Manage Your Message
Here’s a hearty Leadership Freak welcome to Shawn Graham today’s guest blogger. Enjoy!
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Shawn Graham
As an undergrad studying economics, I remember a professor telling me about “Fed Watchers”—people that hang on the Chairman of the Federal Reserve’s every word and react based on their interpretation of whether the Fed will raise or lower interest rates. Talk about pressure! Ben Bernanke isn’t the only one who has to carefully manage his message. Whether you’re managing up, down, or sideways, you’re success depends largely on your ability to control reactions by meticulously managing your message.
Like Fed Watchers, coworkers, direct reports and your boss watch how you react as a leader. When you’re leading you’re always “on.” Small slip ups can cost you credibility that may take months to rebuild. Unless you decide to make a run for the Presidency in 2012, it’s unlikely you’ll have the resources to hire a personal “press secretary.” Luckily, there are other less costly strategies you can employ to manage our message.
Assess your audience. For example, some people process large chunks of information quickly while others prefer bite size pieces. Surprises energize some while others shut down.
Watch for reactions to your message. Do they look confused, disinterested, or anxious?
Adapt and vary your methods to suit the audience’s learning styles and need for information. Are you providing too much detail? Not enough?
Ask for feedback. Was the information you provided helpful? Was your delivery effective?
You may be a subject matter expert or a genius at project management but that’s not enough. Effective leaders create and deliver messages that inform, direct, and motivate. Failure to manage your message could cost you credibility, a promotion, or even your job.
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Shawn Graham is Director of MBA Career Services at the University of Pittsburgh and author of Courting Your Career: Match Yourself with the Perfect Job (www.courtingyourcareer.com)
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Dear Shawn,
An excellent guidance as to how one can develop a mastery in delivering effective speech, message or lecture for variety of people. Understanding the audience and the convincing delivery with simple, easy to understand contents can win the heart of people. Moreover, collecting a random feedback will certainly help in brining the needed improvement in future talks.
Some amount of humor element with relevant examples will add to the flavor.
Dr. Mrunal K. Asher
Spot on. It’s easy to fall into a communications rut … delivering a message the way you “always” do vs. tailoring it to your audience. When you fish, should you use the bait you like or the bait the fish like?
I find myself wondering how the direction of this advice applies to the Sunday sermon – the one event when the majority of the congregation experiences the Pastor in his primary leadership role. It is here, during this crucial leadership activity, that these ideas may be the most challenging.
You see, it appears that we’re being counseled to consider our “leadership message”, or at least how it is framed and presented, is the *variable*. We have a result we want to achieve (communication of our leadership message) and a variety of different audiences. In order to achieve the desired result we have to vary the way that the message is forwarded to a given audience. I.e., we adapt how we communicate to the audience in order to achieve the desired results.
Have I misunderstood?
This seems to run contrary to the apostle Paul’s advice about homiletics in 1 Corinthians 2. In Paul’s line of thought (developed at length by Duane A. Litfin in several publications), the work of the Holy Spirit is the variable. The pastor preaches his message in a manner that is designed to faithfully communicate the meaning of the biblical text. Whether or not the audience reacts is the Holy Spirit’s concern, not ours.
Now, bear in mind that I’m referring ONLY TO THE LEADERSHIP ACTIVITY KNOWN AS “PREACHING.” The other leadership activities undertaken by a church’s lead pastor are not within the purview of my question.
So, with that as the context of my question, I’d like to ask the author – how do your recommendations intersect with the act of preaching?
Thanks, and I hope this all made sense! 😉
The difference between the two previous comments is a fine example of communication. AJ made his point very well with a few choice words.
Interesting post and nice to read your guest post, Shawn! Two thoughts:
1) Another angle on “assessing your audience” involves understanding what their inner motivators are for acting on what you are telling them. As a not for profit with oversight responsibility for a “for profit” Third Party Administrator, I see time and again the clash between us at the non profit wanting to save the world and spread “satisfaction” and them wanting to make money (although that’s not what they would say overtly), and
2) I find parenting quite the laboratory for message management. It’s not just the direct things we say to our children, but their observation (if you consider them “subordinates”) to the interactions they see (spoken and unspoken) between their “management” (parents). There are some parallels in the business world; when our management appears to be withholding information or to be dissatisfied with our performance, morale and productivity suffer.
Very interesting post. I wonder what is the best mechanism for receiving feedback. I think that taking into account the respective audience would seem the way to go. Written, anonymous feedback which is commonly done does not in my mind have the same impact as providing what I like to call as “Transparent Feedback” The value of the feedback sometimes hinges on who, how, when, and where the feedback is given. I would like to know the author’s ideas regarding this concept.
It is one thing to manage your message, it is quite another to manage yourself.
More times than not, one’s actions speak louder than one’s words. This is particularly true in the safety world. I recall a high level leader visiting a manufacturing plant to express his value for the safety of his employees. He really pumped up the crowd of about 600 employees. After the speech he visited areas on the plant continuing his safety message, shaking hands and patting backs. As he was leaving the plant to return to the airport he was seen using his cellphone as he was driving – a specific violation of company policy. Two employees saw him on his cellphone. Within a matter of an hour everyone on the plant knew about the infraction.
