Booher BanterBusiness Communication Consultant

Attention members of the training industry! Come visit me at the ASTD 2007 International Conference & Exposition – Atlanta, June 3-6, 2007! I’ll have a couple of speaking opportunities throughout the week:

• June 3—Author Chat session—“The Voice of Authority: Creating Personal Presence” (12:00-1:15 p.m.)
• June 5—Book signing at the McGraw-Hill booth (1:00-2:00 p.m.)

Both times I’ll be talking about my latest book, The Voice of Authority: 10 Communication Strategies Every Leader Needs to Know, which introduces ten key principles to engage employees, connect with customers, and build credibility as a leader.

While at the conference and on the trade show floor, we invite you to stop by our booth (#1425) and say hello to our staff there.  If I’m not there at the booth when you happen to stop, I’ll be milling around close by.  Just have someone in the booth call me on my cell, so I can catch up with you and say hello in person to find out what’s going on in your world.

The conference also provides a great opportunity to hear featured speakers Jim Collins, Keith Ferrazzi, and Tom Rath, as well as to benefit from countless concurrent sessions and certificate programs.

If you haven’t already registered, check out the ASTD International website for instructions on how to do so at the conference.

Hope you can make it!

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Posted at 11:04am in General Communication | Permalink | Add Comment » |

In a whimsical Newsweek article that speculates on Bill Clinton’s potential role as our nation’s first “First Gentleman” in a White House run by Hillary, writer Carl Sferrazza Anthony makes a good point. While being a former president himself would seem to make the situation awkward for Bill—moving back into a presidential mansion in which he has no legal control—Anthony reminds us that, “Other First Spouses have found…that a seat at the dinner table is often more powerful than one at the cabinet table.” Former First Ladies have been privileged to military secrets and, in Hillary Clinton’s case, even a West Wing office of her own. If anything, Clinton “the male,” will have plenty of opportunities for networking and influence outside the role as a nation’s executive.

This begs the question: How much of a leader’s power comes from having the title, the suite, and the rule of a certain environment, and how much of it comes from being able to work the room in any environment?

To be heard, you have to make people like you. You need to create chemistry—with your staff as a manager, with your team as a project leader, with your boss, with your customer, with your strategic partners. People believe people they like. That’s not a news bulletin. Humanity, vulnerability, courtesy, humor, humility—these traits let people know you’re real and that they can relate to you.

Consider conversations a learning tool. They teach you both intellectual and emotional truth. That said, use them to create circular communication—communication going in all directions. Up the chain. Down the chain. Across department lines.

Bring people together. Be thought provoking. Create value and recognize value in those who influence others to think. Start watercooler conversations to improve processes, save money, make money, discover new markets, or innovate. Find new places to talk to get the creative juices flowing.

Resolve conflict productively, but don’t squelch it. Level the playing field to generate good debate and input, but keep the power balanced. These comments will come in handy: “Give these people a hand for opening the door on a new suggestion.” “We’ll need to thank Teri and Carlos for pointing out our blind spot on this issue—this could have cost us a lot of time down the road.” Set the ground rules so that others learn how to respond constructively to diverse opinions, without interrupting, minimizing, and attacking.

No matter where you are, or what position you may be holding, you can strengthen your leadership by the way you treat people and by the creative, upbeat ways in which you communicate new ideas. If they like you, they’ll listen to what you have to say. If you’re in the breakroom or in the board room, compelling conversations can motivate teams and turn companies around. What are you doing today to make sure that you come in “First”?

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Posted at 5:26pm in General Communication | Permalink | 1 Comment |

You’ve heard that sentiment quoted and paraphrased by many philosophers and poets through the years. Charlie "Tremendous" Jones exemplifies it. In case you’ve never had the privilege of hearing him speak or read one of his books, Charlie has traveled the world speaking to corporate crowds of thousands on sales skills, goal-setting, and success. He’s shared the stage with some of the greatest luminaries of our time—Zig Ziglar, Ken Blanchard, Jerry Lewis, and Og Mandino. But you would never hear that from this humble man. Instead, you’d hear, well, … I’ll let you read it for yourself.

Right now, he’s struggling in the final stages of cancer. The following is an email he sent out last week to his group of Speakers Roundtable colleagues (his mastermind group of 20 professional speakers across the country).

