No Bull Business Blog

6 communication work skills to live by

Excerpted from the Executive Report: Communication Skills for Managers

Practice these six communication skills in your work each day and, you’ll be much more effective.

1. Listen more than you talk: Possibly the most important communication skill of all is the ability to listen. Avoid letting your thoughts wander: Focus on what the other person is saying. Not sure what they mean? Say, “Let me make sure I have this right. Are you saying ...?”

2. Keep your promises: If you’ve been pushing your staff to raise their level of customer service, don’t contradict yourself by being rude to an employee. It’s the old “walk the walk, and talk the talk.” Lead by example and be sure to keep your promises. A golden mantra: Follow through.

3. Say it like it is: We’re not saying you have to get down and dirty, but too much sugar-coating often obscures the truth. Be honest and tell your employees when there are some kinks that need to be worked out in the organization. If you made a mistake, admit it. If the company made a wrong turn, be honest and discuss how you’re planning to get back on track.

4. Don’t react ... respond: Everyone has buttons that, when pushed, evoke a knee-jerk reaction. But reacting isn’t responding. Be mindful of situations and give them thought before taking action. Know your buttons and train yourself to respond rather than react when they’re pushed.

5. Make it personal: When was the last time you had a one-on-one conversation with some of your staff members? Create time in your schedule each week to meet individually with some employees – and not just key staffers. Your involvement and interest in each employee will boost workplace morale.

6. Give specifics: Managers give feedback throughout the day, often without even realizing it. But how specific are you being? The more you can fine-tune the feedback, the clearer the picture for the employee. Think about it: Is it more helpful if someone tells you, “You need to give better customer service” or if he or she says, “Make a point of smiling and making eye contact with our customers, instead of typing on your computer while talking to them”? If your feedback contains specific action steps, your employees will understand exactly what you want them to do.

DIGGER DEEPER
Most problems in the workplace are caused by poor communication. Even the most talented staff will falter if it doesn’t communicate well. How do  you improve it? Read the Executive Report: Communication Skills for Managers

As a leader, how transparent are you?

Excerpted from the Executive Report: Taking Leadership to the Next Level

Are you a transparent leader or nontranparent leader? Here are a list of differences, says Al Johnson, president of Inspiratude Coaching Solutions:

• Transparent leaders say what's on their minds. Nontransparent leaders say what others want to hear.
• Transparent leaders are consistent in their actions and reactions. Nontransparent leaders aren't.
• Transparent leaders are honest and admit when they need help. Nontransparent leaders attempt to cover up flaws or the need for help.
• Transparent leaders support bold claims with bold action. Nontransparent leaders say one thing and then turn around and do another.
• Transparent leaders are honest and openly communicate. Nontransparent leaders are duplicitous and withhold information that should be shared.

 Becoming a transparent leader isn't easy, and sometimes there are forces within an organization that work against transparency. But good leaders work to break down those barriers.

DIGGER DEEPER
As a leader, does your staff trust and respect you? Do you stand out from the crowd? You can. Read the Executive Report: Taking Leadership to the Next Level

Quickest way to 'yes'

Excerpted from the Executive Report: 40 Strategies for Getting Them to Say 'Yes'

Here's a tip that seems almost too simple to believe - but it works:

Studies have shown when making a written request of someone, that person is more than twice as likely to agree if you attach a Post-it note to the paper!

Why does a Post-it have the power of a genie's lamp?

Seems people feel you've gone out of your way to do something personal for them when you include a handwritten sticky note - and that makes them more likely to say "yes."

DIGGING DEEPER
As a manager, your success depends heavily on persuading others to carry out what needs to be done. It's even easier when they believe they're the winner when things are achieved. For help, read the Executive Report: 40 Strategies for Getting Them to Say 'Yes'

Coaching employees: Why e-mail doesn't work

Excerpted from the Executive Report: Coaching Skills for Managers and Supervisors  

Researchers at Vanderbilt and Rice Universities set up identical tense coaching scenarios in which one pair communicated over the phone and face-to-face, while the other pair used only e-mail.

