The document provides guidelines on effective communication strategies in both personal and professional contexts, emphasizing the importance of clarity, emotional modesty, and awareness of communication styles. It covers best practices for digital correspondence, face-to-face interactions, and social media usage, highlighting the need for strategic planning and reflection before communicating. Additionally, the document advises on how to manage communication pitfalls, handle sensitive information, and ensure professionalism in various communication scenarios.

1. COMMUNICATION
CAUTIOUSUS CAUTIOUS
personal & professional
Laura Mikowychok Marketing Manager
Chester County Intermediate Unit, Communications Division

2. today:
identify a strategy
and convert it into a message
to delivered in an organized fashion
WHEN I COMMUNICATE, I
to inspire measurable results.

3. my goals:
that you reduce your communication blunders
that you reduce time / energy on communication
that you strategize when you communicate

4. personal professional
How many believe
are separate?

5. personal professionalMYTH

6. personal professional

7. personal professional

8. DIGITAL FACE-TO-FACE

9. DIGITAL

10. DIGITAL

11. DIGITAL
reaction

12. DIGITAL
reflection

13. Email.
duh • TYPING IN CAPS
• Reply with quote
• Proofreading

14. Email.
huh?
• Reply all
• Blind-copy
• Your email hours
• Hiding behind email
• Multitasking
• Email Delegation/
Escalation
• Attachment Etiquette
• Subject lines
• Expectations, digitally
• Emotional Modesty

15. The nuances of reply all
Decide:
• Just to sender?
• Should you add
anyone?
• Consider just
forwarding
• Announce new people
to the group
Everyone who was copied on the original
The sender
FYI: This event is being planned. I’ll update you in a
few weeks with our progress. Thanks!
All, I am adding our Campaign Director and CFO
to this thread so that they stay involved. Please
include them on future messages and replies.

16. The nuances of reply all
Manage:
• Specific tasks
for specific
people?
• Bold-face their name.
• End the email with
actionables.
• Bow out when
appropriate.
Everyone who was copied on the original
The sender
This looks great, everyone! I like the
format for the day and the workshops are
the right length of time.
Linda J., can you distribute the final
version of the flyer to everyone in your
next reply?

17. The nuances of blind copy
Consider:
• What are my
true reasons?
• Get someone in
trouble?
• Pass judgment on an
action or statement?
• Keep someone in the
loop/up-to-date?
Someone in secret?
INSIDER TIP
Outlook users, among others, cannot tell when they have been blind-copied. The
risk for a reply and revealing your tactic are heightened.

18. The nuances of blind copy
Alternatives:
• Forward.
Give the person some
context/explanation.
• CC.
Be open, transparent,
and confident about who
you are looping in.
Someone in secret?

19. Just when are you emailing?
• Are you stopping to reflect?
You don’t have to respond to (all) emails instantly. Are you
taking a moment to leverage the reflection time you are
allowed?
• Are you doing other things?
Multitasking is an excuse for doing many things with
mediocre quality. Focus on communicating, and you’ll reduce
your blunders.
• Are you emailing when someone else
should be?
Stop and think about who should be distributing the message
you’re about to send. This will help anti-delegators as much
as it will help you avoid political mistakes.

20. Just when are you emailing?
• Maintain normal business hours.
If you’re reading email late at night, start or compose
replies to emails, but only send those that are urgent.
Wait to send the rest until the next day.
• Hiding behind email.
Documentation, schmocumentation. Go talk to them,
then follow up with an email summarizing the
conversation.
• Is there a meeting coming up?
Check your calendar before sending updates or
questions; many times, there’s a meeting already
planned to bring everyone together and discuss things.

21. Just when are you emailing?
• Identify prime communication times.
Hint: not Monday morning!
• How does this fit into your
communication plan for the day/week?
Think about what else you plan to send. How many
mission-critical emails are on that list? How many FYIs?
Strategize!