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Dear SRers,

I am thankful for your monthly reports that keep you fresh in my mind. I feel tremendous as always; even though my eyesight, hearing, and strength are going, my energy, excitement, and thankfulness increase with my projects and problems.

I have to remind all my friends that we are all terminal, and none of us can be sure of another day. So I am not concerned when you are graduating, and I don’t want to talk about when I go because there is a possibility I may outlive all of you.

I want to thank Danny Cox for calling me to tell me to watch Bob Schuller on Easter Sunday. I appreciated his call but knew I would be in church and would have to miss it. But for the first time in 57 years, I was so weak Easter Sunday that Gloria went to church without me and left me to watch Bob Schuller. As I watched the program I realized why Danny wanted me to watch. Evel Knievel gave his story of the long road he traveled to discover the love and forgiveness of Christ. It is one of the simplest and most forceful testimonies I’ve ever heard. He got carried away and used up Bob’s sermon time. God gave young Bob wisdom to forget his sermon and invite anyone who wished to receive Christ as savior to come forward. Almost 500 streamed forward, and several ministers heard their profession and baptized them.

Thank you, Danny, for giving me one of the most wonderful Easter mornings I’ve had in my 57 years in Christ. Danny wasn’t around many years ago when Bob had me speak to a few hundred out in the parking lot.

Another blessing was yesterday when I heard of Jerry Falwell’s graduation. Many knew him only as the press portrayed him: as a cold, hard, right-wing conservative. He was my friend for over 40 years. I spoke for him before he had a TV program or college. He was as humble, loving, and joyful as any Christian I’ve ever known. He graduated while working at his desk. What a tremendous way to go. As I read his last sermon to his students, I thought this is something for all of us to think about and remember: We will never know when we are giving our last speech, so make it your best.

I can’t wait to hug you in Park City. Life is truly tremendous.

Tremendously,

Charles T Jones

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Evidently, I wasn’t the only one touched by his email and his effort to communicate his heart about his impending "graduation" and to express loyalty to a life-long friend under these most trying conditions. See SR member Terry Paulson’s comments as well.

Back to the earlier premise: "As a person thinks," so he or she communicates—loudly: by information and ideas they choose to ignore or to convey, by tone, by word choice, by attitude, and by silence. Charlie’s right, his communication is still tremendously strong.

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Posted at 3:40pm in General Communication | Permalink | 1 Comment |

Ten GOP hopefuls squared off in last night’s debate when they faced 90 minutes of tough questions from three seasoned reporters. So what got excerpted and aired today on the morning talk shows? All the humorous one-liners. Former Arkansas Governor Huckabee’s comment: "We’ve had a Congress that’s spent money like John Edwards at a beauty shop." Senator McCain’s line on Republicans losing the 2006 election: "We lost it because we in the Republican Party came to Washington to change government, and government changed us….  We spent money like a drunken sailor, although I never knew a sailor, drunk or sober, with the imagination of my colleagues."

When one of the "second-tier" candidates attacked his opponents about their "liberal" positions, Rudy Giuliani’s come-back was: "I think ‘Rudy McRomney’ wouldn’t make a bad ticket. And I kind of like the order."

Even the moderators made use of humor to drive home their points. At one juncture, Chris Wallace—with a mischievous grin—said to a candidate who had skirted his question with a canned response, "I’ll give you another 30 seconds to answer my question."  And that itself, of course, brought a chuckle from the audience all too aware of the typical politician tap dance.

Humor opens people’s ears and hearts in most circumstances—whether they agree or disagree with your position on an issue. If you make them laugh, they’ll be more likely to give your message a hearing.

1. A sense of humor helps us step back from the seriousness of a situation and put disagreements and difficulties into perspective. During Ronald Reagan’s presidency, his humor did more to calm the minds of American citizens than a flood of official press releases. Case in point: the comment he made as he was wheeled into surgery after being shot by a would-be assassin. To the doctors about to perform surgery, he quipped: "I hope you’re all Republicans."

2. Humor can be a powerful tension reliever, especially the kind of humor that brings a belly laugh. When people with potential conflicts are thrown into a situation together, the joking relationship that results often permits them to relax in an environment where everyone agrees not to take offense.

