Black Belt Dojo

Getting deep and meaningful

At this time of year I tend to ponder the meaning of life, the universe and everything.

In particular, as I look back on 2007 and ahead to 2008, I'll be asking myself whether I'm making enough of a difference. Having the chance to make a difference to people, whether it's IC folk, leaders or employees, is why I do what I do.  So I'll look how well I'm measuring up to my values and whether there are things I should change.

Stopping to remind myself what this is all about always refocuses me and makes me that bit better and sharper. During this year I've been jolted into taking stock a few times - both for inspirational reasons and for a sad one.

In February, my grandfather died. A few days later, my IT systems collapsed too. I lost everything on my laptop - documents, email, contacts, calendar - and then my web domain packed up. Sometimes life has a way of totally stopping you in your tracks. I bumbled about in quite a mess (practically and emotionally) for a while. I remember picking up my grandad's belongings from the nursing home and thinking to myself 'so this is what it comes to. What am I making of life while I have it?' I also thought about how I would remember him, and how I would want people people to remember me. 

On a more positive note ...

I've been inspired by other people to question myself. For one, I've had the pleasure of dining out with Bill Quirke twice this year. He is still the person I admire and respect most in this industry. I would love to be as insightful, and to have his skill at connecting with a room of people, making the complex simple and bringing concepts to life. Whenever I spend time with Bill I end up thinking "how can I be better?"

For another, I'm going to embarrass someone now, but Paul Diggins of TMobile, when you talked at dinner about why you do your job and the difference you want to make, I thought "you are SO in the right job. That's the level of passion I want to feel about mine, too. Do I?"

And finally, I refer you to Mr Les Potter. This year, I discovered his blog. Through it, I have come to understand how much of himself he puts into his work and how much he loves what he does.  Students of mass communication at Towson University, you have one amazing professor. He inspires the heck out of me.

So ...

...in between collapsing in a relieved heap as you switch off your work PC for the last time and starting it up again either reinvigorated or depressed in January, take a chance to take stock. It's easy to go through the motions. Work can turn into an endless round of meetings and churning stuff out, and sometimes you lose sight of why you're doing it in the first place. We spend so much of our lives working. Might as well make it meaningful for you, and for all those people in your organisations you connect with.

Have a really lovely festive break. See you in 2008.

Sue

This works

Today, I bought someone a present from a company called This Works. Great name! It made me think back to a Black Belt when we were taken to task for insisting that it was impossible to give a straight A-Z of "what works" in any internal comms job in any organisation.

I had the same sensation when I heard Angela Sinickas speak earlier this year. She was sharing data about what types of channels seem to work with different stakeholder groups. She kept stressing that these were just averages. But still people seemed to be taking it as gospel that x channel should therefore always be used for y audience. I sat wondering why everyone was scribbling down loads of notes about other organisations' data, rather than taking away what seemed to me the fundamental point that gathering this kind of data about their own stakeholders would give them the right answers for their organisations.

There's a difference between saying a) 'These are the principles that work. Now work out how they apply to your organisation in the specific scenario you're dealing with' or b) 'For audience a, always use x channel.' 'In scenario b, always use z approach'. For me, b = bad, a = good. I start every single project afresh, not knowing when I set out how I'm going to do it.  But I apply principles to help me work out the right course of action. What are they? Just good old comms planning, basically ...

1. I ask what we're fundamentally - in BUSINESS terms -trying to achieve and translate it into communication objectives.  If I could get every IC person to do one thing, this would be it. I wish I had £1 for every time I've looked at a plan or sat through a role play where people have described beautiful channels and measurement processes and I couldn't get past thinking "yes, but what are you actually trying to do?" "And what's the point in all this measurement if you haven't established what you're measuring in the first place?"
2. I find out everything I can about the stakeholder groups I'm dealing with, preferably by talking to them. If I don't do this I feel like I'm working in the dark and any approaches I come up are just taking pot luck.
3. I find out who the key individual stakeholders are, go and see them, establish a relationship with them, ask them lots of questions about what they think needs to be done and test out ideas.  I find out who really makes things happen and try and enlist their help. And I keep in touch with these people often. They generally know the answers better than I do. As do the people I talked to in 2).
4. I look for an angle that's actually going to interest the people we're working with. I've given up kidding myself that people are interested in corporate bleurgh. So what's the hook or approach that will make it worth their attention?
5. I look at what tactics will work for the audience and scenario I'm dealing with. Particular favourites for me are using stories, involving people, finding the influencers and drawing them in, passing the story from colleague to colleague instead of from 'us' to 'them'.
6. I measure a lot to find out what's going on and what else I need to do. I'm not keen on surveys, but that's just a personal thing. I find it quicker and easier to do a few focus groups or ask each member of the team to ring around 10 people with a list of 5 questions.

Are you asleep yet? I'm writing lots to make up for being so quiet over the past few weeks and the fact that tomorrow is my last day before I break up for Christmas ...

Sue

Leading by example

Recently I was invited by Monika Stafford at LloydsTSB to interview Truett Tate, Group Executive Director for Wholesale and International Banking.  Truett had taken part in the research into 21st Century Leadership Communication carried out by Melcrum and the Company Agency, and I got to quiz him in front of the LloydsTSB internal comms network.

