Hello again! It has been a busy time at Prevention Plus Inc., and as a result the monthly newsletter has inadvertently turned into an every-other-month newsletter. I apologize for the delay in getting this issue out to you and will try to do better! In the previous issue I introduced you to the first of the 10 energy sources I address in my “Batteries Not Included” approach: Commitment.
For a quick review….the 10 critical energy sources include:
- Commitment
- Communication
- Consistency
- Accountability
- Flexibility
- Creativity
- Inclusion
- Respect
- Recognition
- Fun
In this issue I will introduce the second of the 10 critical energy sources: Communication. All too often we convince ourselves that as long as the message has been delivered the hard work is done. This is often not the case. My recommendation is to focus not only on what the content of the message is but also on how the content is being received (which is a direct result of 1) the way in which it is delivered and 2) the attitude of the person(s) receiving it).
In most workplaces, content (information) is king. This is the “what” of communication. We show videos with good content, put up posters with good content and provide live training with good content. The fact of the matter is that finding good content is the easy part of the equation. Some of the most important questions to ask yourself to insure that your content is strong include; is the information practical, useable, and easily understood? Is the information relevant to the person(s) you are presenting it to?
In a strategy I utilize in my trainings (I call it REP for Rational, Emotional and Physical). I want to insure that the information I am presenting feels Rational to my audience. (The E is for Emotional, meaning does the audience see what is in it for them, and the P is for Physical, meaning have we created a physical work environment that is conducive to the change we are looking for.) There is no sense in progressing through additional information if my audience is scratching their heads over things I’ve presented that don’t make sense. We often forget that what makes perfect sense to us often seems confusing or impractical to our audiences. As often as possible I try to talk with employees before training programs and ask them what information they believe would be most useful to them. It also helps to find out what messages they have heard in the past that didn’t make sense or were difficult to put into practice so that I don’t repeat things that haven’t worked before and most likely will not work again. Getting the employees involved early creates a training environment where the information is more Rational to the audience because they played a role in putting the content together.
In my experience it is the “How” of communication that carries the most weight. We are all familiar with the saying “it’s not what you say it’s how you say it” and this applies to training as much as it applies to every day life. The “How” of communication includes the method in which it is delivered (live training, video, posters, online, etc.), the frequency with which it is delivered (once a year, quarterly, monthly, daily or throughout the day) as well as the tone in which it is delivered (positive, nurturing, punitive, condescending, etc.).
When presenting to a group of employees I will ask them the following questions:
- What have you heard in this presentation that made the most sense?
- Of what you heard that made sense, what would you like to hear again?
- How often do you think you need to hear/see this information?
- What would be the best method for the company to deliver this information to you?
As a result of asking these questions the employees themselves are designing the communication process. This is a good thing since it is their behavior we are hoping to influence. We are much more willing to participate in processes when we have played an active role in their development. In general, it is safe to assume that resistance is decreased and compliance is increased when change is invited…rather than dictated. In one organization the employees (a recycling company with employees who were out in their trucks all day) designed a program where they identified the key messages from my presentations that they felt were the most powerful and practical. This list of short “snippets” was given to the dispatcher and he read one of these messages over their truck radios every 20 minutes throughout the day. They designed this method of communication and it was received very well (primarily because they owned it!).
One last communication tip…..
When you are talking to employees about a task they are doing, try to end the sentence with something relating to the safe performance of the job. It could be something as simple as “don’t forget to get help, remember to wear your safety gear, remember to use the mechanical assist, etc.…. Once you establish this pattern you will notice that delivering these messages is not time consuming and sends a strong message that the company is committed to communicating safety on an ongoing basis. How do you know when this is having the desired impact; when employees begin to finish the sentence for you (which is the result we want!).
Good Communication creates Good Energy. As always, I encourage companies to audit their communication just like they would audit any other aspect of their organization. On a scale of 0 to 5 (with 0 being the absence of energy going towards communication or negative communication and 5 being great communication or a strong presence of positive energy), where does the company stand? Then, put together a plan for injecting more communication into the workplace to increase the level of energy.
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