One of the biggest stumbling blocks to good communication is the absence of context.  Context is defined as a set of facts or circumstances that surround a particular event, situation or communication.  At best, that information can help the listener put things in the proper perspective.  It can also be a persuasive tool to influence with integrity.

I recently watched an early Ryan Gosling film called, "Half Nelson."  In the film he plays an engaging and inventive teacher who also struggles with his dark side.  One of the ways he decides to get his students involved in history class is by giving them random dates in history.  Their job was to not only find out what happened on that day in time but to also provide context.  In one minute or less, they had to describe what happened, why it was significant, the impact it had and how it influenced the future.  It was amazing to listen to how the students so clearly defined and described a point in time.

This is a great exercise for all business presentations.  When you think of any of your key positioning statements  ("Our banking retail experience is solely focused on the customer…").  Respond to why is this significant (no one else is doing what we are doing in XXX  XXX); what impact it has on the customer (in recent JD Power Surveys, our bank was rated XXX);  and how you will influence the future ("we predict this trend will continue and we will remain at the front end…").  Asking yourself these questions is also helpful in determining the strength of your arguments and where you may need to fortify and/or explain.

If you are not influencing as powerfully as you’d like, consider context.  Give your audience the full picture so that they can let down their defenses, open their minds, engage in the conversation, feel confident in the information and be open to you as the speaker.

3 Ways to Eliminate “Corporate Speak” in 2011

"“Corporate speak” is the gobbledygook that slows down progress and understanding in companies across the world. This problem is not just limited to large corporations; it also runs rampant among small businesses, entrepreneurs and lawyers. It is often a symptom of your environment. Could you imagine telling a loved one about the synergies of red wine complementing the innovative marinade on your steak dinner, not to mention having the bandwidth to sit down and commiserate with your counterpart? If you did…you’d often be eating alone.

So let’s make a resolution to ban corporate speak in 2011. But how? Here are three questions to ask yourself when successfully merging action-oriented planning steps to directives…I mean…when you actually write something:

1.Who is my audience? Yes, your audience may use corporate speak. However, your message may be more effective by avoiding corporate speak in such an environment. Go through your writing and identify any words that your loved ones won’t understand. This doesn’t work in technical documents, but it will in 99% of everything else. If you can use plain, short language in a land of corporate speak you’ll be amazed at the response.

2.Why am I using that word or sentence? Many people use corporate speak because it makes them sound smarter. Most people assume “sounding professional” is the same as “sounding smart.” It’s not. Let your intelligence shine through your ideas. People often use complicated sounding words simply to sound intelligent. Don’t be that guy (or girl)!

Less is more. People seem to think that the longer something is, the more intelligent or important it is. This is especially important in email. Many people glance over long emails. Can your entire point be summed up in three regular sentences? I bet it can. Try it and watch how soon you’ll be able to sum up everything in one single sentence."

The words we use shape the relationships we have and the experiences we create. Take the extra step to ensure the words you use have meaning not only for our audiences but for yourself as well. 

I wonder what has happened to all the customer feedback surveys I have filled out in my time on the planet?

I believe in providing feedback to companies and services I do business with.  So, as a customer, when I’ve been asked for feedback – whether over the phone, online or through a mailed survey – I do my best to take the time to respond.  I am one of those people who will also write a letter if deserved.  It has been my way of giving back – as in, feedback is a gift.  I believe in the value and importance of a great customer experience – and I recognize that it is a two-way street.  To get it, you have to give.

What I’ve experienced, however,  is that 95% of the time, I never hear a single word about my feedback.  What do I expect?  In my opinion there are a number of things businesses can do to let you know they appreciate your time and comments.  Among them are:

• A thank you and a word about how your feedback will be used.
• A follow-up call that might address specifics you wrote about (I am one of those people who provides substantial detail).
• An e-mail stating what changes in policy or procedure are occurring due to customer comments.
• A gesture or gift (voucher for a free "something")
• An invitation to participate on a customer board

Instead, what is more common are gestures that communicate filling out a survey will enter you into a contest where you might be a winner or even more common – no incentive or follow-up at all.  As a result, I’ve lost that fire-in-the-belly to provide customer feedback.

