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August 11, 2008
Curb your enthusiasm
He’s just been named president of the division. He got the job because he’s smart and hard-working and—let’s face it—a major pain in the butt. He’s relentless; the man never sleeps. And when he latches onto an issue, he’s like a terrier with a towel—won’t let go, no matter what.
Naturally, the newly appointed president wants to communicate with the organization. He needs to share his vision. Do some straight talking about what needs improvement. Get everybody fired up, engaged, on board, on the same page. Banish complacency. Embrace the values.
Never mind that the organization is only mildly interested in what the guy has to say. Don’t get me wrong: They’re fascinated about what he’s going to do. But people in this organization weren’t born yesterday. They know that talk is cheap—that senior managers exercise their vocal chords a lot, and that only some of those words turn into action. So they’d rather wait until the “talk” turns into “walk” before they sign on.
Of course, the president doesn’t know this about the organization. (Anyway, he’s not a very good listener.) So he feels compelled to COMMUNICATE. He creates a five-point strategy and a six-pillar set of principles. He embarks upon a road trip, in which he meets with managers for 90 minutes and holds 60-minute employee town halls, during which he talks for 50 minutes and answers questions for 10. He is interviewed for the company newsletter. He starts a monthly e-mail letter that reiterates (for 1,000 words) his key messages. Proud of himself for being so cutting edge, he starts a blog.
Whew! What’s the effect of all this hot air? Actually, it’s the opposite of what’s intended. Overwhelmed by so much rhetoric, people in the organization pull back. They hold still and become watchful. They’re skeptical: “Can the guy really do all he says?” “Doesn’t he know what he’s up against?”
Some people might share these concerns with the president, but for two problems: One, he doesn’t let anyone get a word in edgewise. And two, it would seem disloyal to express anything mildly negative. The president seems so certain about his perspective that there’s no room for other viewpoints.
Hmmm. So what’s the lesson? What I would say to the president (actually, I did, but he didn’t listen) is: Slow down just a bit. Take a breath. Don’t get so far ahead of yourself, the changes you’ve put in motion, and the organization. Let actions speak for themselves—after all, they’re so much more powerful (and credible) than words.
And, most difficult of all: Stop talking. You may be the smartest guy in the room, but you don’t have all the answers.
Have you ever met anybody like this guy? What advice would you give?
Posted by Alison Davis at August 11, 2008 08:43 AM
Comments
Well first of all, I have my tendancies to be like this guy. I have ideas. I have solutions. I have the answers (you know the drill).
But I have to take a step back and ask myself what do my readers/listeners want? What problems do they want solved and what information do they want to have? These questions tend to curb my "me, me, me" tendancies.
Where I run into this a lot is when I write content for company web sites (I'm a freelance copywriter). Like your hard-charging executive, web sites are full of "mission statement" language. But what answers and solutions do visitors really want?
All audiences (web site visitors and employees of your executive) need to see how the message relates to them first before they will listen any further.
Charles Brown
Posted by: Charles Brown at August 18, 2008 11:58 AM