The Meeting Advantage

Welcome back to our final post of our 3-week BusinessCommunication Series.  In case you missed last two sessions, you can follow the links below to read them now:

Week1 - The Writing Advantage

Week 2 - The Presentation Advantage

Meetings are another common form for business communication.  Having effective meetings and ineffective meetings are like night and day.  Your employees will either be thankful you had them or they might fell frustrated like the group in the photo above.

There are primarily 4 types of meetings:

·         LIVE in-person

·         Telephonic

·         Web-based

·         Video

Today we are going to focus primarily on LIVE in-person meetings.  Below are a few tips to help you become successful.

·         Getting the right people involved - Identifying the right team members is crucial.  Wasting people’s time is actually costing the organization money!  Consider taking the average salary in your organization.  Then multiply that by the number of meetings you hold annually.  Lastly, take into consider the length of your average meeting.  Then, do the math! 

For example:  If you have 500 employees with an average salary of $50 per hour attending let’s say 150 hours of internal meetings a year, that costs the organization $3,750,000 in salary costs alone, not to mention productivity costs!  What if you could reduce that by 20% or more and use more company- wide memos or emails instead?  That could save you around $750K+!  Imagine what you could do with that extra cash! 

·         Begin with the End in Mind - Like a good document or presentation, you need to consider how the meeting helps you achieve your top business priorities.  You need to think about what you want people to know or do as a result of this meeting. 

·         Have an agenda, please. - This is a common theme of complaints that I hear from people when I ask what is their biggest pet peeve about meetings.  You would be surprised how many senior leaders use their authority to mandate a meeting, but have no clue as to why they are having it and neither do their employees.  You must have a few topics clearly defined, know who is going to be prepared to speak to them and try to have a timeline planned for that topic and then stick to it.  Otherwise, if you don’t people who were prepared to speak to their topic often don’t ever get to it, because of poor time management by the previous speakers in the meeting.  That is a double waste of time and it costs your organization money… twice (one for meeting time prep and another for their time in the meeting). 

·         Make a Decision! - After your meeting is about to conclude, decide what actions are going to be made based on the information shared.  Otherwise, once again, it might be another way to waste productivity and cash!

Today’s post was a high level overview to what participants learn in our MeetingAdvantage Program.  If you would like to arrange a day of training for this content for your leaders and managers, let’s talk!  If you run a Medium-Large organization with several layers of management, I’m positive that the ROI will be huge!

Enabling greatness, one organization at a time,

John Vakidis

The Presentation Advantage

Dr. Stephen R. Covey with Elizabeth

during his famous LIVE “Big Rocks” Presentation.

Welcome back to week number two of our 3-week BusinessCommunication Series.  In case you missed last week’s session, The Writing Advantage, you can follow this link to read it now. 

Presentations have been a common form of business communication for some time.  We can give a presentation at an internal meeting, on a sales call or even in the class room.  Below are a few points for consideration. 

Meetings - Keep in mind that people are making crucial business decisions based on your information.  Make sure that your point is clear and welcomes input.  If you can provide a handout with key points and place for your notes, this will help them know what to focus on during your time in the front of the room. 

Sales Presentation - A good sales presentation should be interactive with the client.  If you have done a good job analyzing what the client needs, when it’s time to recommend your solution, you can ask questions that are checking their buy in along the way.  Be prepared to adjust on the fly if needed.  Continuing down the path as a talking head in the front of the room and not addressing their concerns will kill your opportunity.

Classroom Facilitation - This is usually reserve for experienced trainers, but even leaders can be put in this position from time to time.  Knowing your content well and connecting with your audience is key!

Regardless of which situation you are in, following these few tips below can help increase your effectiveness.

1.       Design - Taking time to design your presentation is key.  Remeber to "Begin with the End in Mind."  You need to identify the needs of your audience.  What points do you want to make?  What do you want them to do a result after seeing your presentation?

2.       Check point - If your presentation requires equipment, allow adequate time to connect everything and check to make sure everything is working (sound, slides, projector, etc.)

