Part of our preparation system for presenting at national conferences is to conduct interviews with prospective members of the audience.
The typical interview takes about one hour and during that time I always ask this one question as it forces the interviewee to specifically outline their toughest challenge at that moment. The question asked is, "If you could ask me one question, assuming everything was paid for, and you knew I could solve it, what would you ask me? The question must be start with the words, ‘How do I…?'" When I asked Suzie, a senior manager working at an association with over 20,000 members, she replied, "How do I make sure I communicate our needs efficiently to all our service providers when we put on our conferences?"
The old "communication issue" challenge. Quite frankly I'm getting bored of hearing it.
First off, the word "communication" is used too loosely as an end all to many challenges managers face in business. Communication also assumes that you must talk to people in a way that they understand what you mean and will do what you want. Not true.
Consider this. What part of a presentation is more important? The time preparing for the presentation or the time "communicating" the presentation? Which takes longer?
If it's not obvious to you, preparation may take months and the communication is often over in just minutes.
Preparation is the key. A good rule of thumb is "Good strategies executed poorly tend to produce better results than poor strategies executed well." Hey, let's go north (and you should have gone south) will get you nowhere fast.
Second, communication comes in many forms. Verbal, body language, written (email, fax, letter) are the first few that come to mind. Often forgotten are the real tools of communication: system and structure.
Here's a quick simplified example before we get back to Suzie.
I went to our local Home Depot four times to purchase a Shop Vac under a $40 rebate program. Each time I visited, they were out of stock as national was redirecting the units to other stores. One manager recommended that I pay for the item on their Will-Call Program. I did. Three weeks later, after two visits and two phone calls, I became frustrated as the product had not arrived and no one seemed able to help me. With a July 12th final submission date looming for the $40 mail-in rebate on the $69.00 item, I finally found one Shop Vac by talking to an employee on the phone. When I arrived at the store to pick it up, I was told that I had to stand at the customer-service counter—an understaffed customer-service counter. Fifteen minutes for the first customer and I was 8th in line. The two of us were to catch a movie, and the timeline meant we may miss the first hour.When I called and complained to a senior manager he chalked the problem up to a "communication" issue, saying that I should not have been able to purchase the item under Will Call unless I had the item in my hands. He explained that every problem I had since the purchase was due to someone not following policy...a miscommunication. This wasn't a "communication" problem at all! It is a structure problem. If the computer system required the person inputting the order to scan the item, then no one could have created the Will Call for me in the first place. Simple. No further communication is necessary. Done!
Suzie thought that she, too, needed to communicate better with her vendors. This meant that each event, Vegas conference, or smaller regional programs, meant getting the vendors in synch with her needs. It also meant that she wanted to get all her employees to think and act like she does. Let's be realistic: not going to happen. The reason are she's the only person that sees the whole picture, and she's trusting that all vendors are efficient. We know better.
You can use the advice given to Suzie, too. This is a simple starting point for someone that has the basics in place.
One. Open up a WORD document and leave it open at all times on your desktop. If you close your computer, make it the first document you open before you start working.
Two. The document's purpose is to serve as an Idea Bank. Every time you have a thought about improving what you do, whether it's a conference or another project, place notes (good and bad) on this ongoing document. The notes might include early engagement items, specifications to share with the person printing literature, the webmaster's instructions to put an extra click on the homepage of your site, etc.
Three. Throughout the duration of your process, review the list and start to create tools for the organization to never, ever, ever forget to take care of these items. Some of the tools may be simple one-page check lists with dates on it for suppliers, others might require a short program to be written, or a spread sheet to be built. Every item is designed to improve the accuracy of the event or project you're planning. Each task or function that is documented and completed improves the next event's outcomes.
Looking at the "communication" issue as it applies, let's say there are 2000 items that must be completed to create a good event. Half those items already have some type of structure built into the organization. Another 500 require some thought and do get done. It's the last 500 that create anxiety and often lead leadership to say "We need to communicate better."
Four. If you're really good, start creating CPM charts and Ghant Charts to outline your projects so that everyone knows what to do, how their role fits into the big picture, and what time frames they must work within. Microsoft Project is one digital tool for Ghant Charts. We prefer a simplified CPM chart as our project planning tool.
The reality is that Suzie is looking for everyone to think like she does. Simply communicating her ideas and letting the chips fall where they may doesn't work. She's got to build the tools for those involved so that she insures that work gets done as needed. Then when things go wrong, and they do, the next lecture won't be about how everyone should "get on the same page." Instead, management can return to systematic tools, tweak what they're doing, and continue moving the project and its team forward within a reliable structure.
David and Lorrie Goldsmith are managing partners of MetaMatrix Consulting Group, LLC. Their firm offers consulting and speaking services internationally including clients from Fortune 200 to international associations. David also has named by Successful Meetings Magazine as one of the "26 Hottest Speakers in the Industry." A best selling author characterized David in this manner,"David Goldsmith is unique in that he can see a 30,000 feet view of business and then delivers the hand-to-hand tools for combat. Few people can do what he does." You can reach them at (315) 682-3157 or email to david@davidgoldsmith.com
|