3. Another benefit of humor in communication is that it creates bonds. When two people allude to something with a knowing wink and smile, informing other listeners, "That’s an old joke," they draw a circle around themselves. "We’ve been through the fire together," they’re saying, "and we’ve shuffled something into a solution, or at least into perspective." If you can get your audience, no matter how big or small, to "wink" with you through some shared joke, it automatically builds camaraderie.

4. Self-deprecatory humor can even help us rise above feelings of inferiority. A popular notion says if we can laugh at ourselves before others do, we’re well-adjusted people. A speaker once stood in front of an audience at a large industry gathering. He began his speech with, "My mother would laugh at the irony of this situation. A "C" chemistry student standing to address a roomful of Ph.D. chemists….  There has to be some justice in this." With such self-deprecating humor, we disarm our potential critics.

5. Even positive physical benefits can come from a belly laugh. Laughter can relieve headaches and lower blood pressure. It would be cheaper and quicker to laugh—or at least to listen to laughter—than to reach into the medicine cabinet. Think of the city council sessions, advertising pitches, and even family meetings that are so much better and more effective when a little humor enters the atmosphere. Humor can engage a skeptical board or an annoyed spouse and lighten their mental load just enough so that they can actually hear what you have to say.

No matter what situation you find yourself in—running for president, presenting to an executive committee, or persuading the homeowner’s association to waive a code—humor can rock the boat enough to ease tension and engage hearts and minds in your message.

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Posted at 5:13pm in Communication—Oral | Permalink | Add Comment » |

A harried financial analyst called recently with this dilemma: "Our team of 200 writes financial reports for our executive management team about various deals that we’re recommending—acquisitions, mergers, joint-ventures, and the like. Last month in a staff meeting, the EVP made this blanket comment to us: ‘You’re writing technical reports rather than persuasive business cases.’" The analyst hurumphed. "So we all walked out of that meeting, thinking,’So what’s that supposed to mean? Is he talking about MY reports?’"

It was that comment and frustration that prompted his call to me. How could he and his team know they were on the right track with their documents? I gave him some guidelines, and we arranged for some training. But that’s not my topic here.

The EVP’s comment is my concern. Such feedback occurs all too often—vague, blanket statements that leave the recipient flustered about how to improve the situation, and result in the manager’s ultimate frustration that no change has taken place. Yet I understand why such generalized comments are delivered so routinely: 1) They’re less painful to deliver than personal feedback—for both the speaker and listener. 2) They’re faster to deliver than specifics—one vague statement and you’re done.

Problem: Nothing changes.

Here are some suggestions for giving feedback that’s usable:

Deliver feedback to individuals, not groups.
When groups hear feedback, people tend to think negative comments are always meant for the other person, not them.

Be specific about the action or change you want.
For example, if someone tells you to "be more productive," do they want you to send and respond to more email faster—or stop handling email altogether and "get real work done"? Do they want you to close more deals—or find more glitches in the deals that should not be closed and that eventually lose money for the company? Do they want you to work late every night—or work faster every day so that you don’t have to stay late at night? 

Provide an example of what success looks like.
The old saying, "A picture is worth a thousand words," didn’t become a cliche for nothing. Examples eliminate a multitude of questions and solidify the mission.

Recommend an action plan.
In some situations, simply telling a person WHAT to do isn’t enough; they also need to know HOW to do it. What steps should they take to make the change? Granted, you shouldn’t have to draw a detailed map, but suggesting whether they should drive or fly makes good sense—especially if you’ve traveled the terrain and know what it takes to arrive at the destination on your timeline.

State any available resources for follow-up.
Is there a go-to person for more details? Is funding available? Where can they find printed or online information?

If you plan to give feedback, make it focused—not frustrating.

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Posted at 11:20am in General Communication | Permalink | 1 Comment |

Experiencing hang-ups or hold-ups in your communication? Check out Industry Week (May 9) for “From Factory Floor to the C-Suite: Manufacturing Good Communication in an Industry of Glitches”—my “expose,” if you will, on the lack of circular communication within the workforce.

Companies lose employees because people don’t talk to each other. Period. It’s that simple. And that complex.

My remedy? Circular communication—communication going in all directions. Up the chain. Down the chain. Across departmental lines. From the day shift to the night shift. Feedback from the boss to the staff and vice versa. Conversation with customers.

For the most part, such communication just doesn’t happen. At least, not routinely.