3.       Pictures - A picture is worth …. (you know the rest).  Using a powerful image to make your point is far more effective than writing out the bullet points of your speech

4.       Keep Moving - There is power in stillness … when making your point.  After you do so, keep the content flowing and feel free to move across the room and engage with your entire audience.

5.       Build Up - When you look at a tall building, your eyes typically take you to the top.  Your presentation should do that for your audience.  As you land key points, make sure they are guiding them to the one key takeaway you want them to know.

6.       Close - When it’s time to wrap it up, review your points, restate your purpose and close strong!

These are just a few helpful tips.  If you want to watch some great presentations, I highly recommend a website called www.ted.com.  You will see some amazing presentations and I’m sure you will laugh, learn and become inspired!

If your team needs better presentation skills, I highly recommend our 2-day PresentationAdvantage Program.  This is limited to 12 participants in the classroom.  Participants will bring actual presentations that they are currently working on.  They will draft their presentation and practice segments of it over the 2-day period.  More importantly, our consultants record their sessions for them so they can see their body language, eye movement, connection with audience, etc.  By the end of the 2-days participants have the mind-set, skill-set and tool-set to create effective presentations every time!

I attended this content a few years ago and I know that it made a significant impact on my capability to deliver a quality presentation.  For more information, please request a meeting using our meeting invitation tool on the right side of this page or simply call me at 214-387-9960.

Enabling greatness, one organization at a time,

John Vakidis

In Memory of Dr. Stephen R. Covey

Franklin Covey Co. Announces the Passing of Dr. Stephen R. Covey, Renowned Author, Speaker and Consultant

SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul. 16, 2012-- Franklin Covey Co. (NYSE:FC) today announced that Dr. Stephen R. Covey, co-founder and a former vice-chairman and director of FranklinCovey, passed away peacefully this morning due to the residual effects of a bicycle accident he suffered this past April. He was in his 80th year. In his final hours, he was surrounded by his loving wife and each of his children and their spouses.

Dr. Covey made a decision early in his life that his greatest contribution and life's work would be as a teacher. Beginning with his role as a university professor at Brigham Young University and then as an internationally-renowned author, speaker, and consultant, he has impacted the lives of countless millions worldwide. From grade school and university students, to Fortune 100 CEOs and numerous heads of state, he made teaching principle-centered leadership his life's work.

In 1996, Dr. Covey was recognized as one of Time magazine's 25 Most Influential Americans. He is the author of a number of acclaimed books, including the international bestseller The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, which has sold more than 20 million copies in 40 languages throughout the world. Other bestsellers include First Things First, Principle-Centered Leadership, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families, and The 8th Habit. His most recent books include The 3rd Alternative, The Leader in Me, and Everyday Greatness.

In 2002, Forbes named The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People one of the 10 most influential management books ever written. Chief Executive magazine recognized The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People as one of the two most influential books of the 20th century. Dr. Covey received the Fatherhood Award from the National Fatherhood Initiative, was named Speaker of the Year, received the Sikh's International Man of Peace Award, and The National Entrepreneur of the Year Lifetime Award for Entrepreneurial Leadership.

In 1984, Dr. Covey made the decision to leave full-time teaching as a university professor to establish a business organization, Covey Leadership Center, that could take principle-centered leadership throughout the world. From the inception of that business, Dr. Covey's focus was always on writing and teaching, leaving the leadership and management of the business to others. In 1997, Covey Leadership Center merged with FranklinQuest, to form Franklin Covey Co. (NYSE:FC), a global performance improvement company that now operates in over 125 countries throughout the world. From the time of the merger to his retirement from the board last year, Dr. Covey devoted essentially all of his time and effort to writing and teaching.

To Stephen, more important than his professional work was his work with his family. Stephen was a devoted husband, father and grandfather and spent a considerable amount of time with his immediate and extended family, getting together for vacations, games, celebrations, birthdays, and events of all kinds, and having one-on-one time with each of his children and grandchildren, which he loved doing. Stephen truly believed that the greatest work we do is within the four walls of our own homes and was a model of a loving and committed husband and father to the end.

