What if the CEO Died of Swine Flu?
April 28, 2009
Schools are closing and the World Health Organization (WHO) raised its global flu pandemic level. So far, the outbreak of swine flu has killed relatively few people and many experts feel the risk maybe overstated. But just maybe, maybe one of those statistics could be the CEO of your company. Read more
The Gentle Art of Firing Someone
April 25, 2009
The news seems to get worse everyday. Thousands of people are losing their jobs because of the economic meltdown. Firing someone is always difficult, especially for poor performance. But today, many employees being fired are good at their jobs. They’re out because the company is performing poorly. Senior management may actually be the culprits. There is the surgical way and the gentle way to fire somone. Read more
How to Write Badly
April 24, 2009
As I write this, I cautiously check each phrase to ensure that it cannot be shortened. I double-check my P’s (periods) and Q’s (question marks) to be sure they are properly placed. I look over my shoulder to see if the ghosts of William Strunk and E.B. White are watching as I type, eager to interrupt and correct my grammar. I think back to my college years when their “Elements of Style” was required reading in my beginning journalism class.
Today, those of us who blog, Twitter, and text message can learn from their admonitions: use the active voice; omit needless words; put statements in positive form; use definite, specific, concrete language, and so forth. Ah, if only. Read more
Stop Planning and Start Acting
April 23, 2009
A while back, I attended a seminar to hear a career coach talk about ways to build your career. She said something that stopped me in my tracks. It should have been obvious but it was one of those light-bulb moments for me. So let me share it with you and hope that it has the same effect on you. Here’s what she said, Read more
Communicating With Passion
April 18, 2009
Whenever change permeates a big company, resistance is inevitable. The announcement of change itself raises anxiety levels, creates doubts in employees’ minds, and makes them feel vulnerable and uncertain. And it raises serious questions:
• What will this mean for me?
• If I must operate differently, am I up to it?
• Do I really believe what I’m hearing about the future of the company? Read more
Domino’s Pizza — a Classic Failure in Crisis Communications
April 16, 2009
This morning’s newspapers were filled with stories about two Domino’s Pizza employees videotaping a prank in which they do pretty disgusting things to a pizza they were preparing for delivery. They put the video up on YouTube and the rest is history. The viral community swiftly carried the story to a world-wide audience eager to spread the dirty word about Domino’s. Too late, the company realized that the traditional response — send out a press release and hope for the best wasn’t going to work. This is the lesson they learned. Read more
The CEO as the Chief Communication Champion
April 8, 2009
The shadow of a leader – meaning the impact an executive has on his or her employees – is always bigger than you think. This is especially true when it comes to trust and believability in internal communications. For internal communications to be meaningful, it is important for executives to lead by example: “Don’t just do as I say, do as I behave.” In addition, employees in most companies are craving leadership – they want champions they can trust to lead them in new directions. Read more