10th April 2009
Some of the businesses I work with really rock. The people want to be at their work place and have the drive to interact with their co-workers with little management interaction. Managers become steering agents in a highly co-operative environment. Other businesses I work with are turgid environments that react to events at the pace of a garden slug. Getting the message across from the lap of the gods to the implementers below is a difficult task, but there are a few tips that can help to make the task more effective.
We will Rock you
We felt the vibration through our seats as the beat of the music reached a crescendo. Dry ice filtered from the side of the stage and coloured spotlights flashed from the front to the back of the stage. A video played, setting the scene as an electric guitar sang its melody in our ears. As the video came to an end so the music rose again, and on came the performers, rocking their socks to the sound of Queen. Our attention was well and truly engaged, and the scene had been set for the night ahead.
The worst time is the best time.
Any audience at any event arrives with their own pre-conceived idea of what is going to happen. It becomes to promoters job to make sure that those expectations are exceeded and that the customer goes away ready to recommend the experience to their friends and associates. In business, surprisingly, it's very much the same, where your workers are the audience. Most shows are put on at the very worst part of the daily cycle, the evening. At that time everyone has traipsed their way home through the rush hour, on buses and the metro, and all they really want to do is flop down and recover. Not only has the promoter got the job of rousing us from our torpor with a well chose advertising campaign, but they must also make sure that the delivery of the entertainment is second to none.
Your workers; your audience.
Getting people engaged, whether it is in leisure or business is an art can pay back enormous dividends in worker effort and participation. There are, however, a few simple guidelines that will make your delivery more effective, in just the same way as the theatre.
Time is of the essence.
Some years ago I used to work with a wonderful old chap called Maurice, who would enjoy a healthy lunch, and then we as a development team, would watch and wait. After some 30 minutes his head would nod, and we would be entertained to a gentle serenade of snoring for about 15 minutes. He we a good enough worker, and as workers were in short supply, the personnel department (now Human Resources) had no alternative but to turn a blind eye!
So just after lunch is not a good time to deliver important news. Most of us didn't follow the Maurice example, but it is true to say that if the brain is going to shut down, it will do so at that magic p.m. hour around 2 o'clock! Again, if its an important message, you can bet your bippy that there will be those amongst us who have an urgent appointment at the end of the day. That doesn't make them bad people, but your message will not get across at the end of the day if workers are glancing at their watches.
So choose an early morning slot to deliver news that you want your workers to accept and absorb.
Prepping the target area.
Just as the Theatre relies on advertising to sell the show, it will help your cause if your workers have been wormed up in advance. Have you ever had a Theatre ask you to read Tolstoy's 'War and Peace' before you arrive? If you are hoping that your workers are busy, the warm up must be short and concise.
Would you be inspired by: -
'Mr Jones, MD of Flebrty Corporation invites you to Work harder for the business'
or would your attention be grabbed by:-
'How you can help beat your recession'
'How to put more money in your pocket'
A small number of well themed titles with chosen content that takes no more than a few minutes to read are more likely to grab your workers attention.
Credibility.
Audience preparation can be exploited to reveal your credibility. If you deliver your message, and no one believes that you are sincere or credible, then you will see a sea of blank expressions that disclose their disinterest.
After all, it's your Corporation's money that is invested in getting your message across. Isn't it worth making the job effective?
Rob Wendes
Business
Technology Consulting
10th April 2009