Bob Whitman, chairman and CEO of FranklinCovey, said, "We lost a dear friend today. Stephen was one of the world's great human beings. His impact is incalculable and his influence will continue to inspire generations to come. We extend our deepest condolences to Dr. Covey's family, his wife Sandra, their nine children and spouses, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Stephen frequently referred to them as his greatest joy, inspiration, and most significant contribution and legacy to the world."

About Franklin Covey

Franklin Covey Co. (NYSE: FC) is a global company specializing in performance improvement. We help organizations achieve results that require a change in human behavior. Our expertise is in seven areas: leadership, execution, productivity, trust, sales performance, customer loyalty and education. Franklin Covey clients have included 90 percent of the Fortune 100, more than 75 percent of the Fortune 500, thousands of small- and mid-sized businesses, as well as numerous government entities and educational institutions. Franklin Covey has more than 40 direct and licensee offices providing professional services in over 140 countries. For more information, visit www.franklincovey.com.

Source: Franklin Covey Co.

Franklin Covey Co.
Debra Lund, 801-244-4474
Debra.Lund@FranklinCovey.com

The Writing Advantage

Thanks for returning to our weekly blog.  Over the next 3 weeks, we are going to explore 3 common methods of Business Communication and discuss some of the best practices for each.

In today’s world we have a variety of ways that interact and communicate with each other.  Some of the most common methods of communication are: 

·         Written (Emails, Documents, Texting)

·         Presentations (Marketing Events, Client Meetings, etc.)

·         Meetings (Live In Person, Via Telephone and Web-Based)

When you think though all of these opportunities to share information with people, you can either be effective or ineffective.  In most business situations, you are sharing information with others and they need to make decisions based on what you have communicated.  Sometimes those decisions are crucial and poor delivery of information can cost you a deal, a project, a customer or in some cases even worse. 

In all situations, put yourself in their shoes before you speak or type.  Think about what you want your readers to know or do based on your messaging.  Today we are going to focus on Written Communication.

Written Communication

Emails - In today’s world, this is one of the most common communication tools that we use.  Many people that I have spoken with can sometimes receive hundreds of emails in a single day.  Below are a few pointers for better emails: 

·         Subject Lines - Be clear and to the point.  If you FWD: a message, change subject lines if needed.

·         Put your key point up front.  BOLD or italicize if needed.

·         If you have a lot of information, use bullet points that highlight key points in an attachment. 

·         Whitespace is good.  Paragraphs should not be longer than 3-4 lines.  It makes your message easier to read.

·         Spell check.  Need I say more?

·         Using all CAPS is like screaming.  Only use if necessary.

·         Read out loud to yourself before hitting send.

·         Follow this link to read, “10 Simply Awesome Examples of Email Marketing”, by Hubspot

Documents - These can be used to share information internally, like a company-wide memo or a report on a project.  They can also be used for marketing.  Sometimes you are writing a letter to a client or prospect and other times you might be creating a marketing slick about a product or service.  Below are a few points of consideration.

·         Like emails, open with your important points.  Minor ideas belong in the middle of the document.

·         Single sentence paragraphs are great for highlighting important points.  Short and concise sentences are recommended throughout.

·         Use Headings and Graphics to call attention to what is most important

·         For more examples of good business documents and rules, consider utilizing FranklinCovey’s  Style Guide for Business and Technical Communication - 5^th Edition for your office.

Texting - With the use of better tools and applications and the entry of younger generations into our workforce, texting is becoming a more acceptable form of communication each and every day.  Like other written forms of communication, short and crisp is always good.

·         Don’t ever type a text that could come back to haunt you.  Texts are stored permanently, just like emails.

