines the basic information that must be effectively communicated to staff in order for them to understand the organisation’s strategy. Often strategy and big picture concepts are obvious to management but not obvious employees. The consequences of this lack of understanding are extremely costly as employees can’t commit to achieving a strategy they don’t understand. It is an important job of every senior managers’ role to ensure that employees understand the big picture. The book The Executive Guide to High-Impact Talent Management , published by McGraw-Hill outlines how senior managers can assess their staffs’ understand of the big picture. It suggests that the CEO and all senior managers ask their employees the following questions: 1. Who are the customers or customer segments we serve, listed in priority order? 2. What are the services we provide now and which ones, if any, need to change as we implement the c...

“ The way we do things around here” often defines culture. So, how do you instil culture in an organisation. Edgar Schein in his book “ Organizational Culture and Leadership ” provides some clues. He outlines the Primary Embedding Mechanisms for establishing culture as : · What leaders pay attention to, measure, and control on a regular basis · How leaders react to critical incidents and organizational crises · How leaders allocate resources · Deliberate role modeling, teaching, and coaching · How leaders allocate rewards and status · How leaders recruit, select, promote and excommunicate