Communicate to Transform

I can’t believe he texted that!
How & when to use phone, text, emails & in-person meetings.
I've had business owners share many frustrations regarding their people using different communications platforms. “Staff doesn't know when to just pick up the phone - wasting time on long multiple texts when it could be more effective & efficient with a 1 or 2-minute phone call.
So, here’s a lesson on best practice business communications using different technologies.
Keep in mind, only about 10-20% of interpersonal communication is words alone. Over 80% of communication works with other assets.
We have 4 primary communication assets in an interaction with another person.
· Word choice
· Facial expression
· Body language
· Tone of voice
Text & email offer words to read only. We loose 3 of our communication assets. When 80% is missing, misinterpretations are common & can be detrimental to the relationship, so be careful how you use the different technologies. When emotions are heightened, &/or the stakes are high, avoid text & email communication only to resolve problems or difficult situations. Things could get worse easily.
General rules:
1. When emotions are charged, or there is a high possibility of it, & the situation is difficult or complicated, do an in-person meeting whenever possible. Do corrective conversations with a staff member, in person & in private.
2. If you can’t do an in-person conversation, use a video call or, at the very least, pick up the phone. With phone you have 2 assets working for you. You’re still missing 2, but it can work effectively at times. Phone is quicker when discussing complex issues or situations. We talk on average at a rate of 150 words a minute. The average typing speed is 40 words per minute. Slower for two fingers. Which is more time efficient? Is your & your teams’ time valuable? Yes.
3. Use email for long, or short, detailed information delivery & when there is no emotional charge. Use it for confirmations, send details of a contract or confirm details of a verbal agreement. Send a meeting agenda or list of expectations of action items agreed too.
4. Use text for short, quick messages & confirmations. Jumping on the phone usually saves a lot of time when discussing complicated scenarios. Long back & forth texts are not efficient & clarity takes longer. Mis-interpretation possibilities are likely. Do not use text if there is high negative emotional energy present in either party.

If you think you might get a negative response, pick up the phone or go see the person. You can deal with negative responses much more effectively & turn them into win-win outcomes when you have all your communication assets working.
If you want some help training your people in best practice communications for difficult conversations, check out the CONTACT 20-20 training & other services offered at https://www.successtoolchest.com/

How to set up an internal mentor program – 7 key elements.

One sure way to make sure your company is preparing for the future and avoiding being affected by the job change virus. An Internal Mentor program. Here’s the benefits and how to set one up.

People are changing jobs at the highest rate in our modern history. You can set your company up to avoid this trend for your business. We've had incredible success with mentor programs in companies as small as 30 employees. A good mentor program starts with clear objectives.

The focus of your mentor program should be to 1) identify future leaders, 2) develop leaders to be even better than the current ones.

The benefits of implementing a mentor program include:
· Increased employee retention. People like to learn and increase their value to employers.
· Increased employee engagement and loyalty. With encouragement offered in a good mentor program people work harder and appreciate your company more.
· Increased desire to work for your company because people see opportunity for advancement making it easier to attract good new employees and become an employer of choice in your industry.
· Assuring the continuation of a successful business culture, transferring of knowledge and attitudes required for success. A good program will actually make your success culture stronger and more resilient.
Setting up an effective mentoring program is key to the future success of your business.

Here are some key elements to consider:
1. Assign a mentor program champion or co-ordinator that communicates regularly with the mentors and mentees.
2. Have clear objectives and make sure mentors and mentees are aware of those.
3. Document everything. Forms for mentor sessions. Forms for goals and skills the mentee is developing that align specifically with your companies’ unique processes, leadership duties, etc. Identify leadership traits & make sure mentees set goals for which of those traits he/she/they is developing. Include hard skills relating to your industry, and soft skills.
4. Research - find out what outside training programs make sense for the mentees to take. Find at least two programs and over the period of the mentor program, make sure the mentees attend those courses.
5. Include structure for: Common mentoring, Multi-mentoring, Peer mentoring and masterminding, Vertical mentoring.
6. Survey the mentors and mentees separately once peer year and adjust program as needed.
7. Set a time frame for the program - two years.

If you’re a business owner - senior leader within your organization and want some free mentoring yourself on this topic, you can book a free 30-minute strategy session with me by clicking this link. https://www.successtoolchest.com/mentor-program-submission
Keep in mind, a mentor program is only one part of a successful internal communication strategy and system for your business, albeit a very important one. Thanks for reading.
Mike