| |
| |
|
Management Information |
|
|
|
Manage Communication to Add Value
Management guru Tom Peters says white collar workers and managers in functional departments need to protect their futures. They have to learn "the difference between doing totally acceptable work and creating very new value...." he notes, in an Industry Week article. In other words, people in departments like Human Resources and Finance need to become entrepreneurial. With that in mind, let's look at three ways you can use communication to add new value, whether you work in a functional department or not. First, every department of every organization generates unique information. That comes from being astride several communication flows that come together in one office or area. Information flows in from suppliers, from staff, and from other stakeholders. For example, people in your department read trade magazines, they attend seminars, they're in touch with people in other departments, and they may belong to trade associations. If your department consciously gathers, sifts, analyzes, and organizes that information - formally or informally - then it's creating new value. It's now more than just information: it's business intelligence, information with added value. That's what we refer to as generating new information. Moving to the idea of condensing information, one striking characteristic of modern communication is the amount of it moving around. No doubt you've heard references to information overload, an all too real problem for those whose work life revolves around information. You can add value by monitoring the information that comes into your office and selecting just the critical parts. Movie director Alfred Hitchcock put it this way, "Drama is life with the dull bits cut out." That's probably not a bad way of thinking about the condensing of information. You can also summarize. Rather than distributing selected bits of information, you can write an abstract that captures the key data or ideas and reduces the load to manageable size for others. That's great added-value for senior managers who need overviews, rather than details. Many internal newsletters earn their keep by providing regular summaries of useful information. That information can come from outside the organization or from within. Third, there's other side of the same coin, which involves expanding, rather than condensing, information. One way to do this is by providing context. Consider, for example, any current issue that gets high profile treatment. Can you take the information you have, and then provide background that helps others make sense of it? You might bring in additional information that provides a brief history, the current opportunities and threats, and some possible directions for the future, along with their implications. You might also expand information by making connections to issues that don't seem to affect your organization. For example, suppose your factory serves only the domestic market, so globalization seems irrelevant for at least the near future. But, what if you could explain how changes to tariffs would allow you to buy your raw materials at lower prices? In summary, you can add value to existing information by turning it into business intelligence, condensing it, or expanding it. All approaches may use the same material, but manage it differently, to satisfy different needs. Robert F. Abbott writes and publishes Abbott's Communication Letter. Learn how you can use communication to help achieve your goals, by reading articles or subscribing to this ad-supported newsletter. An excellent resource for leaders and managers, at: http://www.communication-newsletter.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Managing Performance: Don't Let Slackers Bring Down Your "A" Players As a manager, it is your job to ensure that the work gets done effectively. Coaching and discipline are unpleasant tasks. Better Management Performance - The Easy 3-Step Way Managers make three mistakes when they try to run businesses. They do too much, they don't trust their people and they don't have enough skills. Delegation Obstructions OBSTRUCTIONS: 1. Staff deficiencies. Strategic Clarity for Communication Management Over the past few weeks I've been developing plans for a communication project, a media relations campaign.That's prompted me to reflect again on the communication management process by which we transform communication ideas into operational activities. Regaining Control - Nine Steps for New Managers My client had faced the same challenge, which was frustrating as well as intimidating for him as well - yet he was determined to break the mould.With my background in a similar business, I have faced this several times. Supplier Sees 53% Reduction in Out-of-Spec Orders Case Study The goal of perfection is a challenge. It is often viewed as an expensive process requiring large investments. Business Knowledge Management In the last few years a lot has been written about Business Process Management, and about technologies supporting it such as BPMS, SOAP and Web Services. Most of these theories, tools and techniques refer to processes of a highly structured nature. Ten Problem Solving Techniques Do you ever need to find some good ideas, or come up with a solution for a persistent problem? Learn some simple problem solving techniques, and start applying them. Choose a few of the methods below, and get in the habit of using them in your personal life and your business. 7 Steps To Hire The Best You can use this step-by-step method to hire applicants who are likely to be "superstar" employees:- highly productive- low-turnoverImportant: Focus on hiring applicants you rate positively on all seven prediction methods.1st Prediction Method = Brief Initial Screening InterviewIf an applicant's application looks suitable, then conduct BISI, a customized 15-30 minute over-phone or in-person interview. Group Discussion Guidelines DISCUSSION METHODS: There are two basic types of discussion methods; the conference method and the workshop method. The conference method involves meetings of staff members, usually from the same organization, and is convened to pass on information, communicate management policies or decisions, or to solve organizational problems. Manage or Lead - Why the Difference Matters and What to Do About That Difference Many books have been written about managing people, and an equally large number have been written about leadership. Some use the words manage and lead interchangeably, and some talk about the differences between the words, building a distinction based on style or behaviors. Profits and Business Success - 5 Profit Traps to Watch Out For The old saying 'You have to spend money to make money' can be a dangerous one. Every business has it's costs, but not every business owner takes the time to distinguish between what is an essential expense, and what is a 'nice to have' expense. Rapid Culture Change is Possible Purpose: Show how immersion leadership training makes strategic initiative success possible.Adults learn through experience. How to Reject a Job Applicant A Nightmare That Really HappenedOver 10 years ago, when I worked as a manager at a major corporation, I received a call from a headhunter about a magnificent job opening. It sounded like the perfect job for me. Influencing the Organisation There is a saying about management that suggests some managers are so focussed on the details of a business, that when the Titanic was sinking those particular managers were still straightening chairs in the dining room. Whether we love 'em or hate 'em, managers are here to stay, and their job is fundamentally to manage the resources within an organisation for optimum efficiency and effectiveness, and by doing so to achieve the organisation's goals. Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: The Organizational Structure of Our Growing Business This article relates to the organizational structure competency, commonly evaluated in employee satisfaction surveys. It shows how structural concerns can affect the typical employee workday, as well as feelings towards your organization's management hierarchy and reporting structure. Protect Your Organizations Proprietary Information The other day one of our overseas clients called in a state of near panic, to ask a question. At issue was whether they had unwittingly violated U. This Old Business Not long ago I was asked to come out and take a look at a business that had been around for about 10 years.. Improved Communication to Improve Results Facilitating good communication can make the difference between a well oiled, effective team and disorganization and ambiguity. By following the tips below, you, the supervisor, can take steps toward improving communication with your employees:1. How to Coach Your Employees - 5 Simple Steps Anyone Can Do! Want to get more from your people, but you don't know how? Are you up for a small challenge and prepared to do things a little differently? If so, we have five changes to your style that you will find easy to incorporate into the way you work and your people will love you for it; you will have more time and your business will flourish.Think about it - is that not worth just the little effort required? Stop Fixing ThingsNext time someone comes to you with a problem in your business, STOP, before you give the solution and try the next step.
|
| Article List | Index | Site Map |
|
All logos, trademarks and articles on this site are property and copyright of their respective owner(s).
The comments are property of their posters, all the rest is Copyright © 2006 CanadaSEEK.com - All Rights Reserved. |
