Actual Intelligence

If you've ever spent time with a group of people from the same industry which you're not a part, you begin to sense the have their own sayings, short forms, and acronyms. It’s almost as if they are speaking another language; their own language. 

Years ago, I was consulting a large pharma company and on one of our conference calls, I asked them to translate into English. At first, they were confused, but then they laughed and understood. 

 What do You Mean? 

We think we’re being clear, but we have to understand that our thoughts may not align with others’ understanding. When we take the time to step back, breathe, and gain more insight into how others are perceiving us, we stand a better chance of understanding each other and at times ourselves. 

 Technical speak and industry specifics are often needed, but sometimes boiling things down to the most basic level is the best way to avoid misinterpretation. If we take a moment and suspend our beliefs to check for understanding, conflict can be avoided and teamwork can be improved. 

Data in. Data out.

One idea is to find someone outside our circle to ask their opinion. Their lack of industry knowledge might unlock some questions we hadn't considered. As the AI frenzy continues, this may become a larger issue. Someone asks you to write a technical document on your work. 

You plug in what you can into the AI generation interface. It spits out what you think is a well-crafted piece you can share with the team. Then you realize self-creating data works best when the data that's fed into it is actually accurate. The real issue is when a human being starts asking questions about the content you didn't write or understand. 

Good luck!

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Acronyms and Thingamajigs

If you have ever spent time with a group of people from the same industry that you’re not a part of, you know how narrow we can all be at times. There are acronyms and terms you have no clue how to decipher. It’s almost as if they are speaking another language, their own language.

We think we’re being clear but we have to understand that our thoughts may not align with others’ understanding. When we take the time to step back, breathe, and gain more insight into how others are perceiving us, we stand a better chance of understanding each other.

Technical speak and industry specifics are often needed but sometimes just boiling things down to the most basic level is the best way to avoid misinterpretation. If we take a moment and suspend our beliefs to check for understanding, conflict can be avoided and teamwork can be improved.

It's worth a shot.
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Keep it Simple

If you have ever spent time with a group of people from the same industry that you’re not a part of, you know how narrow we can all be at times. There are acronyms and terms you have no clue how to decipher. It’s almost as if they are speaking another language, their own language.

I was in a client meeting last week and we had to stop and realize we had become so insular we had lost the plot. One of the team members stood up and said; “Can we just speak English, please!” and it broke the ice.

We do it in our everyday lives and relationships.

We think we’re being clear but we have to understand that our thoughts may not align with others’ understanding. When we take the time to step back, breathe, and gain more insight into how others are perceiving us, we stand a better chance of understanding each other.

Technical speak and industry specifics are often needed but sometimes just boiling things down to the most basic level is the best way to avoid misinterpretation. If we take a moment and suspend our beliefs to check for understanding, conflict can be avoided and teamwork can be improved.

Maybe simple is our best strategy?
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Lead in Plain Language

If you have ever spent time with a group of people from the same industry that you’re not a part of, you know how narrow we can all be at times. There are acronyms and terms you have no clue how to decipher. It’s almost as if they are speaking another language, their own language.

I was in a client meeting last week and we had to stop and realize we had become so insular we had lost the plot. One of the team members stood up and said; “Can we just speak English, please!” and it broke the ice.

We do it in our everyday lives and relationships.

We think we’re being clear but we have to understand that our thoughts may not align with others’ understanding. When we take the time to step back, breathe, and gain more insight into how others are perceiving us, we stand a better chance of understanding each other.

Technical speak and industry specifics are often needed but sometimes just boiling things down to the most basic level is the best way to avoid misinterpretation. If we take a moment and suspend our beliefs to check for understanding, conflict can be avoided and teamwork can be improved.

When in doubt, make it simple.
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Kneale Mann | People + Priority = Profit
New Book out in 2016 – Details soon!

Your Secret Sauce

If you sell stuff, make stuff, create stuff, consult stuff, help stuff, or think about stuff, once in a while someone will ask you why you are so special, what is your unique selling proposition, what do you bring that no one else can bring?

Meet Howard Moskowitz who has studied human behavior for decades. He has grasped the fact that we want to be happy but often we don't know how to achieve it.

Author and thought leader Malcolm Gladwell talked about Howard in his 2004 TED Talk that is just as valid a decade later. Watch this.


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Kneale Mann | Leadership Strategist, consultant, writer, speaker, executive coach facilitating performance growth with leaders, management, and teams.

TED | Gladwell | Moskowitz

Anyone Can Do That

A few years ago, I was meeting with two colleagues and the discussion moved toward a mutual acquaintance who had just released a new book. Someone chimed; “Writing a book is easy, anyone can do that". My reaction; “Oh cool, when is yours coming out?” The topic was swiftly changed.

That conversation came to mind recently as I've been discussing with a few people about the possibility of writing a book. Despite publishing close to 750,000 words since this site was launched, it's not a simple undertaking. Discussions continue.

Easy Peasy

If you want to write a book, it’s somewhere in range of 60-100,000 words. There are editors and publishers, re-writes and research, long hours and marketing, events and online, retail and so on. No, not anyone can write a book. And few write a successful one. I know colleagues who have and it's a ton of work.

It's simple to opine something is easy when you haven't actually done it yourself. We can all scream from our chair when the pitcher floats a 90mph fastball high and inside handing the other team a three run homer. Anyone can pitch in the bigs, right? It’s effortless to scoff at a speaker for getting on stage because anyone can speak in front of a crowd, right?

