This morning I watched a man sticking his fingers in the change slots on parking meters (They give you back change? Who knew?).  Given that it’s Friday and Friday is my long-standing day to support a random homeless person, I offered the man a few dollars.  He started at my presence, his eyes went wide and he said, “Oh no, I don’t need money!”  My mistake. My assumption. 

So what gives?  Whether he just likes to collect coins or has a nervous habit, I’ll never know.   The whole 3-second exchange put me in mind of Carol Kinsey Goman’s presentation at the IABC Leadership Institute for chapter leaders earlier this month.  Carol talked about the role of non-verbal communications and how often we make assumptions about people’s body language and non-verbal cues.  These days I catch myself with my arms crossed over my chest and wonder if my colleagues think I’m physically cold, emotionally cold, defensive – most likely I’m contemplating but they might not even get there.  Where do my non-verbal cues lead them – what assumptions do they make about me? 

Heavy stuff, and something we don’t necessarily pay enough attention to.  Carol’s story about the polished banking executive whose only weakness was foot tapping at an awkward question reminds me that all of us are guilty of being ― um ―human.  And we all need to pay attention to our presentation skills – everything from voice and words to hands, gestures and yes, even our feet.  If I say I’m a professional communicator, then I better pay attention to the “professional” top to bottom, inside and out. 

And then there’s the assumption side of communication.  My not-so-homeless coin detective was not what he seemed.  When my best friend clears her throat I’m still not sure if it’s her way of creating a pause (a nod to those of you who love your “ums” to create space for thought) or if she’s passing judgment on our conversation.  Gee, maybe I should ask.  We make assumptions, constantly, throughout the day.  And really, we have to.  That great big smile on my friend’s face means she’s happy to see me.  The guy on the ferry with his head down definitely does not want a seat mate.  The warm voice and easy presence of a professional speaker on presentation skills tells me I’m doing just fine.  Well, that’s one way to look at it.

These days I could get very caught up in assumptions.  Three weeks in to my work at IABC and there’s much to learn.  Quick decisions could be made on assumptions.  Thankfully, my mother taught me to look before I leap.  Ask questions in order to avoid assumptions.  So bear with me as I ask lots of questions and look to you for insight.  I’m pretty comfortable in my assumption that you’ve got my back. Thanks, I appreciate it. My arms are wide open and I’m smiling at you.

Posted by Chris Grossgart 

Southwest Airlines’ Spirit magazine has a monthly feature “Life Apps” that offers advice for simplifying your life.  Think Heloise meets the Dalai Lama.  In the October feature, Coca Cola CEO Muhtar Kent shares his secrets to managing his workload.  With some 92,400 employees in 200 countries, here’s a guy who can teach a thing or two about time management. 

Kent gets everything done by spending an hour a day on these tasks:

5 minutes - Keep a journal
After every meeting, Kent writes down his expectations and next steps.  He explains that “the physical act of committing next steps to paper sends a message to my team about who’s accountable and how I want something executed.”

15 minutes - Rehearse communications
Kent says his primary role as CEO is to effectively communicate the company’s vision, so he shuts his door for 15 minutes a day to rehearse his communications with key audiences.

10 minutes - Tap your trusted advisers
At least once a day, Kent asks a colleague for advice because he believes that everyone can improve their listening skills.

20 minutes - Be responsive
He closes each day by taking 20 minutes to respond to those who reached out to him.  His rationale is that “if someone took the time to send me a thoughtful message, I owe them the same respect.”

10 minutes - Phone friends and family
Kent keeps himself grounded by connecting with loved ones.  With a hectic work schedule, this helps fill a basic human need and reminds him of what’s important.

This CEO stays on top by spending an hour a day on the essentials.  What’s that thing you do?

By Chris Grossgart

I met with my cousin today who manages business development in Asia for a multibillion dollar defense systems company.  Ray’s a sharp guy who likes to tickle my left brain.  In his sales and marketing role, he works with the company’s corporate communication staff on press releases related to products and partnerships, and he spends inordinate time editing and rewriting.

His wish for corporate communicators?  That we learn the business of our organizations, and understand what we’re writing and talking about.  His view is that communicators follow a template for internal and external communication vehicles, filling in the blanks.  We have low or no awareness of the company’s products and services, let alone the strategies and financials.  In his opinion, we lack curiosity, don’t do the requisite research,  ask the wrong questions, and have a flimsy grasp of the content. 

Egads.  Fire me now. 

If sales, marketing, finance and other functions see communication as a fill-in-the-blank exercise, we’ll never drag that overstuffed chair up to the executive table.

What do you think?  Is his view on our profession unique?  Or do we have a larger problem? 

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By Julie Freeman, ABC, APR
IABC President

A headline in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal caught my eye.  According to the article, “Why Email No Longer Rules,” services like Twitter and Facebook are dethroning email as the king of modern communications.