As I'm oblivious to the photographer and in post-interview hero-worship mode here, you won't be surprised to know that I found it a privilege to interview Truett.

I was reflecting as we were talking on what made him such a good communicator. I decided it was because he had obviously prepared for the session, he answered the questions thoughtfully, he meant every word he said and he was honest and human. Not rocket science, just integrity, thought and common courtesy. ( He took the time to come and meet me before the interview, had read my biog and was asking me about my business history within 2 minutes and the name of my cat within 5.)   

People often assume comms folk working with leaders who 'get it' like Truett have a honeyed existence involving hours of meaningful conversation about what should be in next year's business plan and pondering the nature of employee engagement. Not necessarily true. When Truett was asked how much time he spent with his IC people, he said 'not enough', and when I spoke to them afterwards it turns out that they get relatively little time with him, but, between him and them, they make things work very well.

I've been lucky enough to work with several leaders who well and truly 'got' communication as an in-houser.  At the top of my list is Stephen Carter, was MD at NTL, now CEO at Brunswick. Closely followed by Gary Hoffman, Group Vice Chairman at Barclays and Alison Rennison, ex Barclays, now an executive coach. All very different in style, but incredibly rewarding to work with. The rules I give myself about working with leaders are these:

• Watch and listen to them in action as much as possible to see how they think, how they speak, what matters to them and how they prefer to work.
• Reflect their preferred style back to them. If they like data, give them data. If they don't like to be challenged, find a more indirect way of giving an opposing opinion. If they like to get to the point, go in with a list and don't waffle.
• Make their life easier. I remember an IC person  telling me she'd been asked to make a cup of coffee by a senior leader. She said 'I will make your coffee, but please remember that I am here to advise you about internal communications'. Not only have I fetched coffees, I have sat in media interviews that were nothing to do with me (alongside media relations people that had a proper reason to be there) pouring tea, or driven leaders up to the odd meeting, just because they said they'd feel better if I was there. I was pleased to be asked, not offended.
• Put yourself in their shoes and don't take it personally if they yell (unless you deserve it).  I'd be abrupt sometimes if I had a multi-million pound business to run, things were going pearshaped, I'd had no sleep and I had 100 things to get through that day.
• Listen to what they want and ask questions. I've seen so many role plays when people think they have to go straight in and deliver a solution and hardly ask a single question. If you don't spend time understanding what they want, how can you deliver it?
• Deliver, deliver, deliver. Don't let them down. And don't make a song and dance about it. If everyone else is flapping around, be the one person who looks calm and in control, even if inside you're having a nervous breakdown.
• Respect their time and be flexible with yours, pick your battles if necessary, and watch for the signs that now is not a good time ...
• Get to know their PA or Executive Assistant. Be helpful to them, too. Make an enemy of them at your peril!

Anyone want to add any more?

Sue

Your Christmas Duty

Writing about http://www.freerice.com

Writing is unarguably one of the cornerstones of good solid craft communications.  Here you can help others whilst improving your vocabulary.

For each word you get right, we donate 20 grains of rice through the United Nations to help end world hunger.

Sedulity, anyone?

VIP Visits

Writing about http://education.guardian.co.uk/universityfunding/story/0,,2226205,00.html

We are preparing for a visit from the Rt Hon John Denham, Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills.

And we have been overwhelmed, if not suprised, by the amount of people who want to participate in person in this event.  We have 3736 people based in this location and 500 of them want to see the Minister - even more from other locations by video-conference and webcast.

Apparently this take-up is inprecedented.  I'd like to take the credit but the credit goes to the speaker and the topic.

Apologies for choosing this as a blog topic, but it is forefront of my mind at the moment.

500 participants - that's over double the size of our largest lecture theatre.  How do you accommodate the people that don't get to see the Minister in the flesh and keep them involved without making some people feel like the poor relation?

The other question is - if you are hosting a visit during a lobbying campaign and a Minister has expressed a wish to talk to staff as part of a closed event, is that then internal comms or is it part of the lobbying effort?

I think it's the latter and the internal communications on this is really how the event is handled..  Who gets to go?  Who gets a seat in the lecture theatre?  Who gets to ask questions?  Are they vetted? If so how heavily?

Challenge number 3 is creating this level of interest in other internal events.

Changing Organisations: A Beginner's Guide

I am 3 months in to a new role in a new organisation.  And one of the things that I've naturally been reflecting on a lot is how to become an effective influencer within the organisation.

The biggest stumbling blocks so far have been to do with knowing how to get things done.  Being recognised as a knowledgable expert with a valuable contribution to make does not automatically transfer to a new organisation no matter what salary and position you arrive with.

Obviously you need to earn respect through your actions rather than expecting to be automatically accorded the position of trusted counsellor - but how to start?

