Booher BanterBusiness Communication Consultant

It’s bad enough to dial a “customer service” line and have to listen to a menu of seven options. But it’s even more irritating to get to the end of those seven options, and realize that you have to listen to them again because you can’t remember the direction by the time you get to the end of the spiel.

Not your problem. Really. Most of the time, the problem is not your mastery of the system nor your memory. The instructions are communicated backward.

Case in point:  I called my doctor’s office yesterday to make an appointment. After I got through the generic greeting, the address, phone number, the fax number, and the office hours, I heard these options:

Dial 2 if you are another physician calling to speak to either Dr. Spencer,
Dr. Walters, Dr. Kizalbash, Dr. Jones, or Dr. LeRoy.

Dial 3 if you are a pharmacy calling to refill a prescription.

Dial 4 if you are an individual wanting to get a refill on a prescription.

Dial 5 if you are calling about test results, lab results, or X-rays.

Dial 6 if you have a billing question or need help with insurance forms.

Dial 7 if you are calling to make an appointment.

Dial 8 for all other purposes.

By the time you get to the end of each option, you’ve forgotten the number you are supposed to hit. The instructions are communicated in a backward loop. You brain works this way on each option as you listen to it: “Dial 3 if you a pharmacy… –no, not me, dump that instruction.” “Dial 4 if you are an individual wanting to get a refill…–no, not me, dump that instruction.” “Dial 7 if you are calling to make an appointment.” “Oh, that’s me—now what was that number again?”

To be clear and efficient, flip-flop the two halves of the instruction. State the “what” first; then give the action.

If you are another physician calling to speak to either Dr. Spencer, Dr. Walters, Dr. Kizilbash, Dr. Jones, or Dr. LeRoy, dial 2.

If you are a pharmacy calling to refill a prescription, dial 3.

If you an individual wanting to get a refill on a prescription, dial 4.

If you are calling about test results, lab results, or X-rays, dial 5.

If you have a billing question or need help with insurance forms, dial 6.

If you are calling to make an appointment, dial 7.

For all other purposes, dial 8.

This “backward” communicating happens in phone menus, software documentation, office manuals, routine email instructions, and oral instructions. Before you drive someone nuts, remember this one principle in giving clear instructions:  State the condition or situation first, THEN give the action.

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Posted at 10:33am in Communication—Interpersonal, Communication—Oral, Communication—Written, General Communication, Technical Writing | Permalink | Add Comment » |

Last week my dad checked into the hospital for a routine heart catheterization. I say “routine” because he’s had his share of them since having two heart attacks and a pacemaker implanted more than two decades ago. The out-patient procedure typically goes something like this:  The cardiologist shoots the dye through the heart to check for any blockages, and then he sends Dad home either with an “all-clear” or a recommendation for scheduling another bypass or stent surgery to open up the blockage.

The entire cath takes about an hour. Except for last week.

After a couple of hours, Dr. English came into the ICU waiting room and plopped down in the chair in front of my mom, my sister, and me. “How is he?” I asked.

“He’s in bad shape. That pain he mentioned wasn’t his imagination. I couldn’t finish the procedure. He’s only got one vein left that’s approachable, and it’s only 15 percent open. I couldn’t even get a stent in. I called in Dr. Scalepino to see if he can get it in.”

In shock, my sister said, “I didn’t know you were going to do that today. I thought—“

“No choice. He wasn’t going to make it. He still may not. That vein could close up any moment.”

My sister, my mom, and I sat in stunned silence for a moment, trying to adjust our thinking. Finally, my sister asked, “If . . . if the other surgeon isn’t able to get the stent in, and he doesn’t make it, . . . will we be able to see him again and say goodbye before … ?”

“No, you don’t want to see ‘em—not when they go this way. It’s a bad sight.”

“How long will the surgery take it—if it’s successful?”

“Don’t know. Could be 45 minutes or 5 hours. Somebody’ll be out to tell you one way or the other.”

“Okay.”

