A few weeks ago I was speaking at the Society for Human Resources Management (www.shrm.org) where the topic was how to Speak Like a CEO.  In their television studio after the session, the interviewer asked me how HR leaders can coach their managers on delivering bad news.   

The biggest mistake that managers make is not being direct and clear.  The person getting feedback either doesn’t “get it” or doesn’t take it seriously.  The second biggest mistake managers make is just the opposite: they are too direct and their style overwhelms the person.

What’s the solution?  I’ll pass along the advice I once received from a wise friend and counselor.  “Be gentle but firm,” she said.  What does it mean?  Your tone should be kind, caring and concerned but your message must be unequivocal.  Focus on the behavior, not the person, but make sure you don’t mince words.

This is part art, part science.  I recommend writing down what you want to say and practicing out loud.  Write down the behavior that is unacceptable and be specific.  Explain the impact it had.  Ask the person to respond.  Listen to make sure they have heard you.  If they distort the message, they didn’t hear it, or didn’t believe it, so repeat it and give an example, and again, state the impact along with the desired behavior.  Stop, ask a question, and listen to see if they’ve heard it.

Your words should be crystal clear while your tone can be kind.  You can maintain eye contact, and a businesslike but concerned expression while you deliver an unequivocal message.  It requires practice but once you get the hang of it, you’ll realize how much people appreciate it.  They want to know how they’re doing, they don’t even mind bad news, as long as they know what is expected, that you’re going to give them a chance to get it right and that you appreciate them as people.

If you have a repeat offender, you may need to get more direct in your tone, but try this first: gentle but firm.  It works.

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Bad News “Bearers”

A reporter called me to ask this question: what should CEOs do when they have bad news to deliver to the board?  Let’s face it; these days- there is some bad news to deliver.  Still, I have a problem – not with the question – but the assumption.  The assumption being you’re going to walk into a board meeting and drop a bomb shell.

If you’re doing your job as CEO you’re in touch with your board.  Bad news should not come as an utter, complete, total surprise.  When times are tough (and for that matter when times are good) you need to have your board in the Feedback Loop.  If you aren’t getting on the phone or emailing key board members from time to time, then how on earth are you going to get the advice and information they are able to provide you?

Yes, business is done in the boardroom, and it is important.  But you need to build relationships with your board that extend beyond the formal meetings.  If you have a high quality board, you have people who can and should add value to your business.  If your board is doing its job, they should be acting as a valuable resource and sounding board for management.

Full disclosure: I have never run a public company.  But I’ve worked with a lot of CEOs who do.  Those who are successful figure out how their boards can help them make good decisions. 

If you have bad news, you should be picking up the phone and talking through the situation, at a strategic level, with the people who can provide advice, support, and good, sound counsel.  Your toughest critics can be (of course not always) your greatest ally if you cultivate their brains. 

Aside from building relationships what can you do when you have bad news? Take a step back and ask yourself, what will they ask?  Write down their questions, and then write down your answers in bullet point style.  Board members may disagree but they will give you the benefit of the doubt if you have thought through the issues and are well prepared.

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Not that another word needs to be written about Tiger Woods latest superhuman feat…victory over the likeable, underdog, everyman Rocco Mediate’s on a sudden death hole at the U.S. open…

But I just can’t help but comment on Tiger’s secret weapon: focus.

As David Brooks writes in a New York Post Op Ed,  Tiger has cemented his legacy as the embodiment of immortal excellence.  But why?  As Brooks puts it, “In a period that has brought us instant messaging, multitasking, wireless distractions and attention deficit disorder, (Tiger) Woods has become the exemplar of mental discipline. After watching Woods walk stone-faced through a roaring crowd, the science writer Steven Johnson, in a typical comment, wrote: “I have never in my life seen a wider chasm between the look in someone’s eye and the surrounding environment.”

Out here in the real world, meanwhile, we mortals are more frustrated than ever as we succumb to the noise and distraction.  If we’re honest, even those among us who have rise to the top of an organization because of focus and hard work find it virtually impossible today to stay centered and keep our eye on what’s important.  As Brooks comments “…Today  I’ve been trying to write this column, I’ve toggled over to check my e-mail a few times. I’ve looked out the window. I’ve jotted down random thoughts for the paragraphs ahead. But Woods seems able to mute the chatter that normal people have in their heads and build a tunnel of focused attention.”

What is the secret to focus?  It’s more than discipline.  Discipline is an outward sign of focus but not the driver.  What allows us to focus is not discipline.  It is purpose.  A purpose that is big, exciting, and worth pursuing.  People who are clear about purpose are energized and find it easy, not hard, to focus.  Focus on your purpose is almost like play.  

