EnTrends

The Nine Guidelines for Communications Managers

By: John McHugh

(Note to reader -- the following is a speaking module designed to complement a speech on the art of communications. This particular
speaker was vice president of corporate communications for a manufacturer with multiple locations across the United States. Alterations
are required for a specific audience. This material may not be reproduced without written permission from John McHugh.)

I do have a few minutes left in my segment. . . and I'd like to spend that time looking at communications from a broader perspective.

I've enjoyed a richly diverse career. Over the past 15 years or so, I've held communications management positions in both the public and
private sectors. In the latter, I honed my skills in three completely dissimilar industries. My assignments have sent me across the globe,
and my responsibilities have spanned three continents.

During this time, it's been my experience that communications challenges are far more universal than many might realize. I've discovered
a number of truths -- or lessons, you could say -- about my profession . . . that, I believe, have practically universal application --
regardless of the specifics of an organization, it's budget or locale. In the time remaining, I'd like to share them with you.

Certainly, you may well have uncovered a tenet of our craft that I've overlooked. By no means do I believe that my list is complete. As
I'll explain shortly, I have no shortage of unanswered questions.

Because our topic is communications within the plant environment, I'll tailor my comments accordingly.

First. Far more unites working people than separates them. Across all industries . . . across all companies . . . people have pretty much
the same needs: balancing work and personal life, job security, a sense of self worth, and the success and well-being of their employer.

Regardless of age, marital status, children, whatever . . . they crave assurance that they are making a difference -- both at work and
home. This consideration must be addressed and satisfied within the communications mechanism.

(Slight pause)

Two. It's critical that the CEO and other top officers have significant, realistic visibility at the plants -- well beyond traditional company
or local publications.

It wasn't all that many years ago that we were pretty much limited to "A Message from Mr. XYZ." Today, town meetings, video
conferences, company broadcasts, telephone messages and intranets are all at our disposal. Multi-dimensional media allow these
officials to demonstrate the leadership and personal skills that facilitated their rise atop the ladder.

Concurrently, those same top officers must realize that while effective communications begins at the top, it flows both ways -- that's why
we initiated our readership study. I'm not breaking any new ground telling you that feedback is crucial -- but if there's a lesson here, it's
that your employee communications research must be as sophisticated as your market research.

(Slight pause)

Three. Your employees will judge the quality of your communication efforts against the "personal media" they encounter off the job:
CNN, MTV, America OnLine, and all the others. While most of us could never fully compete one-on-one here, our communications must
at least be "in the ballpark," regarding philosophy and approach. Publications should look a lot more like "People" than "Readers
Digest." Your intranet needn't have every bell and whistle imaginable, but it must be clever and fulfilling, nonetheless.

(Slight pause)

Four. Communications is not a science, but rather, the art of telling the truth. Here, I employ a very simple check list:

· be credible,

· be brief,

· be plainly spoken, and

· be uplifting.

Credibility is crucial: If you cannot provide bona fide details, at least say, "we recognize the issue and we're moving towards a solution."
If you can't do at least that much, question the wisdom of addressing the subject at all.

We're all time-starved. Provide brief, bulleted summaries. Brevity is an acquired skill that will well serve our Managing for Value efforts.
As Mark Twain once apologized, "I would have written a shorter letter, but I didn't have the time."

Remember, too, if you're not speaking plainly, you're not speaking their language. Real people don't burden their conversations with
"paradigms" and "metrics." These buzz works raise a big red flag. Don't create any suspicion that you're avoiding a serious issue.

I know that my final point here might be touchy with your legal people, but . . . condescension is deathly. Some employers don't give
their people credit for knowing the basics of their job, or what is required to improve their performance. All too often, they talk down to
employees -- smothering them in basic, mundane detail. This is a surefire scheme for losing the audience permanently.

(Slight pause)

Five. While effective communications takes time and money . . . it's not how much you spend of either, but how wisely.

Don't overwhelm your people: don't treat each opportunity as your only chance to address an issue. Persistence sprinkled with subtlety
is far more effective.

Mix and match your print and non-traditional media. Older employees and retirees, for example, are more responsive to publications
while younger people are more receptive to multi-media and computer formulated messages. But each group will benefit from a creative
assortment.

(Slight pause)

Six. Reduce the number of approval levels. Go as high as necessary on the food chain as soon as possible. Skip as many others as you
can. Put the gloves on now and then. You won't win every fight, but each encounter will make you stronger and wiser. (Approvals,
I've learned, are like royalty. Each generation gets watered down.)

(Slight pause)

Seven. Your audience extends beyond the employee. Any printed or electronic message that works its way to the employee's home
creates a critical, secondary audience. A spouse, partner or child can be a terrific ally.

(Slight pause)

Eight. Your most credible and direct medium of communications is the immediate front-line supervisor -- once you've earned their trust,
of course. If they don't buy the message in the early stages, they won't do you justice if and when they pass it along.

Arm them with non-jargon, credible information . . . clearly explaining the company's positions to them in language they understand.
This is one of our goals for St. Louis. Equally critical is the inclusion of interpersonal communications development in their ongoing
supervisory training.

(Slight pause)

Nine . . . finally, and most importantly: As a communicator . . . no matter how smart, successful or powerful you might be -- if you're
doing your job properly . . . you're positioning yourself to learn something new every day.

Being responsible for the communications function requires a lot more than knowing all the right answers. You can hire consultants for
that. What's really important is asking the right questions.

If you have as many answers as questions . . . your curiosity level is way too low. When you stop questioning, you stop learning . . .
and we've all come too far for that.

Ladies and gentlemen, I hope my nine lessons of communications have provided you with a few insights you can apply back in your
own organization. As I said, the list is incomplete, and I'd be happy learn any lessons you've picked up here.

I'm looking forward to our Question and Answer session, and I hope to continue meeting as many of you as possible.

Thank you for your kind attention.