Communicate better at work
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How We Can Communicate Better Around Here
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A training workshop, created for professionals in the advertising and marketing agency world, aimed at improving how we share and organize information throughout the workday.
Transcript of Communicate better at work
How We Can Communicate Better Around Here
What I’ll Discuss Today● Pseudo-Intellectual Principals!● Death by PowerPoint!● E-mail Atrocities!● That Thing with Little Buttons and Lights on Your
Desk!● Conference Call Addiction!● Brief in Name Only
My Pseudo–Intellectual Principals
“Never mistake!activity for!achievement”
John Wooden
Winston Churchill
“I am sorry I have had to write you such a long letter, but I did not have time to write you a short one”
David Ogilvy
“I searched all the parks in all the cities and found no statues to committees”
Avoid Death by PowerPoint
Some Brutal Truths About PowerPoint● It’s almost always horrible!● Info overload !● Cram your brain, not your
slides!● Are you even needed?
Some Brutal Truths About PowerPoint● Consumed with creating “the
deck"!● Forget we’re making a
presentation!● No rehearsal!● No chance to excel
Ironic Insight
● If I’m so critical of PowerPoint, why use it to make the argument?
Tips for Better Presentations● Text and concept visuals!● Easy on the charts!● Commit to an
anti-clutter standard
Tips for Better Presentations● Present an outline. Hand
out the brain dump!● Animate with your
voice and body language!● Twenty minutes
Avoiding E-Mail Atrocities
Some Brutal Truths About E-Mail In The Workplace● E-mail overload is #1 killer
of productivity!● 126 received/day (average)!● Requires 41% of time
Some Brutal Truths About E-Mail In The Workplace● 53% of e-mail received is
unimportant!● 20% of important email is
overlooked!● Inboxes contain 70% of
enterprise info
Tips for Effective E-Mail● Meaningful subject line!● No DIY attachments!● Be editors, not matadors!● Don’t select “Urgent,” be that way
Tips for Effective E-Mail● Make one point per email!● “Reply All” = quasi-spam!● Specify the response you want!● Try texting or IM or Salesforce!!
● And while I’m at it….do you ever send mail containing these vital messages?
“I agree!”.
“Same here!”
“Thank you!!!”.
“You’re welcome!”!.
“Don’t be silly - I’m the one who should
say you’re welcome.”
Eliminating Conference Call Chaos
Some Brutal Truths About Conference Calls● Tools make scheduling
too easy!● Definition of Business
Insanity – on calls all day discussing how busy you are!
● “Having a good call” is not a meaningful accomplishment
Tips for Better Calls● Care enough to prepare!● Think twice about invitee list!● Would a memo suffice?!● Good reasons to meet: Present. Plan. Decide.
Tips for Better Calls● Bad reasons to meet: Read through docs.!● Focus on action items!● Summarize agreements and next steps!● Conference report
That Thing With The Little Lights and Buttons On Your Desk
Tips on when you should call instead of write● Truly urgent and time
sensitive!● Still unresolved after
three e-mails!● Requires less than ten
minutes (most things do)
Better Creative Briefs
Some Brutal Truths About Our Creative Briefs
● Often non-existent!● Paperwork, not thinking !● Production focused!● Brain dump!
Some Brutal Truths About Our Creative Briefs
Do you recognize these people?
● Minimal consumer insight!● Client focused!● No single-minded idea!● Source of confusion
Tips for Better Briefs● Treat as critical piece of thinking!● Strategy is sacrifice !● First phase of the creative process!● For the creative team, not the client
Tips for Better Briefs● Inspire the solution, don’t dictate it !● Crystallize the key, single minded message!● Concise, !● Transferable !● Actionable
Thanks for listening!Don’t be afraid to communicate!!Greg [email protected]!203 837 6000