The implications of this change?  We can stay constantly connected.  We can get answers to burning questions like whether someone has left work without asking him if he has updated his public status on Facebook.  We can connect in ways that are more fun than just sending an email with an attachment.  Our connections can be faster and more informal.

Is there a downside to these changes?  I know that I personally do not want to be connected all the time.  And the idea of a constant stream of information is sounds  to me like more work and more time spent reading and answering messages.

Then there is the issue, which the article’s author raises–do these sites really create more intimacy and connection?  I know that when I am posting a comment on someone’s “wall,” I am very careful about what I say, knowing that several others are going to read my comments.

I certainly see the value in the new forms of communication, but as someone who also sees value in older forms of communication, I was cheered by the last sentences of the article:

“We will no doubt waste time communicating stuff that isn’t meaningful, maybe at the expense of more meaningful communication. Such as, say, talking to somebody in person.”

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By D. Mark Schumann, ABC
IABC 2009-2010 chairman 

The electricity in the room was amazing.

More than 100 people – CEOs, communicators, students, HR professionals and other business leaders – crowded a hotel room this week in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to share their passion for the importance of effective communication.

IABC is big news in this very special city as seen, before the evening’s event, when a dozen members of the press crowded around to ask probing, thoughtful, compelling questions about the difference our work can create for any organization.

Rarely have I experienced a room so excited about our work. With each new point made, people would lean forward in their chairs to hear more. With each example provided, people would scribble notes to catch the key thoughts. With each answer responding to a question, audience members would follow up with additional commentary. And, with each comment, focused participants added to a rich discussion of the importance of our work, the challenges we face, and the high standards we share across the world.

During the discussion, which addressed the value of a strong employer brand for any type of organization, audience members asked compelling questions about the potential impact of this work, challenges to be faced, best practices and specific issues by industry and geography, collectively expressing a strong belief in how communicators can learn from each other. Together we shared an experience that will stay with me always.

Our IABC world can feel so very large and, at the same time, as on this special evening in Dar es Salaam, so very immediate and accessible. I will always be grateful for the welcome extended in this very special place.

Have a good day.

By D. Mark Schumann, ABC

The passion around the breakfast table was contagious.

Talking with leaders of IABC Tanzania was a master class in what it takes to share best practices in our profession around the world. Their love for the work, their belief in the Association, and their ambition for the chapter reach beyond inspiration. They teach us how to bring IABC to life.

Creating a new chapter in any location is a challenge. There are processes to follow, people to engage, commitments to secure. It takes patience, persistence and planning. Most of all, it requires a handful of heroes who believe in potential, have a good sense of humor they can easily access, and are willing to be bold whenever necessary.

Creating a new chapter in this special corner of the world brings unique opportunities. Our profession in Der Es Salaam, the capital city, is quickly changing as communicators embrace playing broad, pivotal roles in their organizations. The professionals’ hunger for knowledge about the work knows no end as they question and consider and contribute to lively discussion. The chapter members’ belief in the importance of IABC to their professional development is clear. They live, every day, the value our Association brings to each of us, as we stretch and grow and push and accomplish.

These chapter leaders, at the same time, offer important suggestions to the Association that can make a difference in any location. They agree on the importance and potential of Accreditation as, perhaps, the most significant dimension of the IABC value proposition. They deeply appreciate any and all knowledge materials the Association develops as they build a library of resources for their members. And they openly welcome visitors to their special city and toss out a welcome that I will always cherish.

Our global community is filled with many from many places. No matter where we live and work, we share a belief in what we can contribute, how we can share, who we can support.

Thank you, leaders of IABC Tanzania, for bringing the Association to life in the passion you express each day.

By Julie Freeman, ABC, APR
IABC president

I have been in Denver, Colorado, since Monday.  I was invited to speak to the Colorado chapter, and while here, I invited myself to meet with some IABC members where they work.

Whenever I talk to members, I learn more about the challenges that members face.

Of course, everyone is trying to figure out what to do about social media.  It’s not as easy to incorporate into a company’s communication strategy as some pundits would have us believe.  The discussions this week raised these issues:

• In many companies, intranets have replaced print publications.  But not all employee are sitting at computers all day long.  Some are out in the field or at customer sites.  They may not be thrilled about going home at night to check the latest company news.
• This problem is particularly complicated for companies that, for security reasons, don’t allow access to their network outside of their building.
• It is also complicated for companies with union employees, whose contracts read that anything they do for the company must be paid.
• And how do companies encourage employees to get involved with external social media sites like Twitter or Facebook at the same time it expects them to keep certain information confidential?

One of my most interesting experiences this week was a meeting at PCL construction, where I sat in a conference room in Denver with two communicators.  One of their colleagues in Edmonton, Canada,  joined us by video conference  to discuss communication issues and recommendations for IABC.

One of his strong recommendations to communicators:  stop begging for a seat at the table and a place in the C-suite.  Instead,  believe in the value that communicators  bring to an organization.   Don’t worry about those who don’t believe in communications.  Instead focus on helping those who do.

