course title. making every word count employee communication that gets results! colleen billings,...
TRANSCRIPT
Course Title
Course Title
Making Every Word CountEmployee
Communication That Gets
Results!
Colleen Billings, PHR
• Open and Honest Exchanges
• Distribution Before Information is Stale
• Feedback in All Directions
• Accessible and Visible Leaders
• Consistent Messages
Source: Towers Perrin Study
Elements of Effective Information Flow
• 19.4% Higher Stock Price
• 57% Higher Shareholder Return
• 4.5x More Likely to Have Highly Engaged Workforce
• 20% More Likely to Have Low Employee Turnover
Source: Watson Wyatt
ROI: Show Me the Money!
Employees as Internal Customers
Adopt a ‘Customer Service’ Mentality
• Think About Things from Their Perspective
• Give the Benefit of the Doubt
• Listen!
• Offer Multiple Options/Solutions
• SMILE!
You Do a Lot for Your Customers!
4 Basic Communication Tools
• Reading
• Writing
• Speaking
• Listening
• Seek First to Understand, Then Be Understood
• Avoid Assumptions of Thought
• Be Aware of Autobiographical Listening
Evaluate-Probe-Advise-Interpret
Prepare to Listen
• Gather Information; Focus on Facts
• Suspend Judgment
• Acknowledge Emotion
But, don’t get “hooked in” by it
• Ask Questions to Clarify
Listen Between the Lines
What do you see?
Woman’s Face or Jazz Musician?
“I can see why you would think that…”
“That must be excitingupsettingsurprisinginteresting.”
“That must have been frustrating!”
Build Relationships with Empathy
In the absence of reliable information,
people will make things up.
Methods to the Madness
• Handbooks/Memos– Policies– Routine Announcements– Hang up on Wall/Cube– Reminders
Written Message
• Email– Specific Information– Updates to Previously Shared Information– Recognition– Follow Up/Document a Verbal Conversation– Newsletters
Written Message
• Face to Face
– Difficult Conversations/Sensitive Feedback
– Discipline
– Periodic Personal Touch
Power of the Spoken Word
• Phone– If Face to Face is Not Possible– Email is Not Working
•Rule of 3– Quick Response– Follow Up to Email with
No Response
Power of the Spoken Word
• 1:1 Meetings– Key Employees or
Leaders
• Leader Roundtable• Video
– Fun or Instructional
Other Communication Channels
Words to Use• Will you…• It works well when…• What will work best?• Let me find out for you.• How may I help you?• I apologize for the
misinformation.
Words to Avoid• You have to…• You can’t…• It’s not our policy.• It’s required.• You should have…• I don’t know.• We have a problem.
Choose Words with Impact
• How do you like to be communicated to?
• How do you like to receive feedback?
• How do you like to be recognized?
• Survey Employees – Survey Monkey is FREE!
Tune in for best reception!
“When dealing with people, remember that you are not dealing with creatures
of logic, but creatures of emotions.”-Dale Carnegie
We’re Only Human
