Cutting Through Foggy Communication

“If you can’t fix it, feature it.” These wise words of a former boss have been top of mind this summer.

Summers in the San Francisco Bay area where I live are typically overcast and cool in the mornings and evenings. The marine layer burns off by the afternoon and then returns in the late afternoon or evening.

This summer though the cool foggy conditions are with us almost constantly. Forget about traditional summer clothes; I’m wearing my snuggie in my office, especially the days when the temperature never rises above 59 degrees.

Since I can’t change this weather, I’m focusing on foggy conditions, especially foggy communication which is as ubiquitous as our San Francisco Bay Area marine layer. Actually, foggy communication is a year-round situation.

For starters, consider F-O-G—factless, obfuscating generalities— as defined by L. J. Rittenhouse, president of Rittenhouse Rankings Inc, a CEO strategic and  investor relations company. Rittenhouse Rankings conducts a benchmark survey each year of CEO candor and stock price performance. The research “shows that candor drives superior performance, and companies that consistently strive to promote candor gain competitive advantage and superior valuation.”

Even though we’re in an age where so many talk about transparency, actions indicate otherwise. Rittenhouse’s research rankings point to a “substantial decline in credible CEO communication over the past five years.” And this is before this year’s incidents with almost former BP CEO Tony Hayward and former HP CEO Mark Hurd (at least in regard to his relationship with the marketing consultant and his expense accounts).

Also, think about how we work. We’re dealing with information overload and higher levels of complexity in an always connected, time-starved work environment.

So even if the information coming at us is clear, we often don’t take the time receive and decipher it accurately. And as a result, we misunderstand, miss handoffs, and have to spend valuable time trying to get projects and relationships back on track.

So how do you cut through all of this fog?

Try these three actions, which I’m using in my change initiative work these days:

1.       Test and refine messages. Request help from a variety of people to review your key messages to make sure they’re clear before you start your communication push. Inquire about terminology, tone, and level of detail, especially. Also check who needs to receive what and when. You may want to wait on sending some messages until people need to act. This leads to the second action.

2.       Answer two questions: What’s the ask? and Who’s got the “D”?

These days, if leaders expect any followers to take action, the leaders have to do way more than “sell and tell.” Even “ask and engage” with employees may not cut through the clutter. The “ask” they make has to be crystal clear, with the timing. For example, “Starting September 15, you must use our corporate credit card any time you are traveling on company business if you expect to be reimbursed promptly.”

Also, whenever a decision is needed, leaders will help their cause if they specify who’s making the decision and then what that decision is. For example: “The executive committee decided that it’s in the vital interest of the company for all employees to spend our travel and expense dollars with our approved company suppliers so we can take advantage of our arranged discounts.”

3.       Teach others to communicate more clearly.

As part of the project or team kick-off, include a segment on communication guidelines. For example, as a team, decide on the best way to communicate with each other, including the subject lines to use in email messages, project terms, and names, any abbreviations or acronyms that are okay versus off limits, and other rules of the road. And next determine how the team and the leaders communicate with the rest of the organization.

These steps can help avoid and eliminate hazy conditions, whether you’re in my part of the world or someplace else. What steps work well for you for reducing clouds of confusion?

When you work in the fog, clarity serves as a beacon. Maybe not as warm and comforting as sunshine, but better than haze.

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Liz Guthridge is a consultant, author, and trainer specializing in strategic change communications. Department leaders of Fortune 1000 companies hire Liz and her firm Connect Consulting Group LLC when they need their people—who are confused, angry or in denial—to adopt complex new initiatives so they can quickly change the way they work. For more information, contact Liz, liz.guthridge@connectconsultinggroup.com or 510-527-1213. Follow Liz on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/lizguthridge.