He got up and walked off. Mind you, this physician has treated both my parents for heart disease for the past 25 years. Ask him, and I’m sure he’d call them friends as well as patients.

The story has a happy ending. The surgeon successfully got the stent into my dad’s remaining vein, and he’s back to walking his 4 miles a day this week.

But back to the communication surrounding this event:  Evidently, bluntness with physicians has been bothersome to many patients. Bedside manner has been the topic of repeated research and was addressed in a recent Wall Street Journal article titled “The Power of Compassion.” (April 13, 2010) Yes, some physicians steel themselves against emotional involvement with their clients—especially when they must deal with death and dying daily.

The Bigger Issue:  When Is “Direct” Communication a Drawback?

But the bigger issue I raise is this:  the lack of tact in general in day-to-day workplace conversations. Some blunt communicators excuse themselves with comments such as, “I can’t help it if I’m direct.” Or:  “I just call things as I see them.” Or:  “I say what I think, and let the chips fall where they may.”

At what point does “direct communication” (generally a good practice) become dysfunctional? In other words, how can those who pride themselves on being “direct communicators” keep their style from becoming a drawback in dealing with others?

To differentiate between when being “direct” is good and when it’s a drawback, consider these two perspectives:

What Effect Does Such “Directness” Have on the Speaker?

• What are your motives for delivering “direct” or even blunt communication? To improve a situation? To inform someone? To help? To hurt or embarrass someone? To punish someone?
• What’s the outcome after you deliver the “direct” communication? Does it get the action or resolution you want? Are the instructions clearer? Is the person’s performance better? Is morale improved?
• How do other objective observers overhearing the communication react to the situation? Do they have an emotional reaction to what you’ve said? Do they consider the comments as matter-of-fact, informational, and helpful—or tactless, blunt, unhelpful, and even harmful?
• How do you feel when you deliver the direct communication?

 What Effect Does Such “Directness” Have on the Listener?

• As a result of your conversation, does the person have specific information, concrete examples, or actionable steps to follow?
• Is he/she motivated to improve the situation or make a change?
• Does he/she seem appreciative to have the information as opposed to being left in the dark about a situation or issue? After your “direct” conversation, does the person walk away seeming to feel that you are “in their corner” and willing to help improve a situation? 

Never confuse “direct” for blunt or tactless. A direct communicator gets his or her point across clearly so that it’s not misunderstood. But tone and word choice go a long way in conveying attitude behind the message—either positive or negative.

As British writer Elizabeth David says, “There are people who take the heart out of you, and there are people who put it back.” In my way of thinking, the world would be a better place if all of us could be people who “put it back” more often.

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Posted at 10:03am in Communication—Interpersonal | Permalink | Add Comment » |

In honor of Administrative Professionals week (April 18-24), consider those who support you behind the scenes and maybe even represent you “on the front lines” as well.  Although lunch and a gift card once a year is a nice touch, here are some ways to communicate your appreciation throughout the year:

1. Ask for her input on important issues.  Everyone likes to feel that their opinions are valued.
2. Assign tasks that allow for creativity as well as just the routine.
   
3. Demonstrate your trust.  Trust her to keep things confidential, to meet deadlines without constant nagging, to protect your time, and to use her time well without constant supervision.
4. Compliment her about projects well done.  State what she did specifically to get the good rating.  Specific praise is believable.  General comments can sound insincere.
5. Pass on favorable feedback from colleagues, clients, suppliers, or your own boss.  She likes to know that others besides you recognize her good work.
6. Make her privy to your praise.  That is, as you interact with colleagues and clients, comment on her excellent work and how fortunate you are to have her help, and make sure she overhears your phone conversation or receives a copy of your email.
7. Tell her when she makes your life easier:  The travel plans that went smoothly.  The excellent hotel choice.  The paperwork filled out correctly.  The obnoxious visitor handled discreetly.  The event coordinated flawlessly.  The luncheon hosted with charm.  The report done accurately.  The slides created quickly.
8. Give a gift:  lunch, flowers, movie tickets for 4, gift certificate to a local spa, gift card to a local bookstore, registration to a seminar for professional development.
9. Allow time off after completion of a special project.
10. Add courtesy words like please and thank you to your requests.  Courtesy never goes out of style and never wastes time.

