Communications Skills for Managers and Leaders

Communications Skills for Managers and Leaders Professional Development Week: Navigating the Future: Challenges Ahead November 24, 2016 Marriott Grand Cayman Ted Bravakis, BPR, APR Founder & Partner BravaComm tbravakis@bravacomm.com www.bravacomm.com +1 345 928-6161 or +1 416 580-4477 Session Objective 2 Provide you with foundational skills, insights and tools to develop a personalized action plan for communicating more effectively and succinctly with your most important stakeholders 1

The Evolution of Communication 3 How Technology Has Changed The Way We Communicate 4 Improved Speed and Access to Information Instant gratification for sender and receiver global focus on transparency Faster, easier information sharing quickens the pace of how things get done Removes geographic barriers in business, education, society But Not Without Challenges Contributes to information overload Behaviour and non-verbal elements overlooked key part of communications process Eroding human interaction Traditional institutions struggle to keep up education, workplace, gov ts, etc. 2

5 Preferred Communications Channels Commonly Identified by Employees of Large Organizations: Face-to-Face E-Mail Intranet/On-Line Face-to-Face Communication 6 Understand reactions to information being presented Develop relationships and team cohesiveness Provide information on organizational changes Prevent and resolve conflicts Make decisions based on complex information 3

Face-to-Face Communication 7 1. Mind the say-do gap 2. Make the complex simple. 3. Find your own voice. 4. Be visible. 5. Listen with your eyes as well as your ears. E-Mail Communication 8 Things to Keep in Mind: Subject line is most important part People do not read e- mails; they scan them, make them scannable Be aware of where the fold is on the e-mail Avoid e-mail conversations use the three-string rule 4

Ensuring E-Mail Effectiveness 9 1. Short and Simple 2. Save Time 3. Reduce Readership E-Mail Effectiveness: Short and Simple 10 ü Keep e-mails as concise as possible ü Add key words to the subject line FYI, FOR ACTION or URGENT. ü Use EOM for short questions ü Consider other ways picking up the phone walk down the hall (remember the three-string rule). 5

E-Mail Effectiveness: Save Time 11 ü State the reason for the e-mail in the first sentence. ü Avoid open-ended questions requiring a lengthy response. Make it simple for recipients to respond. ü Remove all unnecessary threads of content. E-Mail Effectiveness: Reduce Readership 12 ü Only use Reply All when absolutely necessary. ü Use CC to include colleagues who absolutely need to know about or respond to the topic. ü Consider whether you need to reply to every e- mail. Responses like Great and OK can cost the recipient up to 30 seconds of time. ü Thank You e-mails should be reserved for acknowledging a job well done. 6

Ensuring E-Mail Effectiveness Short and Simple: ü Keep e-mails as concise as possible. Save details for a conversation. ü Help colleagues prioritize by adding key words to subject line FYI, FOR ACTION or URGENT. ü If you have a brief question, type it in the subject line with EOM (end of message) so recipient doesn t have to open the e-mail. ü Consider other ways to get information quickly, such as picking up the phone or walking down the hall (remember the three-string rule). Save Time: ü State the specific reason for the e-mail in the first sentence. ü Avoid asking open-ended questions requiring a lengthy response. Make it simple for the recipient to respond. ü Remove all unnecessary threads of content. Reduce Readership: ü Only use Reply All when absolutely necessary. ü Use the CC function to include colleagues who absolutely need to know about or respond to the topic. ü Consider whether you need to reply to every e-mail. Responses like Great and OK can cost the recipient up to 30 seconds of time. ü Thank You e-mails should be reserved for acknowledging a job well done. 13 On-Line Communication 14 Provides a one-stop destination for organizational resources policies, reports, etc. Allows sharing of best practices or highlighting team accomplishments, upcoming or past key initiatives, important trends Feature social interaction 7

On-Line Communication 15 Things to Keep in Mind: Keep it brief; use a journalistic style inverted pyramid Write a catchy but clear title Write in a conversational tone Incorporate pictures, video or other media Cross-reference to related content Write with the reader s endgoal in mind What Does All Communication Have in Common? 16 All communication, regardless of the channel, needs to have three things: 1. An objective or desired outcome (communication is not the outcome) 2. Relevance to audience 3. Concise, easy-to-understand content 8

Your Personal Action Plan for Communicating Effectively: The 3 Ps 17 Purpose Plan Payoff Why is this important? And to whom? What outcome do I want? What does my target audience want? Where does this fit with everything else happening? What s the message? What s the best channel? What s the timing? What will the key questions be? What happened as a result? What was the feedback? What was the reaction? What more do I need to do? Final Thoughts 18 Communications is a management skill. You have the power! Think of stakeholders not audiences Choose your channel Focus your content Model the behaviour you want to see (Golden Rule) Listen and watch for feedback 9