Results of the experiment:

• The phone/face-to-face pair managed to resolve their differences, but
• The e-mail-only pair more often ended up with insults, anger and breakdowns in communication.
  

Besides the obvious differences in communication methods, researchers noted one factor that's the main contributor to breakdowns when subjects use e-mail. It's something called a "lack of cotemporality."

Simply put, that means neither side heard (or read) the communication at the moment it was produced. Turns out, that's important in coaching - and it's often lacking in e-mail communication, since people read e-mails some time after they're written.

The lesson: Face-to-face, when possible, is usually the better approach. 

DIGGING DEEPER
Coaching employees to be more effective, productive and motivated is challenging for even the most experienced managers, but it can be done. For help, read the Executive Report: Coaching Skills for Managers and Supervisors

13 ways to improve your writing

Excerpted from the Executive Report: Business Writing - 83 Tips to Keep You from Looking Dumb

Here are 13 ways to make your memos, e-mails and other business writing clearer and more powerful.  

1. Shorter verbs will add power to your writing. Instead of: terminate and secure Write: end and get  

2. Personalize your writing by putting people in it.

Instead of: Profits are up 12 percent.
Write: CFO Julie Smith reports profits are up 12 percent.  

3. Write in specific terms.

Instead of: He worked for a company in the South.
Write: He worked as a consultant for the XYZ Co. in Atlanta.  

4. Try to keep sentences short - between seven and 20 words.  

5. Spell out numbers from zero to nine. Use figures for 10 and higher.

Example: Work on the facility will begin in four days and last about 12 weeks.  

6. Express large numbers clearly.

Instead of: $7,000,000
Write: $7 million  

7. To give your writing a more personal tone, use contractions: it's, isn't, couldn't, here's, etc.  

8. Pronouns help draw in the reader: you, me, him, her, our, etc.  

9. Unless the reader will react negatively to your news, try to stick with the active voice.

Instead of: Two proposals were approved by the committee.
Write: The committee approved two proposals.  

10. Use questions to make your writing livelier.
Instead of: Let me know if the plan has merit.
Write: Do you think the plan has merit?  

11. Try not to proofread on your screen. You'll catch more mistakes if you print out a document.   

12. Do not rely on spell checker. It will not detect misused words.  

13. Avoid using formal, stuffy phrases.

Instead of: As of this date
Write: Today

Instead of: The committee was in agreement
Write: The committee agreed  

DIGGING DEEPER
One of the biggest problems in business is communicating clearly. How often have you had to scratch your head after trying to decipher someone's memo? For help, read the Executive Report: Business Writing: 83 Tips to Keep You from Looking Dumb

How many writing mistakes can you find?

Can you find all of the mistakes in the paragraph below? Note: We're not trying to trick you. Every error below is a common mistake by businesspeople every day.

Nothing is more embarassing than making a writing mistake. Of course, we all think its funny when we spot a mispelled word in magazine ads or on billboards. If one of your employee’s are making the the mistakes, it can be disasterous. And if you have a typo in a memo to the boss, how do you think they will view your professionalism? These kind of mistakes can be prevented, irregardless of the persons job title. The people that make the mistakes can seriously effect how other’s view you’re company. That can cost any organization money and hurt it’s profits. 

Okay, how did you do? If you found all 16, then you're brilliant.

To see the answers to this quiz, go to the PBP Executive Reports site.

Deciding when and what to delegate

Excerpted from read  Executive Report: The 7 Essential Steps to Delegating Successfully

Delegating can provide a manager with many advantages. That doesn't mean it's wise to delegate just anything anytime. When done randomly and without thinking it through, delegation can be a disaster.

So, first, be sure to determine when delegation is the best course of action. To do that, start by asking five key questions:

1. Is there someone else who I believe has what it takes - background, expertise, information, etc. - to do the job? Absent that, is there someone I can get up to speed quickly to take over the job?
2. Does the task provide an opportunity to grow and develop another person's skills, or am I just foisting off an unpleasant task on someone else?
3. Is this a task that that's likely to come up again, so that if I invest time in someone, I'll get multiple payoffs?
4. Do I have enough time to delegate the job effectively? If there's no time for training, feedback and, yes, an occasional redo, I may be asking for trouble.
5. Is this a task that I should delegate? Let your instincts decide which responsibilities must stay under your control.