Note:  Although many males serve in this valuable role, I’ve used the female pronoun because the largest percentage of administrative professionals are female.

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Posted at 10:30am in Communication—Interpersonal | Permalink | Add Comment » |

No worries. I’m not about to ask you to enter the confessional and own up to your worst sins. We’re going to talk only about the ones that surface when trying to write important documents: Those sales proposals that could win a big contract. That report that outlines what you’ve accomplished for the quarter. That email that requests and justifies your raise.

What makes the writing task difficult for many people?  Like many things, it’s the process.

Identify Your Bad Writing Habits

Review this list of bad habits and see if you might be guilty of any of these. Then determine how you might replace the habit with a different process, plan, or habit.

• Waiting for inspiration rather than approaching the task like any other
• Waiting until you’re under pressure from a deadline
• Interrupting yourself from the task to check email too frequently
• Starting to write before you’ve collected all the necessary information you’ll need
• Writing before thinking
• Starting to draft before you’ve identified your key message
• Starting to draft before you’ve determined the outcome you want from the reader
• Starting over continually, trying to “get it right” the first time
• Trying to write in “bits and spurts” (15 minutes here and 30 minutes there)
• Allowing other people to interrupt you while writing
• Writing when you’re angry or otherwise upset
• Editing and rewriting sentence by sentence as you go rather than after you finish a draft
• Checking a thesaurus to find and use complex words for simple concepts
• Trying to string together long, complex sentences
• Failing to allow a cool-off period before you proofread
• Sending out a document without first editing it or proofreading it

Out with the Old, In with the New

Resolve to break the old habits and replace them with more productive ones. With an appropriate process, you can make your next writing project just a simple matter of thinking well on paper. Quick, clear, and painless. No kidding.

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Posted at 3:22pm in Communication—Written | Permalink | Add Comment » |

Email threatens to engulf us. Yet it’s also a boon to productivity if used efficiently. The key to making it a productivity booster rather than drain lies in a few time-saving tips I’ve discovered along the way.

1. Post It and Provide the Link or Attachment

As a writer and speaker, I get the same questions over and over—about editors, ghostwriters, agents, PR firms, speaker bureaus. Chances are you’re an expert in some topic, and you also get the same questions repeatedly. Write your answers—once. Make a list to attach or to post to your website. Then when people ask the same question, send them a link.

2. Omit Obligatory Transmittal Text

Remember the days of “cover” letters on reports, résumés, proposals, pricing, and just about everything? Emails that say little more than “I’m sending you the monthly status report; you have it now in your inbox” are a holdover from those days. Of course, if the text were that brief, they wouldn’t be so bad. The problem is that these transmittals often go on for two or three paragraphs of drivel, saying nothing.

If you have nothing to say about the attachment, don’t say it. Use an informative subject line, attach the document, and hit “Send.

3. Double-check Before Doing

If you’ve been away from your email for an extended period (sickness, sabbatical, training, vacation), don’t just jump into a requested task and respond. First ask if the person still needs the project, data, opinion, or information that will take you a major effort to compile. The situation may have been overcome by events because of the delay.

4. Put People in Touch with the Best Responder

When you’re not the best person to respond, say so. Granted, maybe you can research and locate the data—but should you? What’s the cost in leaving other projects of your own unfinished? Instead, consider linking the requester to the proper contact: “Jerry, I’m not directly involved in that phase of the project. Carlos might have the information you need.” (Then copy Carlos on your response.)

5. Turn Off the “New Message” Notification

I’ve passed this tip along years ago in my E-Writing book, but it bears repeating. That “ding” every time a new email hits the inbox makes some people pant just like Pavlov’s dog. The temptation is too great to interrupt their real work to check what someone has to say. But the cumulative effect of those peaks is counter-productive.

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Posted at 12:30pm in Email Hints, Personal Productivity | Permalink | Add Comment » |