The colossal internal communication collapse creates chaos—missed deadlines, defects, wrong orders, and other foul-ups. In most cases, the problem is not the problem. The problem is not the technology. The problem is the communication about the problem.

Circular communication requires a plan, patience, and persistence. And when those are lacking, profits and people suffer.

Click here for the full text of the article and tips on dealing with bad news, passing information to the right sources at the right time, and creating prime environments for feedback. What shape is your communication taking today?

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Posted at 1:37pm in General Communication | Permalink | Add Comment » |

Survivors of the tornado that leveled the town of Greensburg, Kansas, late Friday night remained dumbfounded and terrorized as they returned to the scene Monday morning.  Reporters roamed the rubble to find ways to describe the devastation their TV cameras panned for the viewing audience.  But one particular interview caught my attention:  U.S. congressional representative Dennis McKinney and his daughter talked to Fox News morning talk show host Brian Kilmead about their experience as the twister approached their home. 

The congressman described how they stood at the back door, yelling for their next door neighbor, a young  mother and her baby, to come to take shelter with them.  They waited and waited for her.  She did not arrive, but the twister roared their way.  He sent his daughter below to the basement. Then the winds began to rip the roof off their house, and he could wait no longer for the neighbor to arrive at his door.  He headed below to the basement himself. Huddled in the bathtub with his daughter, he heard her begin to pray—not for their own safety, but for the safety of the young neighbor and her baby.

Moments later after the tornado had passed, they crawled out of the basement and headed for safety.  Next door, they saw only a pile of rubble and knew the neighbor and her baby must be dead.  But then they heard a weak voice, "My baby. Somebody help my baby."  Sure enough, they pulled a few planks from the pile, and the baby lay there naked, but unscratched.  Then with help from others standing nearby, the mother was pulled from the wreckage unharmed as well.

Congressman McKinney and his daughter, looking into the Fox News camera on Monday morning, still appeared to be traumatized as they recounted discovering their neighbor and her tiny son alive. A dramatic story, yes, but then the final question from interviewer Kilmead was something about the father’s "feelings" during this terrible ordeal. His was not a politician’s response.  It was not a rock star’s response.  It was not a CEO’s response.  He said simply: "I’ve never been prouder as a father—to see my daughter huddled in that bathtub, not praying for our safety, but concerned for somebody else."

Quite an emotional moment caught on a morning news broadcast.  Those on the set seemed stunned themselves.

What parent could not identify?  What parent could not dream their child would have the same strength of character in crisis?

Communication at its deepest level involves emotional connection.

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Posted at 4:04pm in General Communication | Permalink | Add Comment » |

This year, the old adage “April showers bring May flowers” should really read “April tornados breed agitated Texans.” In the past two weeks the Dallas-Fort Worth area has been assaulted by spring storms, the likes of which we don’t often experience. We closed the office early on Tuesday of last week under massive tornado warnings. Employees were forced to take cover later that night to dodge the path of a twister. Early on, one of the employees didn’t realize the seriousness of the situation because she couldn’t hear the sirens going off. But fortunately, the City of North Richland Hills has a fabulous crisis communication plan; city officials contacted residents by phone and left automated messages warning everyone to get to safety. Fortunately, the tornado did not carry Rachel away to the Land of Oz, but thanks to back-up communication from her city, she was prepared just in case.

Typical? Hardly.

According to the research done in the aftermaths of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, FedEx serves as a model in crisis communication. They brought together a team of managers from several departments to coordinate both internal and external messages during the storms. They used e-mail, an internal satellite TV network, press releases to the public, Web posts, and telephone hotlines to update employees and customers alike and to keep operations running.

They also set up another stream of communication to take care of their affected staff in the area: what benefits they could access, how to get their paychecks cashed, how to access relief funds collected. Executives visited the areas to have face-to-face time with employees.

Specifically, getting information out fast helps you take care of people’s immediate needs, address the rumors and concerns, and maintain morale. Delay can turn crises into disasters. And if the delay doesn’t kill, maim, or destroy, at the very least, it infuriates people. If you have a plan, you’ll use it. If you don’t, people reap the consequences of poor planning.

What are your plans to communicate in the midst of crisis—at home, work, or play? Success stories, anyone?

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Posted at 2:00pm in General Communication | Permalink | Add Comment » |