I don’t mean to suggest here that my customer feedback is something that should cause everyone at corporate headquarters to drop what they are doing and pick up the phone and call me.  I am suggesting, however, that if you are going to ask for people’s time and commentary you need to respond to it because if you don’t you are actually doing your business more harm than good.  Nothing is worse than asking for someone’s opinion and then dropping it into oblivion.

As someone who consults businesses on employee and customer engagement, my advice for today is don’t ask if you aren’t going to tell your customer what you are doing with what they’ve given you.  The same is true, of course, with employees. Don’t survey employees and ask for their opinion and then let it fade away – they will also lose interest in participating in the future as the message you are sending is – your opinion does NOT count.

Improving your customer’s experience is essential.  Listening to their opinion on what is working and what’s not is imperative. Following up on their feedback is a MUST.

I hadn’t spoken to Loretta in what felt like ten years. I hadn’t played basketball with her…well let’s just say, in a very, very long time. So, when she called out of the blue and asked me to join a new women’s basketball league at a local park district in Chicago, I responded with a stammering “ok” that likely communicated equal amounts of excitement and terror.

 

How do you measure success?  If you live on the north shore of Chicago chances are that things like a good education, a prestigious career where you can command a high paying salary would be counted among the indicators.  All good things but not always the measures that count for everyone.

What happens when a young person growing up in that environment measures success differently?  How easy is it to fit it when your dreams and goals don’t?  Joe Wortell, who grew up on Chicago’s north side and attended the highly-touted college prep New Trier High School, knows this experience well.  Against the tide, he made the decision early on to avoid the trap of fitting in and instead chose to fight for a career path that resonated for him.

Joe remembers it clearly.  He was eight years old and his mom took him for the first time to the local barbershop for a hair cut.  It was Andy’s Barber Shop in Glencoe, Illinois.  He fell immediately in love with the experience.   He loved everything from the red, white and blue barber pole to the vintage porcelain and cast iron hydrolic barber chair to the classic smells of scent aftershave. 

This of course was a stark contrast to the salons that his mother and her friends would frequent and often take Joe along for a haircut.  In those salons with their trendy décor and stacks of fashion magazines, Joe felt awkward and out of place.  It was a punishing experience, rather than a pleasurable one.

Today, Joe Wortell, age 19, attends Success Barber School in Chicago located at the corner of Wabash and Adams.  Joe enrolled as their first student in October of 2009.  He is part of the renaissance movement to bring barbering back into vogue.  Joe says barbering lost its popularity starting in the 1960’s with the arrival of the Beatles and long hair – the precision practices of barbering just drifted away. 

Joe’s mission is to bring barbering back.  He believes he is a part of a new generation that values the precision haircuts, head and neck massage and straight razor shaves with hot towels, hot later and the ability to get a shoe shine before you walk out. He feels strongly that men appreciate being able to walk into an environment where there is an air of nostalgia, reading material geared to the clientele, 1950’s television featuring the game of the day and conversation that is “just for men.” 

 Most of us spend years trying to understand what it really is we want to do with our lives.  We dedicate ourselves to our educations, we seek career counseling, we interview, we pursue mentors and we often blindly follow a career path that is aligned to what others want us to do or what society at large says we should.  Many find themselves in mid-life still asking the question, “What do I want to do with my life?”

Joe Wortell has never had this problem.  Yes, from age eight, he knew he wanted to be a barber and never waivered from that decision – not once.  He began collecting barbershop memorabilia that he plans to fill the shop he’ll open and own one day.  Elvis posters will cover the walls and late 1800′s to 1940′s iconic barbershop chairs will line the walls.  Joe shares that his passion and purpose emanated from the experience he had during that first visit and it just kept getting re-enforced through the years.

