Today we have a guest blog from Lauren Owen:
External
Communication
If you are
like most leaders, you probably have a high standard for all of your
company’s external client communications. Your standards might look like these:
- We respond ASAP to a client email or phone call.
- We regularly update our clients and customers
with company news.
- The customer is always right! Or, at least
deserving of very patient listening to his or her point of view, followed
by a thoughtful response.
- We take their suggestions seriously,
acknowledge them and let them know how and when they will be incorporated,
or if not, why.
Internal
Communication
But what about your internal communication? If you are
completely honest, you will admit that most likely there is a discrepancy
between how you communicate with your clients and how you communicate with your
co-workers. For example,
- Do you have the same response standards for
internal emails and phone calls?
- Do you inform them of company news? Ask them
for feedback? Let them know if and how you used their suggestions?
- How often is communicating with employees
pushed off to the bottom of our lists, especially when you get busy or
stressed?
Jim Hessler, author
of Land on Your Feet, Not On Your Face: Building Your Leadership Platform,
titles this leadership role: Chief Communication Officer, or CCO. Jim notes
that as a leader, you set the tone and quality standards for the rest of our
company. While it’s hard to measure the costs resulting from this disparity
between internal and external communication standards, here’s an example of
some compelling positive ramifications when one leader decided to
take his role of Chief Communication Officer seriously.
One Leader’s Story
Richard Brown,
General Manager of The Box Maker, headquartered in Kent, Washington, was frustrated about his
inability to effectively reach his employees, who are scattered throughout two
states in seven different locations. Working with producer Lucas Mack
at 4th Ave Media, he launched a weekly internal video newsletter, Inside the Box,
to spread news and information, share coworker success stories, and keep his
people up-to-date on the latest happenings at the company. The results?
After just two months and twelve episodes, he notes that:
- Productivity and innovative ideas coming from
employees are up significantly
- Turnover and absenteeism are both down
throughout the organization; and to his immense delight,
- “For the first time I can walk through one of
my plants and people actually come up to talk to me instead of avoiding
me.”
Call to Action:
So, how are you doing as your company’s
Chief Communication Officer?
How would your employees rate you as CCO?
What’s the one thing you could put into place in the next 30 days that would
have the biggest impact on your communication effectiveness?
What is the impact of doing
nothing?
LAUREN OWEN:
Lauren works with businesses leaders who want to develop and execute succession plans, sharpen their business practices, strengthen their leadership, and create long-lasting value in their businesses. She is a certified Marshall Goldsmith Stakeholder Centered Leadership Coach. She is also a leader of the Excell Puget Sound Southend Group.
(206) 427-2856, (253) 245.3518
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