Other factors to take into consideration:

• How crucial are deadlines? What are the consequences of not completing the job on time?
• Is "good" good enough? In other words, could you get by with slightly lower quality for the sake of delegation? If not, you'll have to have full confidence in the person to deliver at the highest level.
• What are the consequences of failure? Handing over the job could increase that possibility. No one accepts failure, but you have to accept the possibility and be prepared to deal with it.

DIGGING DEEPER

Delegating is key to becoming a great manager. To get more help, read the Executive Report: The 7 Essential Steps to Delegating Successfully

Are you stressing out your employees?

Excerpted from the Executive Report: Why Good People Burn Out – and How You Can Stop It

As much as you and your employees don't want to suffer from stress and burnout, you could be the "cause" of the stress. Here are some things to watch out for:

• Setting unrealistic goals. Imposing highly ambitious goals on employees will daunt and discourage, rather than motivate, them. If you have tough goals they must achieve, break them into smaller parts before presenting them.
• Looking at the dark side. If you always look at the downside or harp on what's wrong - and allow others to do it - you can bet employees will become de-motivated and stressed. Instead, mention the bright side of every tough circumstance you and your people face. Encourage employees to suggest changes for things they don't like.
• Us vs. them talk. Managers often don't want employees angry at them, so they unintentionally remove themselves from potential guilt. (For instance, "I fought for your pay raise, but you know HR makes the final decision.") Leaders need to stand behind decisions they've made or have been made regarding their employees.
• Allowing some people to slide. Managers who let poor performers get by or allow bad behavior to continue will derail good employees. Confront those issues until they're fixed or gone.
• Talking more than you listen. Whether you deliver bad news or offer an opposing opinion, your employees will want to vent about it. Let them, because that may be all they need to get over it.
• Jumping to conclusions. One person rarely knows how another person feels, so avoid telling employees how they should react or feel in any situation. Let them react and then talk about solutions.
• Poor listening. Nothing is more irritating than not being heard. Paraphrase, take notes or do anything to show employees you care.
• Reacting to anger or anxiety. This only adds fuel to the fire. Instead, keep an even tone and deal with similar situations uniformly.
• Bad habits. Ask a trusted colleague (or loved one), what habits you have that can get on people's nerves.

DIGGING DEEPER

So, are your employees stressed out? Find out what you can do by reading the Executive Report: Why Good People Burn Out – and How You Can Stop It.

Is delegating a dirty word?

Excerpted from the Executive Report: Taking Control - 163 Ways to Save Time.

Delegating is a dirty word to many people.

Because doing it properly takes time and energy, they often think: "In the time it would take me to teach someone else to do this task, I could do it myself."

Or: "The only way I can be sure this task will be done right, is if I do it myself."

Here are two reasons to toss out both those ideas:

• Look at the big picture. While it may take more time than you'd like to explain how to do the task the first time around, it will save huge amounts of your time in the long run.
• Perfectionism is one of the biggest time-wasters. Are there some tasks that need to be perfect and require your expertise? Absolutely. But there are so many more tasks that don't need to be perfect, and where "good enough" is just fine. Productive people know how to tell the difference - and so can you.

DIGGING DEEPER

For most managers, working harder really isn't an option. But they try to do it anyway. But there are plenty of ways to streamline your job, eliminate distractions and get others involved. For help, read the Executive Report: Taking Control - 163 Ways to Save Time.

Writer's block: 7 ways to break through

Excerpted from the Executive Report: Business Writing: A Guide to Clear, Concise and Effective Writing.

It doesn't matter how many letters, reports or memos you've written. At some point, you'll find yourself staring at a blank screen, struggling to come up with that first paragraph or sentence.

Try these proven techniques for conquering writer's block. The methods are different, but their goal is the same - to get you "unstuck" and writing:

1. Write a headline. Before getting started on your letter, report or memo, ask yourself: "If this were a news story, what would be the headline?" Coming up with a headline forces you to identify the single idea you're trying to get across.