22. Just who are you emailing?
• Never correspond 1:1 with a student
via email or social networks.
When they reach out to you: Try this:
Mr. Campbell,
When are the edits due for the
poster project?
Caty
Hi everyone!
Looks like some students are
unclear on the due-date for
the poster edits. It’s Friday,
May 3.
Thanks,
Mr. C

23. Emailing with your recipient in mind
• Your subject line
Easily searchable? Clear? Full of “Fwd:”s and “Re:”s?
In a thread? Go ahead - erase or fix someone else’s lousy
subject line! Your future (searching) self will thank you.
• Are your attachments in shape?
Know your email client’s file-size limits. Plan around them
with DropBox or DropSend.
What are your attachments called? Rename them!

24. Emailing with your recipient in mind
“The single biggest problem in
communication is the illusion that
it has taken place.”
George Bernard Shaw

25. Emailing with your recipient in mind
• Are your expectations clear?
Use devices like “FYI” if your email does not require a
reply.
Employ “Action Required” or “Response Requested” in
the subject line. If there’s a deadline, always indicate a
date by when a reply is needed.
Use bullets or bold-facing to break up long emails and call
out important elements that a busy reader should focus
on.
End your email with action items, or foreshadowing:
Thanks, Dave - I look forward to your direction on the items above in
bold.
Laura
I’ll look for your email by Thursday, and if I haven’t heard, I’ll
come chat with you in person.

26. Finally,
let’s keep your emotions in check,
people.

27. Finally,
let’s keep your emotions in check,
people.
BE PROUDof your emotional modesty.
You’re not cold and guarded.

28. Finally,
let’s keep your emotions in check,
people.
BE PROUDof your emotional modesty.
You have the ability to realize
it’s not always appropriate to share your feelings.

29. Strictly personal email tips
• Have a second “junk” mail account.
You don’t even have to remember the password!
• Do not open, forward, or click links in
chain or SPAM emails.
That’s how they know you’re real.
• Keep student information out of your
personal accounts.
That includes your GMail account and Google Docs.

30. Websites & Social Networks.
duh
• Posting personal
information
• Sharing passwords
• Posting potentially
embarrassing photos

31. Websites & Social Networks.
huh?
• Professional Bios
• Student Activity
Schedules
• Identifying
possessions, work
activities
• Tagging/Geolocating
• Who to friend, follow
• Emotional Modesty

32. Think like a criminal
• Your professional biography
Mary Jennings is an award-winning graphic
designer, presenter, and educator based out of
Glen Mills, Pennsylvania. She is currently a
marketing executive; before working in the
corporate world, she was a library/media
specialist for a school district and then a Chief
Information Director. She has two children and
enjoys volunteering with their middle school
diving team. Laura is available for freelance
work; interested business may contact Laura via
her email address,
mydesignerfriend@gmail.com, or home office at
610-939-2671.
EMPLOYER TIP
Screen your employee’s biographies for your public website. Look for things that
might put them at risk; they don’t always think this way.

33. Employers/Educators:
Think before you share
• What would employees want me to
publish about them?
• What would parents want me to
make known to the public?
• How could this information be used
to embarrass, or endanger?

34. Employers/Educators:
Think before you friend/follow
• Never friend/follow or accept a friend/
follow invite from a student.
• Supervisors: Never initiate a friend/
follow request to your employee.
• Be mindful of those you friend and
follow, and how they are making you
look online.INSIDER TIP
http://bit.ly/socialmediaed
for strong Social Media Guidelines for schools

35. Employers/Educators:
Think before you tag/locate
• Never tag a colleague in a photo
without their permission.
• Never geolocate someone without their
permission.
• Know your friends’ jobs. Make sure
they know yours.
INSIDER TIP
77% of employers use the web to screen potential job candidates.

36. • Never tag a colleague in a photo
without their permission.
• Never geolocate someone without their
permission.
• Know your friends’ jobs. Make sure
they know yours.
MORE ON SOCIAL MEDIA FOR HR
If you’re the employer, wait until after you meet the
candidate in person.
Take a screenshot when you see something that
concerns you. Then print it, and write (in handwriting)
the date and your concerns. Save it in a desk file.
Give applicants fair notice that you intend to “review
any publicly accessible social media or web accounts.”
Perform the same search, at the same time in the
process, for all candidates.