During high school, he remembers feeling like an outsider when his classmates’ conversations focused on the colleges and universities they planned to attend.  He would sometimes get comments from them or his parents’ friends like, “All you want to be is a barber?”  “You should set your sights higher.”  Rather than be discouraged he would address the questions by confidently educating those who inquired about the virtues and future of barbering. Even Joe’s parents, at first, found his commitment confusing and certainly tried to steer him in another direction.  Over time, however, they have grown to appreciate and admire his passion.  They now support his efforts fully.

In retrospect, Joe says he sometimes wonders if he was the odd man out more because he knew so clearly what he wanted to do with his life rather than his decision not to attend college and follow a more traditional path.  His level of clarity was difficult for others to grasp. 

Joe’s schooling is a ten-month course that equates to 1500 hours.  He will need to pass a state board test in order to become a barber.  He has his eye on a couple of barbershops in the Chicago area he’d like to start working at after graduation and eventually buy and operate his own shop.

Joe says that he always wanted to find a job that didn’t feel like a job.  He wanted to work in an environment that was relaxed and congenial where he looked forward to going every day.  He wanted to work in a profession that allowed him the flexibility to easily pursue his other interests which include playing steel pedal guitar, rockabilly and roots music.  It is hard to argue with that rationale.  He may not get rich he says but he surely will enjoy his life.

When asked if he felt choosing an unorthodox path took courage he says at times, yes.  “It’s not easy when you are surrounded by people who are urging you to go in one direction -  their direction.”  Joe shares, however, that once you become comfortable with who you are, it gets easier.  “I wanted to live my dream, not theirs.”

When asked what advice he would give to others struggling with what they want to be when they grow up, Joe simply says, “Pay attention to what you love.  Be willing to learn new things.  Trust that you will find your path as long as you allow yourself to discover your passion.”

And one more thing.  Andy’s Barbershop – the place whose experience captivated Joe at age eight – still exists.  Andy, now in his 80’s, still has his shop in Glencoe, has one single chair and is open one day a week.  Still setting his own hours, serving customers and doing what he loves to do. 

Many of you have seen the popular new CBS series titled, Undercover Boss.  Each episode follows a senior executive of a major corporation who is working incognito as a new entry-level hire for one week.  Through the experience they discover how the company really works.  The show is well done and sends out an important message to leaders:  You need to experience your company through the lens of the employee to truly understand what is working and what’s not.

Without fail, the undercover CXO identifies corporate policies that unfairly impact employees, costly inefficiencies and unsung heroes.  The leader also discovers how far removed he is from what happens day to day in the business.

I applaud the show’s intention and I want to suggest to the producers the next iteration for this show:  “In the Customer’s Shoes.”  Viewing a business from the employee’s perspective is a crucial first step but would be incomplete without viewing the business from the customer’s perspective as well.  I started to think about this more as I viewed Sunday’s finale featuring 1 800 Flowers President and COO, Chris McCann.  I applaud Mr. McCann’s efforts to better understand his employee’s experience.  It also prompted me to recall an experience I had with 1 800 Flowers a couple of years ago that still makes my blood boil to think about it.  I have not used them since.  Following is an abbreviated version of the letter I wrote to the Head of Customer Service,  Julia Kauffman.

 Dear Ms. Kauffman,

I am writing to share a very disappointing customer experience I had recently with your company.  I contacted 1 800 Flowers on Monday, October 15^th to order a bouquet of flowers to be sent to my mother on her 84^th birthday on October 19.  I began by going to your website and had to spend approximately 30 minutes trying to order a bouquet online but every time I attempted to pay for it my credit card was rejected.  Frustrated, I went ahead and called the 1 800 number.