Opinions as Opiates

I think Malcolm Gladwell is right. It takes about 10,000 hours to become proficient at something. That, by no means, makes us an expert. But we inch on to dangerous soil if we begin to make claims about something we actually know nothing about.

Some are quick to point out what leadership should be doing, what government should be changing, what those in an industry they know nothing about should be undertaking. Instead, we should learn from each other's perspective and experience which is the essence of collaboration.

No, not everyone can do that. And that is a good thing.

Kneale Mann

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Is Customer Service an Endangered Species?

If you work somewhere, you have customers. Even if you are eight levels away from actual paying clients, you are part of the equation. Which means you have a chance to improve or diminish the experience each and every customer has with your company. We are also customers of each other inside our companies. I call it internal customer service. Without it, external customer service will forever be a challenge.

We all want great service but clearly we don't always get it. Why is that? Is it because good enough will do for most people? Is it because the fear of actually stopping and doing a great job will cost you more than the profit made from that customer?

Money Talks

Perhaps most companies think we’ll be satisfied with what we get and keep coming back for more. Maybe we don't know any better. Maybe we just don't care. We all mess up, we all make mistakes, but when it becomes a pattern, there is cause for concern.

The best tactic is to vote with our wallet. But with some companies it certainly makes one wonder if customer service is something that should be relegated to annual reports, marketing collateral and coffee mugs.

If you want to establish a competitive edge, provide great leadership and service. Then you can take some chances.

Kneale Mann

cartoonchurch

Do You Dress for Success?

Someone asked me recently for my thoughts about provocative attire at work. And it led to a conversation about dress codes in general.

You don’t expect the plumber to show up in a suit and tie while you wouldn't see the CEO attend the board meeting in a bikini. Some organizations have a stated dress code while others have a more unwritten guideline. Casual Fridays in one sector may be leather loafers and cashmere sweaters while in another industry it could mean shorts and t-shirts.

Some educational institutions have dress codes which require students to wear a uniform. This may seem a bit strict for some but have a look around the board room of a financial company and count the white shirts and navy slacks.

Your brain, experience, creativity, imagination and passion are much more important than your attire in my opinion but some may disagree so we should take a moment and read the room.

I wish you success no matter the uniform.

Kneale Mann

image credit: guardian.co.uk

It’s All in the Sauce

If you sell stuff, make stuff, create stuff, consult stuff or think about stuff, you get stuck once in a while. I’ve been working on a couple of projects this week and I've been stuck. I was trying to apply some assumptions mixed with generalizations and clearly it wasn’t getting me anywhere. Clearly it's not a wise strategy at the best of times.

And then I remembered Howard Moskowitz.

Howard is a person who studies human behavior. He has grasped the fact that we want to be happy but often we don't know how to achieve it.

Author and thought leader Malcolm Gladwell explains. [video]



knealemann | email


video credit: TED

Both Sides of the Counter

We are all in service, sales and marketing.

A few months ago, I had my driveway replaced. It was hot and sticky and the crew spent the first day removing the old asphalt, putting down gravel and flattening things out. It took them six hours.

A couple of weeks later the paving crew was scheduled to come and finish the job. The first date was postponed because the weather office issued a heat advisory.

All hands on deck.

The next day, eleven guys were working on my driveway: two on the paving machine, three with hand packers, three more with rakes, another guy driving a small roller machine, one guy in the truck and a supervisor.

This was not a stoic grumpy bunch, just the opposite. They were talking and laughing and cracking jokes and having a good time. They were laying 300 degree asphalt in stinking hot 90 degree weather. It was certainly good for the old perspective.

Everything you do is marketing.

If anyone saw this crew working and needed a new driveway, they’d be inclined to hire this company. It’s contagious to be around positive people.

I told the supervisor that I appreciated their hard work and that his team seem to be having a lot of fun. He quipped, “It’s better than a real job.”

It's common to hear that from someone in a more non-traditional role but this guy clearly enjoyed what he was doing as did the rest of his team. And this is what they do for six months a year and do it well.

We all providers. We are all customers.

We are often quick to forget that fact when we complain about service or lament about a difficult client. This is not to suggest there are not bad customers or bad service. In fact, most of us want great customer service but rarely do we expect it and when it happens we're still surprised.

If I’m flipping the burgers and you’re paying for lunch then we have our roles. But if later in the day, you are changing my oil and I’m paying the bill we simply switch places.

It is easy to lob complaints when we are on the customer side. But we often would like to think our customers will understand we are trying our best. Eventually we will be serving each other so perhaps it is something we should keep in mind.

What are your thoughts?

knealemann
Create experiences not campaigns.

image credit: freefoto

Proximity + People = Profit

I was talking with a friend recently about a friend I had known for twenty years who passed away last summer. Many of us who hadn’t kept in touch got back in touch.

Proximity is a strange thing.

Sometimes you feel close to people, then you move apart. Life and lame excuses get in the way.


As we navigate all the new gadgets and social circles, argue over usb connectors and web browsers, stand on the PC or Apple side of the room, it all make sense. Without us, this is irrelevant. Without people, your business or circle of influence is vapor.

Your customers are not revenue, they are people. Your business is not built with bricks and mortar and desks and chairs, it is built by people.

The next time you get caught up in all the stuff we talk about here and many other places, think of the people you work with or work for you. They are not numbers, they are not cogs in the wheel; they are people.

Gadgets and doohickeys are fun - I love my new smartphone - but without the people, who really cares? Technology has given us instant proximity if we want it - to other people!

If we paid closer attention to people, wouldn't that improve the bottom line?

@knealemann
strategy. marketing. social media.

photo credit: skydiveorange