1. Pay attention to the power balance within the organisation - understand whose decisions count for most and work out who the conduits and power brokers are.  Avoid getting bogged down by Molasses Men, Head Treads or Sinkers.
2. Understand the internal politics within the senior management structure - who is likely to automatically oppose something purely because another individual is championing it?
3. Work out the personalities of key managers - in a systems theory way it is they who will dictate the culture of the organisation.
4. Understand the normative approach to getting 'the board' to discuss/approve something - overtly going about it a different way will thwart your progress.
5. Learn how to subvert or short-cut the formal processes in order to get concrete decisions made informally in corridors or outside of meetings.

I am going to be on the constant lookout for a foothold or a way in - sooner or later an opportunity will come along for me to prove myself.  Challenge Number 2.

Never treat your audience as customers, always as partners

Never treat your audience as customers, always as partners.

says Jimmy Stewart.

(See, I've managed to squeeze a Christmassy reference in already through an oblique nod to It's a Wonderful Life!)

As Liam made a special mention of my interesting audiences I thought I'd make that the topic of my first post.

I seem to be making something of a speciality of working in academic institutions: first Warwick and now The Open University.

And, of course, the big difference, in terms of audience, is the variety.  Very often at Internal Comms events you hear about trying to engage people 'from the MD to the cleaners' - at a university it's 'from the academics to the cleaners'.  The academics are what make the difference.

I'm readying myself to be pilloried here - but in effect it's more like dealing with a membership organisation than dealing with staff.  Other useful comparisons might be with partnership organisations such as law firms, or with research intensive organisations, or public sector bodies like councils.

This is for two reasons:

1. You have a pool of 'talent' which is aware that it is the engine of the organisation and that everyone else exists to support.
2. A stereotypical academic will prioritise his personal research work (and research collaborators in other institutions), then his department and only then at a push will acknowledge membership of an institution.

This can make it very tricky to engage academic colleagues.  On the other hand, non-academic colleagues can often be very easy to engage - as long as they have PC-access...

Let us not forget the armies of non-desk-based people that it takes to make your average university run: groundspeople, catering staff, cleaners, security and lab technicians to name but a few.  Some of these may speak English as a second language or have limited literacy!

(The pitfalls of the 'non-academic' tag are self evident - don't define people by what they're not.  But what else do you use?  Support staff?  Academic-related?)

If you add to this the unique OU model of splitting your academic staff into central course designers on permanent contacts and in-the-field course deliverers on casual contracts then you're  upping the ante again!

This variety means that despite delving as much as you like into your staff statistics you will never know the best way to communicate with your different stakeholder groups without working with them.  And I don't just mean sending round a staff survey, I mean getting out and understanding the environment in which different stakeholders work and the pressures on their time.

Now, three months in to the new job, I can hardly claim to be a paragon of virtue in this respect - but I know that I will be within a year.  Challenge number 1.

Twittering on

Today I was reading through a new piece for a forthcoming Melcrum research report about communicating with 'hard to reach' employees. The piece is from Aussie social media expert Lee Hopkins.

His comments about Twitter caught my eye. I must admit, from the little I've read about Twitter, I'd dismissed it in my head as some place people went to waste time chatting about nothing in particular. Earlier this year I read a flurry of blog conversations saying 'what's the point?'

So I was intruiged to see Lee talking about Twitter as a great way to keep in touch with remote workers who might have no access to a computer but do have mobile phones. I've not got my head around exactly how it works yet, but the idea seems to be that you set yourself up a profile page, send updates to your page via SMS, email or instant messaging, and Twitter instantly delivers the updates to specific, signed up users. Combine that with the fact that mobile phones can now connect to the internet, and you could send text links to on line videos on Youtube too.

So, I find myself in the same place I was with Facebook at the start of this year. I've suddenly switched from thinking this Twitter thing must be a pointless waste of space to thinking it sounds worth getting to know ... but I don't quite get it yet.

As with Facebook, I've decided the best thing to do is get in there and try it out for myself. I've just set up an account, thought of a 'this is the type of person who might be on Twitter' name, typed in Melcrum web guru Alex Manchester, and there indeed he is. So far so good. But I'm not quite sure where to go next.

Anybody using Twitter for work-related purposes yet? Or have any 'these are things to watch for' tips before I dive into using it and do things in my flurry of initial enthusiasm that I'll regret later??

Sue

December's guest blogger

We're quite excited to have snared Casey Leaver as our guest blogger for December...

She says we're allowed to say that she is 'Corporate Communications Manager at The Open University, which actually means Internal Communications, and was formerly Internal Communications Officer at the University of  Warwick'. 

We asked her to blog for two reasons - firstly Sue gets upset if there are too many chaps blogging on here and secondly because she working with some interesting audeinces and is, like everyone, dabbling with new techology...

Welcome Casey!

Liam

It's that time of year...

I spent about an hour last night updating the calendar with things for next year.

I got my bids in early for the bike rides I want to do (I reckon asking now when they are so far away I might get away with them!) and also filled in all the nights I know that I'm away in 2008.

Looking at the calendar reminded me I need to dig out my Continuing Professional Development form from the CIPR.  Back in January I signed up to do a number of things to keep my skills upto speed and I think I did pretty well.

Now I have to think what I am going to do in 2008...

Liam