2. Create an outline. We're not talking about a long drawn-out outline with Roman numerals. Just jot down the major points you want to make and use it as a guide while you're writing.

3. Write it wrong. When you're working on your first draft, forget about typos, poorly constructed sentences and awkward transitions. The sole purpose of your first draft is to get your basic ideas down on paper. In other words: Just do it.  You can worry about "cleaning it up" later.

4. Take 10. For 10 minutes (time yourself), write nonstop. Glance at your outline if it helps, but keep writing. Sure, some of it won't be usable. But you'll find the simple process of continuous writing will help shape your thoughts.

5. Say it out loud. If you're drawing a blank trying to write the first sentence, say it out loud. Pretend the person to whom you're writing the letter is sitting across from you. What's the first thing you'd say? Now write it.

6. Switch readers. Sometimes writing a letter can be difficult because you know there's a good chance the reader may be intimidated or angry about your message. Write your first draft as if you're writing to someone else - someone who's friendly and receptive to what you have to say. You can change your tone when you go back to revise it.

7. Pick a card. Stuck on the order in which to present your points? Get a few index cards and write down one idea per card that you'd like to include in your letter. Don't worry about the sequence. Once all your ideas are down on cards, rearrange them so the ideas flow in a logical sequence.

DIGGING DEEPER
The truth is, most of us aren't great writers. One reason is that we try too hard to sound fancy or formal. But concise and conversational does a better job when trying to communicate ideas. For help, get the Executive Report: Business Writing: A Guide to Clear, Concise and Effective Writing.

Get a grip – toss the paperwork

Excerpted from the Executive Report: Get More Done in Less Time

 

Even though a lot of communication comes via e-mail, we're still not a paperless society. And the paperwork that flows into our office can kill productivity if handled poorly.

 

Here's how to tame some of the paper:

• Sort and handle papers in the inbox only twice a day.

• Throw out rough drafts once the final is done.

• Highlight the important info on a document to avoid having to sift through it again.

• Toss memos immediately after you mark the date and info on a calendar.

• Request summaries and recommendations with lengthy reports. And create them when you write your own reports.

• Keep these folders to file what you receive and don't toss

• • To do (for things that must be acted on by the end of the day
  • Reading (for long reports and industry publications)Personal (for the good-to-know stuff
  • Training (for useful info on personal and professional development)
  • Upcoming events (details you need that aren't written on the calendar)
  • Projects (one for each that is current)

• If you put something aside more than three times, ask "How likely will I ever need it?" If the answer is "Not likely," toss it.

DIGGING DEEPER

Getting leaner means being more efficient. Good managers can’t afford to waste time. For help, check out the Executive Report: Get More Done in Less Time.

It's OK not to be polite

Excerpted from the Executive Report: Executive Phone Skills for Business - A guide to clear, concise and effective business conversations. 

 

Saying you're sorry is almost always the polite thing to do. But when it comes to business, don't apologize for calling someone.

 

You wouldn't be calling them if it wasn't important, so don't start the conversation apologizing for "bothering" them.

 

It immediately weakens your position.

 

The reason you're calling them is because what you have to say is important - to them and to you. It's business and you wouldn't have "bothered" them if you didn't need to.

 

So exchange pleasantries and cut to the chase.

 

DIGGING DEEPER

The phone is a critical tool in business, yet most people make the most of their phone calls. There is a guide that will help. Read the executive report: Executive Phone Skills for Business - A guide to clear, concise and effective business conversations.

When you absolutely need to touch it more than once

Excerpted from the Executive Report: Get More Done in Less Time

 

We've all heard it. The most efficient folks only touch a piece of paper once.

 

Truth is, that's often not possible.

 

Most paperwork that comes across a busy executive's desk needs more than a minute's attention.

 

So it'll likely need to be touched more than once.

 

But the real key is that you take some action every time you have to touch it. Some possibilities:

• post a date on a calendar when real action needs to take place

• file it

• trash it

• make a call to followup or initiate action, or

• delegate someone to read or act on it.

 

DIGGING DEEPER:

Execs who get the most done and are the most effective are the one's who don't waste time on low priority issues. Get help by reading the Executive Report: Get More Done in Less Time.