·         Use punctuation or emotion to your texts when suitable. J

·         Don’t use abbreviations unless you are sure what you are communicating AND you are sure the other party will understand you.  Click here for a common acronym list for texting and IM (instant messaging)

These are just a few helpful tips.  If your organization is experiencing ineffective communication, think about the business and how it is COSTING you (productivity, lost sales, poor vendor relationships, etc.  If you would like to learn more about improving the written communication on your team, consider exploring our solutions below:

·         Writing Advantage (1-day training - Delivered LIVE or via Webinar)

·         Technical Writing Advantage (2-day training LIVE in person only)

·         Business Writing Skills LiveClicks Webinar (2-hours in length taught online)

Lastly, once a year, FranklinCovey hosts a program for Training and HR Professionals called a Facilitator Enhancement Day (aka: FED).  This year’s FED theme is called: Is Anybody Listening?  Communication in 2012.  If you are involved with training and found today’s post helpful, you might want to join us online for one of our remaining sessions - good through August 31^st.

Come back and join us next week for Part 2 of our 3-week series on Business Communication!

Enabling greatness, one organization at a time,

John Vakidis

The 18th Camel or the 3rd Alternative?

It’s the first Friday of the month and you know what that means… another great post from Senior Consultant, Mark Murphy!  We hope you enjoy it and are able to look at problems as challenges.  Try looking at things from another perspective.  You'll be surprised at the solutions that you will discover!

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William Ury in his book, Getting to Yes, he tells the story of a man in the Middle East who, upon his death, left to his 3 sons 17 camels.  To the first son he left half the camels, to the second son he left a third of the camels, and to the youngest son he left a ninth of the camels.  The three sons immediately got into a lengthy and animated discussion because 17 does not easily divide by 2.  It also doesn’t divide by 3, nor does it divide by 9.  The discussion began to get somewhat heated.  So finally in desperation, the brothers consulted with a wise old woman. 

The wise old woman thought about their problem for a long time and finally came back and said to the brothers,  “Well, I don’t know if I can help you.  But at least, if you want, you can have one of my camels.”  So they had 18 camels. 

The first son took his half; half of 18 is 9.  The second son took his third; a third of 18 is 6.  And the youngest son took his ninth; a ninth of 18 is 2.  They had divided amongst themselves 17 camels.  They ended up with one camel left over.  So they gave it back to the wise old woman. 

It’s interesting how much this story resembles many of the difficult negotiations we get involved in.  They start off like the seemingly unsolvable problem of dividing 17 camels.  Somehow what we need to do is step back from the situation like the wise old woman.  Look at the situation through fresh eyes and come up with an 18^th camel. 

In his book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Steven R. Covey refers to the “18^th camel” as The 3^rd Alternative.  The 3^rd Alternative is a solution that is not your way or my way, but a higher way; a better way that we come to together.  It’s a truly synergistic solution that requires stepping back and seeing things through a fresh set of eyes like those of the wise old woman. 

One of the clients that I’ve worked with, and learned from, for many years is a large health care organization that has a unique organizational perspective - which is that any project of a certain scope or larger is required to have an employee with less than six months as a project team member.   In other words, the really big important projects require the fresh eyes of a new hire (much like the fresh eyes of the wise old woman).   In my experience the opposite is usually the norm in organizations.  The most  important projects require the most senior and “experienced” people.  This client, on the other hand,  has embraced the unique, and I think more accurate, perspective that really important issues require people that can think “outside the box”, which often comes with not knowing how things are “supposed” to be done.  It takes a diverse group of people who feel free to express their opinions to arrive at a truly synergistic solution. 

Dave Kelly, the CEO of the innovative Silicon Valley product development company IDEO, even goes so far as to say that “in a very innovative culture you can’t have the kind of hierarchy that says here’s the boss and the next person down, and the next person down, and the next person down, and so on.  Because it’s impossible that the boss is always the one that’s had the insightful experience….!  You have to hire people that don’t listen to you.” 

Or, I would say, if that’s not possible,  to at least be willing to listen to people with a fresh set of ears and attempt to view problems with a fresh set of eyes.

Mark Murphy, FranklinCovey Consultant

Copyright © 2012 - Mark Murphy

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Click on the ABC Nightline video below about IDEO.  They take innovation and The 3^rd Alternative to a whole new level! 

If you want learn more about 3^rd Alternative thinking, pick up Dr. Covey’s book! 

Check back with us next week for another leadership-related post!

Enhancing innovation one organization at a time,

John Vakidis