Much food for thought in the Mile-High City.

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by D. Mark Schumann, ABC
2009-2010 IABC chair

When IABC people gather, the energy is contagious.

And, at the season opener for IABC Philadelphia, the excitement overflowed.

For some, the social event offered the opportunity to reconnect with old friends. For some, the appeal was to meet new people and network and, for some, the evening simply supplied great conversation, great food and a great setting, at the beautifully-restored water works building. Like so much in Philly, history comes alive in this venue.

I felt at home within minutes.

And when it came time for the evening’s content – an opportunity for excellent conversation about the future of our profession, what each of us can do tomorrow to prepare, and the value this Association delivers each day – the collegial spirit framed the chat – a warm room filled with good friends talking about what matters most as we do the work that, for so many, matters most.

I learned a great deal from our Philadelphia chapter.

There is no limit to what we can achieve in our profession as long as we remember to focus on results. Only when we let ourselves get caught up in what new tools can do – without focusing on what they should do – can we risk losing step with what our work must accomplish. We keep our seats at tables when we arrive with an insight into audience behavior that no one else can bring. We capitalize on the potential of social media if we focus on the experiences and conversations we create, the relationships we build, rather than simply the messages we send. And we deliver value only when, from the outset, we focus on results relevant to the sponsoring organization.

I want to be a better communicator when I am in a room filled with great communicators.

I left the gathering so inspired to work and push and think and ask. In our work, few things feel better than when we stretch, when we challenge ourselves, when we feel a bit scared. And, when we do, the support we receive from our IABC colleagues means so very much.

Thank you, Philadelphia, for a fabulous welcome, and a great evening.

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Posted by D. Mark Schumann, ABC
2009-2010 IABC Chair 

Oh, Canada.

How fortunate we are – those of us who live next door – to be so close to the Canadian homeland of such bright, articulate communicators. And what great times this week with our chapters in Ottawa and Montreal.

(You know, the best part of being in the IABC community is that, no matter where we travel, we find friends, but you knew that.)

Our chapter in Ottawa held a great kick off event for the fall – a marvelous, informal gathering of good conversation, a breathtaking view of downtown Ottawa, and compelling conversation of the future of our profession. Joining chapter members and guests were several students studying communications at Algonquin College in Ottawa.

What a good time. We laughed, we thought, we pondered. We remembered – some of us – the pre-computer days when messages had to be well developed from the start (because revision was so time consuming). We recalled – many of us – the pre-social media days when messages could be controlled and reactions could be managed (because the channels were simpler). And we looked ahead – all of us – as we considered how social media fundamentally changes the role of communicators in shaping the experiences that influence stakeholder action and reaction.

From Ottawa, I headed to Montreal for a morning session today for Montreal chapter members, guests and students from the communication program at McGill University. I was so lucky to join – in the first stop on our Canada East tour of IABC chapters – long-time colleagues and friends Suzanne and Chris Salvo and Jacqui d’Eon in a thought-provoking look at what matters in our work.

What a great morning. Suzanne and Chris motivated us to rethink the stories that visuals tell. Jacqui reminded us that, no matter the media, social or less than social, effective communication boils down to the basics of results and strategy and planning – and those basics never go out of style. And we all had the chance to discuss the fundamental behavior change that social media creates – the hunger it stimulates – and how, as communicators, we must reinvent ourselves to stay relevant.

Oh, Canada. You have remnded me, again, how proud I am to be a communicator. Thank you for opening your doors.

Have a good day. Talk with you tomorrow.

[Comments]

By D. Mark Schumann, ABC
2009-2010 IABC Chair 

In every career in our business, there are moments when we step back and assess the lucky breaks that help us along the way.

For me, just about each lucky moment is connected to IABC.

I was lucky when, as someone entering the profession, anxious to get to know other people entering the profession, I joined my first chapter.

That luck continued, a few years later, when I got a new job that demanded new skills and, thank goodness, IABC offered a workshop for me to attend.

And I was lucky when, a bit later, I was feeling stifled in the same job and, voila, my IABC chapter needed volunteers to do all kinds of things, and I jumped right into the opportunities and learned many new, highly transferable skills.

Then, a bit later, I relocated to a new job and a new city and felt a bit disconnected and overwhelmed, so I went to my new IABC chapter, connected with people who became a new network of support, and jumped again into the volunteer fray.

And, a bit later, I felt very lucky when I experienced the personal satisfaction and professional value of winning a Gold Quill and becoming Accredited.

As the years continued, the volunteer and speaking opportunities continued, the network grew, and the connection to the organization strengthened each year, to the point that, now, as I take a look, nothing is more important than sharing the passion for the Association with others, and “passing it on” to those celebrating similar journeys.

I am so lucky that, on that day in June, many years ago, someone I worked with encouraged me to attend my first IABC meeting.

I have felt at home ever since.
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