Managers play a key role in organizational performance and employee productivity. This document outlines techniques for establishing a "Spectator-Free Workplace" where managers are actively communicating and engaging with employees. It provides tools and best practices for coaching managers to be better communicators, including establishing clear communication standards, leveraging multiple channels, providing context, soliciting feedback, and continuously measuring effectiveness. Regular calibration activities like informal polling, feedback forms, and data debriefs can help ensure managers are held accountable for their communication responsibilities.

1. Cut Costs, Boost PerformanceHelp Managers Free Your Organization's Good IdeasIABC 2010 World Conference June 8, 2010

2. Dulye & Co. Overview12-year reputation as leading change-management consultancyInternationally recognized, award-winning engagement and communication programs

3. 3 Quills/3 years Specializing in Spectator-Free Workplace™ solutions:Leadership development

4. Employee engagement

5. 2-Way workplace communications

6. Effectiveness measurement201020092008

7. Client-Tested Techniques

8. Also Tested with New and Future Hires

9. This Session Will Give You…Research to build the business case for a Manager Engagement program

10. Practical tools and tested techniques to build a strategy and execute a program that helps managers communicate more effectively

11. Practices for holding managers accountable

12. Opportunities to give feedbackPortable tools to build a successful Manager-as-Communicator Program.

13. Resources at Your FingertipsSpecial IABC Conference Toolkit at: dulye.com/IABC

14. Why Help Managers?Your company’s performance!

15. A Strategy Galvanizes. But It Needs to Be Executed.OperationalRequirementsOrganizationalRequirements

16. Execution Depends on PeoplePoorAverage/GoodGreatPerformance comes from an informed and involved workforce. Managers inspire or deflate.Employee populationEmployee productivity (organizational performance)The biggest influencer onperformance is a manager.

17. Inflate: Managers Who Communicate, MotivateSurvey of 212,000 US governmentemployeesSpectator managers negatively impact morale and productivity.

18. Deflate: Managers Who Don’t Communicate“When messages got tough, many leaders became invisible”

19. Step 1 to Moving Forward: You Must Believe That…It’s OK to let go. Coach not control.

20. Don’t fear (your internal customer’s) self-sufficiency and competency. It’s a career enhancer, not ender, for YOU.

21. 1+1=3. You get a huge staff!

22. Partnerships matter.Spectator-Free™ Drivers

23. Elements of a Spectator-Free™ Strategy

24. Advance Feedback“I’d like to know what you think is the biggest challenge facing managers today?”

25. Grounding Rods- Clear view-Specs and standards

26. Advance Feedback“We don’t have any standard process. We just assume that managers will do want we wish.”

27. A Game Plan with a Clear ViewWhatis effective communication?Whyis it valuable?Whodoes it?When/Where is it done?Howis it done?

28. What is Effective Communications?2-Way Dialogue1-Way DeliveryOUTGOINGOUTGOING MessageINCOMING Feedback

29. Who Owns it?It takes a team! This really is ultimate engagement.

30. How Does it Happen?Provide a road map with defined roles, responsibilities, standards…build a system.

31. Manager as Communicator: ResponsibilitiesReinforce key messages / themes

32. Provide context for change / decisions

33. Facilitate open dialogue within and between work groups

34. Listen to / learn from the voices and views of the workforce

35. Respond to / act on direct feedback

36. Model the message: words + actions Put specificity into position descriptions that give managers a REAL communication job.

37. Establish Standards on What to Do Set minimum standards with measurable performancerequirementsfor every level

38. And How To Do It: Staff Meeting ExampleMinimize variation, maximize consistency & effectiveness.

39. ConnectorsChannelsMessagesFeedbackFollow-up

40. People-Driven Processes Over ProductsChannel Research: Most preferred source for information (about xdepartment/company) Dulye& Co. Research (>5,000 employees of client firms) Performance RatingPoorAverageHigh

41. Elevate Manager-Driven ChannelsSECONDARY(Dept. Driven)Newsletter

42. Web

43. Portals

44. Executive Memo

45. Video

46. Podcast

47. PosterFully leverage the importance and value of manager-led channels.

48. Remix High Touch and High TechEase electronic overload! Less send, more speak and see.

49. Nail the Message: Content Planning ToolAvoid rambling, data dumps. Plan, package, prioritize information.Use this practice at exec. staff meetings. (Start when you return from Toronto!)What 3 things do you want people to remember? Understand?

50. Create a Connection: Context Building Tool Information to CommunicateWhat business goal does this support?Why is this important to the company?Why is this important to our team/dept.?Why is this important to our customers?Localize and personalize by explaining why. Connect people to the business, watch employee knowledge and engagement grow.

51. Soak Up FeedbackMake time, take time—to listen, learn and share information.

52. Got Feedback? Dulye & Co. Research: Rate the effectiveness of…

53. Adjust Feedback SystemsHow to audit: Assess % of time for incoming vs. outgoing in current practices

54. Evaluate balance

55. Adjust for greater feedbackForm an employee action team to support this audit.

56. Activate Questions and QuestioningOpen-Ended Questions:Yield more than “yes” or “no”

57. Invite unfiltered feedback that stimulate discussion

58. “What was the highlight of your IABC conference experience?Closed-Ended QuestionsYield succinct, specific answers

59. Can help wrap up discussion or quickly calibrate

60. “After last night’s Quill Dinner, I’m inspired to try fire dancing, aren’t you?Timely Follow-Up: “I’m Still Waiting…”Is there a commitment to follow-up to questions? Ideas?

