 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
Manage Communication to Add Value
Management guru Tom Peters says white collar workers and managers in functional departments need to protect their futures. They have to learn "the difference between doing totally acceptable work and creating very new value...." he notes, in an Industry Week article. In other words, people in departments like Human Resources and Finance need to become entrepreneurial. With that in mind, let's look at three ways you can use communication to add new value, whether you work in a functional department or not. First, every department of every organization generates unique information. That comes from being astride several communication flows that come together in one office or area. Information flows in from suppliers, from staff, and from other stakeholders. For example, people in your department read trade magazines, they attend seminars, they're in touch with people in other departments, and they may belong to trade associations. If your department consciously gathers, sifts, analyzes, and organizes that information - formally or informally - then it's creating new value. It's now more than just information: it's business intelligence, information with added value. That's what we refer to as generating new information. Moving to the idea of condensing information, one striking characteristic of modern communication is the amount of it moving around. No doubt you've heard references to information overload, an all too real problem for those whose work life revolves around information. You can add value by monitoring the information that comes into your office and selecting just the critical parts. Movie director Alfred Hitchcock put it this way, "Drama is life with the dull bits cut out." That's probably not a bad way of thinking about the condensing of information. You can also summarize. Rather than distributing selected bits of information, you can write an abstract that captures the key data or ideas and reduces the load to manageable size for others. That's great added-value for senior managers who need overviews, rather than details. Many internal newsletters earn their keep by providing regular summaries of useful information. That information can come from outside the organization or from within. Third, there's other side of the same coin, which involves expanding, rather than condensing, information. One way to do this is by providing context. Consider, for example, any current issue that gets high profile treatment. Can you take the information you have, and then provide background that helps others make sense of it? You might bring in additional information that provides a brief history, the current opportunities and threats, and some possible directions for the future, along with their implications. You might also expand information by making connections to issues that don't seem to affect your organization. For example, suppose your factory serves only the domestic market, so globalization seems irrelevant for at least the near future. But, what if you could explain how changes to tariffs would allow you to buy your raw materials at lower prices? In summary, you can add value to existing information by turning it into business intelligence, condensing it, or expanding it. All approaches may use the same material, but manage it differently, to satisfy different needs. Robert F. Abbott writes and publishes Abbott's Communication Letter. Learn how you can use communication to help achieve your goals, by reading articles or subscribing to this ad-supported newsletter. An excellent resource for leaders and managers, at: http://www.communication-newsletter.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Motivating Employees - Ten Ways to Start You Off Yet there is a place for those external 'raft-build's', 'away days' and 'paintballing'! Just get them in context; there is work to do up front to leverage those experiences and get the best value from them. Just build great relationships in your business or organisation, one-to-one - then have the fun day out and grow even more!"Motivation is like food for the brain. Survival of the Fittest: The Road to Human Extinction I was watching a TV program some months ago about a biologist working in Central America who was dedicated to protecting the panther species from extinction. During the program I heard him make a comment that upon reflection I found had embedded in it seeds of wisdom that not even he was aware of. Dont Sweat the Small Stuff with Your Credit Policy Do you know how many customers you have that are past due right now? How many bad checks are sitting on your desk that you don't know what to do with? How many dunning letters do you send out a month?How would you like to answer those questions with none, or very few? In a new book, "Become the Squeaky Wheel," Michelle Dunn, explains and outlines some easy procedures you can use to erase bad debt, and prevent it in the future."One thing that is often overlooked is how to prevent future credit issues," says Michelle Dunn. 5 Ways to Work More Effectively With Your Administrative Assistant Stop hiring new administrative support staff. And learn how to retain your existing administrative staff. Tales From the Corporate Frontlines: An Unexpected Benefit This article relates to the Compensation and Benefits competency, commonly evaluated in employee satisfaction surveys. It tells the story of a company that offered a new benefit to its employees, solved the problem of lagging productivity, and boosted morale at the same time. Are you NICE or do you CARE? Are you NICE or do you CARE? Most people and most managers want to be nice. After all, it's easier to be nice than to not be nice. Problem Solving When problem solving, you may recognize that you were working on a symptom instead of the problem. An analysis of the more clearly defined problem may require an alteration to the objectives or the ideal solution. Why Your Business Needs an E-Mail Policy Why is it imperative to have a company E-Mail Policy? It is simply good business, that's why! In addition, having a clear and detailed e-mail policy in place, one that employees sign and date before they are allowed access through your businesss' computers, is critical to you being able to enforce or react to situations that may arise at a later date.Even assuming you have the best folks working for you, or on your behalf, does not negate the need for this type of policy to be established. Project Management - Are You Done Yet What happens when a Project Manager asks one of his team members "Are you done yet"?If you're a seasoned project manager, then the following scenario will sound very familiar. If you're new at this game, take my word for it: This will happen to you!------------------------------------------------------Starring in this article: R. 5 Questions Great Managers Ask (and they arent hard!) However hard we try, we seem to make life more difficult for ourselves; more challenging; more complex. Yet it needn't be so. Better Manager Skills - How to Learn When you first take over a department, expectations are usually high but operations are sometimes in disarray. The staff is disorganized, goals aren't being met, and hours are spent on unproductive tasks. Innovation Management: The Hype Cycle Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation.There are distinct processes that enhance problem identification and idea generation and, similarly, distinct processes that enhance idea selection, development and commercialisation. Recruitment - What Youre Really, Really Looking For Imagine that you're a sports coach and you need a new player on the team. Would you walk up to someone in the street and say - "I want you to come and play for my team. 5 Creative Evolutionary Leadership Niche Strategies! I have a short story to share with you about an important skill many leaders need to develop, use and perfect.Life is a journey. Write Winning Proposals For Venture Capitalists You need to secure money for your project. You visit venture capitalists to see if you can get that money. Quality Hiring: Are You Doing It Right? Quality hiring is more than running ads, screening, interviewing and checking references. It is a series of specific procedures that can bring in top candidates or create bottlenecks and inefficiencies. Beyond Management Coaching: When Things Are Getting Out of Control Leaders and Managers often ask us, 'What do you do when you have tried to coach and counsel an employee about a performance concern, and the employee has not responded?Unfortunately, we see far too many cases where the leader hasn't, in good faith, tried to coach the employee or to put the leader's concerns into words. Often, leaders look for a quick fix alternative to what is perceived as a difficult and painful confrontation. Employee Turnover: Seven Reasons Why People Quit Their Jobs There are many reasons why good employees quit and go to another company, perhaps even your competitor. Most of the reasons start with management and most are preventable. Having Your Phil February 2nd, at approximately 7:30 a.m. 10 Fundamentals for Effective Meeting Here are ten fundamental concepts that characterize an effective meeting.Definition: A meeting is a business activity where select people gather to perform work that requires a team effort.
|
|
|
 |
 |