The Novelist, brilliant debater, and England’s first and only Jewish prime minister Benjamin Disraeli said, “Nurture your mind with great thoughts.”  Disraeli was elected to Parliament in 1837 after failing to win election in four earlier tries.   He eventually became know as the leader of the Conservatives in the Commons.  He became prime minister for a second time at age 70.

Nurture your mind with great thoughts, discover the passion that energizes you and you will focus.  It’s a lot easier to let your Blackberry sit in its case for an hour or two when you are simply excited about … where you are going and why.

To read David Brooks’ column:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/17/opinion/17brooks.html?_r=1&oref=slogin 

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The internet has changed how we research, but has it also altered the way we read?  The way we think? 

This Nicholas Carr’s argument in Atlantic Magazine (July/August 2008 www.theatlantic.com/magazine ).  We are becoming masters of the “power browse” and on the face of it, that SEEMS like a good thing: our brains are taking in more information, processing and downloading efficiently.  Think about it.  You can find on the web in minutes what used to take hours in the library. 

However, Carr quotes bloggers, writers and others who say they now have trouble staying focused on long pieces of writing, skim everything and quickly lose interest.  Bruce Friedman, a blogger on computers in medicine says “I have now almost totally lost the ability to read and absorb a longish article on the web or in print.”  Some say today they would not have the capacity to read War and Peace.

While long term neurological and psychological experiments on cognition will take years to be completed and published, Carr quotes a five-year research program where scholars examined computer logs documenting the behavior of visitors to a web site.  They found people were hopping from one web source to another and rarely returned to any source they’d already visited. 

What does this mean for leaders who are trying to communicate with a workforce?  If people are scanning the text of an email (and believe they have the ability to instantly “comprehend”) you can be sure that a large percentage will look for key words, and if they don’t find them, miss the point (or something important like the scheduled call, or project deadline).  They might scan the headlines of the the company newsletter, read the first paragraph of a few articles and decide whether to “skim on.”   This of course makes it harder than ever to keep people informed, or get them on the same page about ANYTHING.

Maryanne Wolf, a developmental psychologist at Tufts University says we are not only what we read, but HOW we read.  If we put efficiency and immediacy above all else it may weaken our capacity to read for deep meaning.  In other words, we become  “mere decoders of information.”  Carr argues if we lose those quiet spaces of contemplation we will sacrifice something important not only in ourselves but in our culture.

Here’s what I’d like to know:

• Are YOU worried about this? 
• Have you already factored this behavior in when you communicate with employees, clients, customers and vendors?  
• What is the potential impact on your business if people don’t make it a practice to thoroughly read emails and other internal communications that you send? 

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I read today that Barack Obama has created a new “unit” of his campaign staff, with the purpose of combating online rumors.

Good luck to him.  He’ll need more than a unit.  More like a battalion!

No presidential candidate, or CEO for that matter, can afford to ignore the power of the Internet in spreading rumors (or spreading truth!).  The trench wars are getting brutal. You just can’t hide your head in the sand and pretend your enemies aren’t pummeling you with virtual attacks.

Of course, Obama might consider the fact that the positive has mostly outweighed the negative, so far.  He’s been the beneficiary of amazingly positive internet exposure like those videos of the “Obama Girl” and the celebrities singing “Yes We Can” — today’s version of online kumbaya.

On the other side of the spectrum, I read on Telegraph.co.uk that Republican John McCain is turning to Google for help in his bid to find the ideal running mate for president.

Will they announce the winner of the online search?  Will people expect McCain to choose the winner?  Will people vote once, or many times?  Perhaps they’ll follow in the footsteps of American Idol.

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AARP magazine this month has a great article entitled “Everyone has a Story to Tell.” Abigail Thomas, the author of A Three Dog Life and Safekeeping, teaches the art of memoir writing, and provides some wonderful advice on tapping into your creative side.

Thomas says writing is important to her, because it’s how she makes sense of her life. I agree. Writing doesn’t just allow you to make sense of your personal life. It’s a fantastic tool for getting perspective on your business life and the life of your company.

Whether or not you have a “secret dream” to write personal memoirs, writing stories is a fabulous way to bring pizzazz, perspective and a personal touch to your presentations. And you don’t need to get “ultra” personal with a story. To make it work for a business presentation, it just needs to be yours…so that people connect with you and understand your perspective.

Everybody, and I mean everybody, has a story. One of our senior consultants, Craig Bentley, likes to say, “If you’re breathing, you have stories.” We’ve found the best way to “discover” your own stories is to recall scenarios like this:

• A successful (or unsuccessful) team project
• An awkward moment in business you’ll never forget
• A failure that taught you an important principal or value
• A person who has inspired you in your personal or business life

Just like writing a memoir, writing a business story really helps you get perspective. But don’t try to force the point. As you write, put it all on paper and then, go back and look for the point of the story.