Lesson Learned – If you are not going to walk the talk, don’t talk.
Great post!
The one component I think most leaders miss when communicating is asking for feedback. Often times they think if they said it, it was heard. This is usually not the case. People hear what they want to hear. To ensure your message is actually being heard, you have got to get that feedback and be open to do something with it.
I agree with Jim, your actions have got to support your message. Otherwise it will erode trust and every time you communicate, people won’t be focused on your message but rather how you violate your message.
The other thing to consider is the frequency of the message and the mediums used to communicate it. If the message is critical to business operations, you have got to use multiple mediums to communicate that message. This will help the message stick and will clarify your message.
Kelly
I fully agree on the importance of reaction of leaders as hyperconnected world and on criteria to practice successful communication:
# Assess Audience: large versus strict; specially highlights some and shut-down others. Applying it on day-to-day depending on subject if just informational (large audience) if decisional/critical (restrict audience);
# What message: always looking if answering What? How? Who? by when? and if structured with 4 to 5 lines message, other files or guidelines attached for details.
# Adapt and vary: always checking above criteria if informative/decisional for large or strict audience.
# Ask feedback: to improve.
I would deeply appreciate receiving copy of your book as on moving landscape. I will provide you link on linkedin.
Great comments, everyone!!!
@Dr. Asher – simplicity of the message and the way that message gets delivered is definitely key in most cases. Humor is always a spicy meatball. I find that personally–I like to joke around, but more than 50% of the time, my coworkers, friends, etc. can’t tell that I’m kidding. So what I say to lighten the mood could actually do the opposite.
@AJ – I completely agree—in a lot of cases, you do what you know. Unfortunately, what worked with one team or employee might not work in a different setting. The same holds true in business—are you tailoring your message to respond to the needs of your customers? Or are you using a one-size-fits-all approach?
@Bud – I can honestly say I’ve never had a preacher or a minister ask me for feedback about a sermon. Beyond that, if your message isn’t reaching your congregation, your feedback can be evaluated based on the number of empty pews.
@Paula – it sounds like you also have to overcome stereotypes associated with your messages as I’m sure there are a lot of times when the perceived philosophical divide between both groups is often grounded in the perception of where you’re coming from meaning I’m sure there are a few “for profits” out there that might want to save the world—or at least not mind if the world coexists. And, although I’m not a parent, I completely agree based on my experience with little relatives. They hear and see your every move and almost always react accordingly.
@Al – I think the key is collecting feedback in a few different ways. 360 reviews are a great. You can also ask a peer for informal feedback following a specific interaction during a meeting that he or she attended. We do an anonymous survey after individual counseling appointments and that seems to work well.
@Jim – were you surprised by how much time managing yourself actually takes? I was actually at a large coffee franchise (who will remain nameless) that is 30 miles from where I work. I’m standing in line staring off into space when a woman came up and said hello. Even though I wasn’t using my cell phone while driving, I did feel like a goof for not recognizing her when she walked by. To your point, consistency matters both in what you say and what you do with what you say.
@Kelly – isn’t it funny how much variation there is between what you said, what you thought you said, and what was heard? And mixing up the mediums definitely helps to reinforce your message!!
@lenna – great point about the size of your audience. If you’re hoping to make a decision, it’s easier to reach consensus with 3 people than it is 300.
I couldn’t agree with you more on “Fed Watchers”. I have to manage my message when dealing with daily questions about financial rates/issues. One slip up in this competitive industry could hurt any credibility even if you aren’t the leader of the tribe. One of the best ways I found would be to listen to the feeback. It doesnt matter if its verbal or written feedback. They claim you can hear about 300 words a minute but the normal person can only process about 35 words a minute.
@Cpt Carl – definitely no margin of error when it comes to financial rates. Sometimes the feedback can sting, but if you can identify the underlying issues, you are golden.
Shawn,
My firm has recently completed a merger which has transformed the company culture, operations, and top level management including my boss. As a mid level manager with 25+ years here, I have received feedback from my boss that my messages are sometimes being perceived by senior level mgmt in a way that is not so positive. Naturally, I am paying careful attention to my delivery: written, spoken, tones, words, body language, etc., and considering how my message will be perceived. Managing my message(s) has probably become somewhat routine since I have been delivering to the same group of receivers for so long. Now, with a new set of people receiving, it is critical that I actively manage. Under my present circumstances, Courting Your Career would provide some insight, and apparently humor and wit as well!
@Carolynne – that’s definitely a lot of pressure. At the same time, however, you don’t want to overthink things. I know I often find myself burning too many calories on primary messages, secondary messages, non-verbal messages, email messages…
Today at Ecola Bible School I had the opportunity to see these truths lived out and helped me as a youth leader to learn techniques I hadn’t realized. It was informative and helpful. I’d like to be considered to win the book because I am ever cultivating a habit of being a life long learner and I would treasure any wisdom anyone might share with me. thx
Wayne
I’m very interested in reading your book Shawn, I already think you’ve made some great points that anyone would could take and try to apply in there life. This is something I would love to processes more and try to apply in my own life as ill be working for the Forest Service this summer fighting fires. It’s a tough job and I would like to learn how to be a better employee and even more so a better leader. Thank you, Molly