37. Face-to-face communication.

38. Face-to-face communication.
duh
• Listen more than you
speak
• Actively listen with
your body language
• Be respectful and do
not interrupt.

39. Face-to-face communication.
huh?
• Know your audience
• Communication styles
• Listening styles
• Presenting concerns
without negativity
• Professional compliments
• Front-loading
• Delivering bad news
• Phone etiquette
• Clarifying expectations
• Confirming understanding
• Focusing on the future

40. Knowing your audience
Who called this meeting? Is
the agenda yours to control?
Come organized. Think:
Who will be there? What
might they ask?
Read your listeners. How
much detail do they want?
How much time has been
alotted?
Leave with actionables.
Summarize the meeting in
writing, if appropriate.

41. Our varying styles
• Dominant thinker? Dominant feeler?
• Individual barriers to listening

42. Environmental factors (noise, temperature, uncomfortable seating)
Adjust the thermostat, find another seat, or move to a quiet place to
continue the conversation.
Short attention span.
Ask questions to clarify and become involved in the conversation.
Rehearsing a response
Stop rehearsing your response, or anticipating your turn to speak.
You’ll miss what the speaker is really saying.

43. Daydreaming
We are capable of receiving and processing information more
rapidly than a speaker can deliver it. Concentrate on the
message being delivered.
Hot Words
Raise in pay, punishment, warning, contractual... Know your
hot words.
Filtering
Little or no interest in the topic? Find the relevance. If you
don’t, it will show.

44. Present your concerns, constructively
• Be a person who wants to say yes.
I don’t think
that’s going to
work because
of the cost.
Don’t we have
issues with the
cost?
How will we
counter the
high cost?
I don’t think
that’s going to
be possible in
that timeframe.
If you recall,
we also have
the Awards
Dinner going
on this week.
What other
resources can I
tap to meet
this timeline?
NAY-SAYER POINT-MAKER STRATEGIZER

45. Present your concerns, constructively
• Highlight what’s good about ideas
whenever possible.
• Give credit where credit is due,
including when the deserving
person isn’t around.

46. Handle professional compliments
• Never write it off as “nothing”.
• Recognize that you’re never an island.
• Try redirecting phrases, like:
Thanks! We’re really glad it turned out so well.
Thanks! We’re really glad everyone enjoyed it.
Thanks! The best part was how enthusiastic the students were.

47. Demonstrate phone etiquette
• Never leave student details on a voicemail.
• Use *67 to mask your personal, home, or
cell phone number when contacting
students or parents.
• Never text about a student.
Your text message threads become open to searches and
Right-to-Know requests about students.

48. Deliver bad news
• “Bad news isn’t wine. It doesn’t improve
with age.” Colin Powell
• Who does it end up coming from? You? A
coworker? Another department?
• Bad news should reach all stakeholders at
all levels at the same time.
...Except in the case of your co-strategist, or co-conspirator.

49. Communicate clearly
• Front-load to get their attention.
I’ve been really hesitant to talk to you about this, but I realize
that it has to be dealt with.
I need to discuss something with you that’s pretty important, is
now a good time?
• Ask for clarification when you need it.
• Supervisors: Confirm understanding.
Asking “Do you understand?” isn’t enough. Ask for an example.

50. Muscle through awkwardness, on the spot
• With no time to react, create some.
Well, let me take a beat and think about this, and we can
pick up the conversation a little later today, okay? When is
good for you?
I’d love to discuss this, but if you don’t mind I’d like to run
it by my supervisor/principal/team lead.
• Focus on the future
If confronted or confronting, focus on the future.

51. personal professional
Let’s circle back.

52. Write and speak as if the
whole world is paying
attention. If you don't, the
whole world might,
but you won't like it.
“
“

53. Questions?