My favorite part of the AARP article is “21 Ways to Start Writing”

Again, these are memoir tips, but try them out when looking for business stories:

• Write two pages of apologies
• Write two pages in which something is broken
• Write two pages on taking your time

Storytelling is a leadership skill — every leader should have an anthology of stories that reveal something about them.

So carve out a couple of hours at home on the weekend, put up your feet, get a legal pad or a laptop computer and just start! You’ll be amazed at what happens when you set aside time for personal creativity.

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I often think about how customer service might be the only industry that technology hasn’t benefited.  We’ve all heard (and experienced) the horror stories of “pressing 1” and getting nowhere, “pressing 4” to be told you’ve reached the wrong department and asked to start over again, etc. etc. etc.  So it was refreshing when I got an email about a wonderful example of superb customer service!

My mom emailed me a few months ago about an experience she had calling the Bruins’ customer service line.  (I know, I know, I shouldn’t be bringing up stories back from when there was still hope for Boston hockey fans this year, but I just have to share this story…)  Below is the “excerpt” from her email - 

“It was so funny… before they made the playoffs, I randomly called the Bruins direct # & got this young guy AJ.  We chatted for several minutes…he joked and asked if I was a “true” fan and not just “dusting off my black & gold for the playoffs!” He took my # and email & said that he’d call as soon as they made it in.  Sure enough, he called me on my cell Monday morning… I thought that was excellent service!”

Not only did ”AJ” connect with her on a personal level, but he kept his promise to call her back.  It sounds “small,” but how many times has a random customer service representative promised to call you back just out of generosity and then actually done so!?  Who knows, maybe the Bruins have some sort of policy for their employees to be that courteous to all customers.   Or maybe this guy AJ is just a really nice, great guy.  Either way, his friendliness leaves me with a great impression of the Bruins’ organization.

I’ve been reading Seth Godin’s new book “Meatball Sundae”.  (The title really does make sense, I swear.)  Like some of his previous books, Godin talks a lot about word of mouth marketing.  My mom’s experience with AJ is a great example of how one encounter with a customer service rep can do wonders for the positive word of mouth about a company. 

Big companies may have gotten rich throughout the past few decades by cutting costs and creating cookie-cutter ways of dealing with customers.  But we’re all yearning for personal connections.  Going forward, I think it’s clear that the “AJ Factor” is going to increasingly define consumers’ opinions of a company. 

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Blogging is creating a media buzz.  At first, I didn’t get it.  Never an early adopter (I got my first Blackberry only two years ago) I was skeptical.  Would corporate executives read them?  I still have no idea whether they do.  But someone is reading them.  And, it turns out, corporate executives are writing them.  

So I thought for this very first posting it would be fascinating to just consider whether a blog is a GOOD way for a leader to communicate.  What is the return on the investment for the busy executive? I went looking for answers. 

I came across a Backbonemedia.com survey.  www.backbone.com They talked to bloggers at hundreds of companies and claim corporate blogs are living up to the hype, “giving established companies and obscure brands the ability to connect with their audiences on a more personal level”  The survey found blogs allow companies to build trust, collect valuable feedback and foster strengthened business relationships.” 

A blog is a “happening” way to build your personal brand as a leader, as well as the brand of the company.  After all, even if you’re not an “early adopter” writing a blog is still, at a cocktail party, considered pretty hip.  Someday the novelty will probably wear off.  But you can still impress your friends if you have a blog.

More important, it could be a great way to show you’re a leader and a thought leader.  When you write fresh stuff, people are interested.  If you’re the CEO or a C-level executive, people actually are interested in what you have to say.  So this is a great way to say it, on your own terms.  It’s immediate.  It feels less “edited” than any other media.  And, readers know when they go to your blog that you’ve just been there.  (Or not).  It’s almost like shaking your hand.  It’s a kind of access to your brain.

There are the tangible returns like increased sales, partnerships and business opportunities.  Many companies say it’s real.  I don’t know yet because we just started.  That’s for the marketing department.  For now, let’s focus on you, the leader.

Should you start a blog?  There are the downsides.  You have to keep it fresh.  But in my mind, that’s a good thing.  A blog allows you to speak in your authentic voice and style, about timely issues. 

Which brings up another point.  You really should write it yourself.  If you don’t write it then for heaven’s sake, make sure it is written by someone who has a Vulcan mind meld with yours.  Even then you should review it before it is posted.  Authenticity is so important to a leader… it’s your credibility … you want people to trust you.  Anyone who knows you will be able to tell in a ninnie-nano of a second whether you actually wrote the thing. 

Of course you have to size up starting a blog against your overall strategy.  But as a leader, you might find it is a fast, easy way to get a message out.  Not only could it improve your search engine rankings and generate PR, it could define your leadership—by presenting your thinking in a fresh, interesting way.   

So, that’s why I will blog.  And maybe that’s why you will blog.

~ Suzanne

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