by admin | Jun 3, 2014 | Communication strategy
Before, during and after an emergency it’s absolutely critical to provide information and communicate. Why? Because in an emergency, and in life in general, the vacuum created when nothing is communicated is filled with information that can be, and often is, incorrect.The principles outlined by organizational theorist Chris Argyris in his model, the Ladder of Inference, hold especially true in the domain of emergency management. Argyris’ proposition is that in the absence of information people make things up (assumptions) due to a need to make sense of something. Read more about these 6 communication tips from emergency managers...
by admin | Jun 3, 2014 | Communication strategy
There is an array of items to deliberate for any healthcare organization that is looking to bring on a new clinical communications platform, let alone a hospital that has been open for about two months. Ensuring that the data being communicated is secure in a HIPAA compliant manner should be near the top of that list. Walnut Hill Medical Center (WHMC), a 100-bed facility with over 200 employees and physicians on staff, offers services such as cardiovascular, gynecologic, imaging, general surgery, emergency medicine and intensive care. The new organization knew that safe, secure staff communication was a must from the outset and chose to provide secure devices to staff members. The corporate-distributed devices have baked-in security features as part of Voalte’s mobile infrastructure. While the phones are currently limited to internal use with Voalte One, WHMC physician Ricardo Guerra said the organization is looking at ways to extend its use of Voalte outside of its four walls of hospital by being able to text information securely with Voalte Me. Read more about how this medical center is tackling secure communication...
by admin | May 27, 2014 | Communication strategy
The stereotypical entrepreneur talks to everyone easily, but introverts need not be discouraged. Reticence does not doom you to failure. Social science finds at least a third, and maybe half, the population is introverted. Successful entrepreneurs who are introverts make their personalities work for them. With less interest in the spotlight than accomplishing goals, introverts are inclined to let talented employees run with their ideas. Here are five strategies for making introversion an asset. 1. Learn to work with your personality. Even if it makes your palms sweat, as an entrepreneur you need to communicate with people. That does not mean you need to do it in situations that are terminally uncomfortable. If speaking in front of a large crowd is too much, one-on-one meetings are often just enough. When you must talk to a group, prepare a script. Identify your strengths and weaknesses and adjust accordingly. Successful introverted entrepreneurs own their introversion, know their strengths and compensate for their weaknesses. Learn about the other four strategies for communicating when you don’t even like to talk...
by admin | May 26, 2014 | Communication strategy
Have you ever had an employee complete a project with totally different results than what you expected, even though you thought you communicated what was needed? We’ve all had that moment and wonder, “Is it them? Or is it me?” It’s probably both. We all learn to communicate differently, and even though we may speak the same language, we may not be speaking — or hearing — the same things. Many of us have been raised in Western culture, where the burden of understanding is on the speaker. If we see a quizzical look on the face of someone we’re speaking to, we usually have no problem saying, “Do you understand what I just said?” That’s not true in other cultures, where the listener has to figure out what the speaker is saying based on body language, status of the speaker, and the context of what’s being said. Whew! See how complicated this all gets? Read more about how you can boost your communication success and the key strategies that will allow you to do just that...
by admin | May 26, 2014 | Communication strategy
When People: such as my staff, co-workers, friends, etc. feel I should be connected all the time. are multi-tasking (i.e. driving). use the phone in inappropriate places — during a church service, funeral, formal setting. talk loud in public places; or speaking loudly to compensate for bad reception – without consideration for others in the surrounding (train, subway, etc.). leave their phone on the desk or dinner table like they are expecting a call. constantly check for calls. call me when there is a lot of background noise: Traffic, walking downstairs, on StairMaster. Consider the rest of these 23 irritating things about cell phone communication...
by admin | May 22, 2014 | Communication strategy
A good laugh is cathartic. I find I’m in a much better mood when I’ve had a chance to laugh. Often times it’s my husband who is responsible for this. Out of nowhere he will come up with these hysterical one-liners—often directed at himself—and it’s hard not to laugh. You see, he’s an engineer—not known for his communication skills. I would even say he’s a man of few words—not because he isn’t social—he is, but because he doesn’t need many words to get his point across. He uses humor. He’s self-deprecating, honest and real. He doesn’t take things too seriously, unless he has to. Those who work for him find him likeable, approachable and one of the most effective leaders they’ve ever had. The point here is not to stroke his ego—although I’m sure he is loving this boost! The real takeaway is that you don’t need an expansive vocabulary to be a great communicator. When you get people to respond the way you’ve intended, you’ve succeeded. Comedy is a great way to achieve this. I think we can all admit that corporate communications has always been a bit, shall we say, “dull”? Your typical corporate piece—whether a memo, email or article—is dry and either excessively wordy or lacks any real context to help the reader understand what it is they are supposed to do once they’ve read it. Ultimately, it is quickly forgotten, or worse, not even read because no one has the time, energy or desire to read something that takes so much effort. Read more about how humor can improve your business communications strategy...