61. Don’t Put People on HoldEvaluate speed and quality of response to:

62. Questions / Comments

63. Ideas

64. Negative feedback / discussing mistakes

65. Requests for helpActions (do) vs. Words (say)Is there a conflicting message?Only 1 in 10 employees strongly agree that leaders show consistency between words and actions. —2010 Maritz Research poll

66. Adopt Project Management TechniquesWork responsiveness!Inject note taking, time management and action planning into communication practices

67. Add Recognition to Response PracticesLow-tech, low-cost communication practices are powerful recognition tools—and help open 2-way channels! 4/12/10 issueMake it real. Cite a specific action that made a difference.

68. Reinforcement Systems-Coaching-Calibration

69. Ready to Communicate?Dulye & Co. Manager-as-Communicator Research of Fortune 500 executives, managers, supervisors.

70. 5 Things to Do to Help Managers SucceedStrike up partnerships (HR, Corp Comm., Quality/CI, Marketing, Action Teams)Identify development needsSource solutions (in house / import)Introduce and integrate tools / training Evaluate effectiveness and use resultsInfluence the content and delivery of management development and performance measurement programs.

71. Learning & Measuring: Practices that WorkContinuous Learning: Manager Coaching and DevelopmentContinuous Improvement: Calibration and ChecksBest Practice: Integrate development and measurement in existing forums, channels and practices.

72. Coaching: The Boyle Factor

73. Coaching: “Boyle” 3V TrainingImpression ImpactVISUALAppearance50% (Facial expressions, Eye contact, Body language, Clothing)VOCAL Voice and tone40% (Inflection, Pace, Tone, Audibility)VERBAL Message10% (Words/message)IABC researchSeeing influences believing!

74. Coaching: Beyond Classrooms, Just-in-Time LearningFuse learning & multi-media: podcasts and in-meeting tutorials in high-need topics:3Vs

75. Communicate change / tough news

76. Active listening

77. How to discuss mistakes and losses

78. How to make small talk

79. Communicate with remote employees

80. Read body language--yours and others

81. Give and receive constructive feedback

82. Lead an effective Town HallDon’t presume title = communication competency.

83. Discussion StartersCoaching: Just-in-Time LearningProvide message guidesTie to periodic business performance debriefs “Communication guides help our management team speak with a level of confidence about difficult topics.”—VP, Lockheed MartinDulye & Co. ClientHighly effective for communicating change, initiatives, strategy.

84. Coaching: All-Access WalkaroundsTest Cell1727410681211139513141516Ramp up presence, not presentationsMobilize leaders beyond their functional areasTool: Facility map with department coordinatesDon’t leave them standing! Help managers know where to go and what to do when they arrive.

85. Calibration

86. Calibration: Pulse Quad CheckUse the Quad Check Tool to get 360-feedback on specific communication practices.

87. Calibration: Informal PollingArm & Ask ChecklistWhat’s 1 thing that made you mad today?

88. What ‘s 1 thing that got you excited today?

89. What takes too much time to do?

90. What costs too much?

91. What gets wasted?

92. What’s working well?

93. What is too complicated?

94. What is just plain stupid?

95. What can we do better?These questions unlock ideas and inspire innovation.Mobilize managers with 1 per week—ask and share feedback.

96. Calibration: Feedback FormIntegrate formal pulsing at department meetings Question Mix: 5-7 multiple choice

97. 1-2 open-ended

98. 1-2 demographicAlign questions withmanager-as-communicatorresponsibilitiesNon-intrusive, just-in-time assessment gets high returns—and eliminates data droughts. Supplements baseline surveys.

99. Calibration TipsGo beyond functional departments.Address the performance managers and employees.Go beyond evaluating activities. Design metrics and questions that assess the impact of communication and engagement processes, practices, tools on workforce performance.Leverage demographic comparisons. Use simple visuals to track trends.Measure from an operational perspective, not functional perspective.

100. Make Data Debriefs Simple, DirectData reports are powerful communication and improvement tools.Make them clear, visual, and instantly portable for coaching managers.

101. Honest Calibration: Share and Use Data, QuicklyDon’t sugarcoat or shortchange results. Share good and poor performance data

102. Help leaders see reality—as it is. Not as they would like it to be. Or, think it is.

103. Use data to:

104. hold people accountable

105. sustain practices

106. keep tools relevantSummary: Managers Trump E-SourcesWhat is the best way to receive further information about the new strategy?What is the best way to provide feedback about the new strategy?

107. Summary: Manager Conversion KitCoach not control.Manager self-sufficiency and competency are a good thing.

108. Resources at Your FingertipsSpecial IABC Conference Toolkit at: dulye.com/IABC

109. Resources at Your FigertipsWhite paper with tips and techniques for going viral in organizations where email and instant messaging, are used more than social mediabehind the firewall

110. Resources At Your FingertipsSpectator-Free Workplace ™Coaching resources: training, podcasts, e-mail newsletter, iPhone app.Go to Dulye.com/blog to subscribe

111. Thank YouLinda DulyeDulye & Co.ldulye@dulye.com845-987-7744