This time I reached a sales rep who at best I would describe as incompetent.  I found myself repeating the same information over and over to her (her getting it wrong each time and needing to start again). I requested that the flowers be delivered on the 19^th as we wanted them there for a party that would be taking place for my mother.  The rep said she could deliver them on Thursday or Saturday but not Friday.  When I asked why she simply said that was what her computer was saying to her.  She said she’d “try” to get them there on Friday.  I said, if not, Thursday would have to do.  After another 30 minutes, the transaction and order was complete.

The flowers did not arrive on Thursday, Friday or Saturday.  Despite the confirmation I received via e-mail.

When the flowers had not arrived by late Friday afternoon I called 1 800 Flowers to share my disappointment and ask for a refund.  I was told that the best they could do was credit back 20% to my account.  She shared that the only way to get a full refund was to have my mother send the flowers back on Monday.  This, of course, was not only insulting but laughable – I could just imagine my 84 year old mom packing up flowers…  As a last resort, the rep gave me your name and suggested I write a letter. 

Ms. Kaufmann, as you can imagine, this is not about the money – it is about the principle.  Businesses make promises to their customers and trust is built when those promises are delivered.  I have to assume that 1 800 Flowers’ promise is that you can order flowers easily, quickly and can feel confident that they will be delivered on time and be of quality.  Do I have that right?  My flowers were not easy to order and they were not delivered on time – the quality is yet to be determined…

The end of the story is that I did not receive a refund or credit and the flowers finally arrived 5 days late.  I would’ve loved Mr. McCann to witness my experience!

At the conclusion of Undercover Boss, the CXO brings together a large group of managers to share what he/she has learned.  It is easy to see what this endeavor communicates to the employees:

·      Our CEO “gets it”

·      Our CEO cares

·      Our CEO walked a mile in our shoes

·      Our CEO is courageous

For a boss to go undercover it does communicate caring, courage and commitment.  Taking it one step further, I encourage every leader to go undercover and experience what the customer experiences.  Without the benefit of a reality television show, I can make a few suggestions:

·      Work a day in your company’s call center and hear the issues customers have

·      Work on the front line in a customer-facing position

·      Hold a customer town hall and learn directly about what’s working and what’s not

·      Track a customer’s experience from start to finish and see where it breaks down

·      Read the letters dissatisfied customers write 

Follow-up on these activities with your customers through e-mail, blog postings or letters about what you discovered and what you are doing about it.  Just like the employee’s responses in Undercover Boss, your customers will recognize you “get it”, you care, and you are willing to walk a mile in their shoes – and that takes courage.

Leaders out there – get both sides of the picture.  Experience what your employees AND customers experience.  Communicating with your customers in this way will go a long way in building life-long relationships and loyalty.

To foster a culture where employee engagement thrives it is important to have a common understanding of what engagement really looks like, sounds like and feels like.  When I am working with a new corporate client I do my best to soak up the atmosphere determine whether or not I see employees who

Talk About – employees who openly talk about and share their company pride with others.

Stay With – employees who stay with your organization and are loyal

Strive For – employees who commit to striving to help the company reach its goals.

For me, those are good indicators that engagement is alive and well within the company.  Communication is one of the keys to creating the kind of culture that drives engagement.  In a recent article by Alan Crozier in Communication World he points out the key principles that communicators should remember when they are working to drive engagement:

1. It is impossible not to communicate - even silence says something.
2. Communication depends on the recipient – they will let you know if you are being effective.
3. The more complex the issue, the greater need for communication to be informal, frequent and interpersonal.
4. Observed behaviors are the most powerful and reinforcing elements in underpinning expectations and resultant actions in the workforce.
5. Employee tolerate management’s logic; but act on their own conclusions.

In other words, everything speaks.  Good communication is an important element for engagement, however, getting people to talk about, stay with and strive for their organization is more complex.  At the core, engagement entails the alignment of policies, procedures and practices with the overarching values, goals and objectives of the company.  Communication certainly complements those efforts and there is much more.  The journey to get there is well worth it.