Tag: communication

Chosen

FabrizioLeave a comment

When choosing someone for a task, make sure you clarify the reason why they’ve been chosen.

You were the first one entering the door this morning.

Everyone else is very busy at the moment.

We’ve already purchased a license for you.

I allocated the tasks so that everyone has a fair chance to show their value.

Sure, these are reasons, and they are used more often than one thinks. But if we leave these decisions to chance or rationality, chances are the person chosen will not really feel motivated to do the task. After all, if anyone can do it, why give that little bit more, why deliver your best game, why bother in the first place.

We consider this a critical task for the company, because of X and Y. You have shown you can deliver fantastic job in this area, for example when Z. You have also told me that you are passionate about A and would like to contribute. This is why I could not think of anyone better in the team to take on this challenge and really turn things around. What do you think?

On the other hand, if the decision is based on a real knowledge of the other person, of their job, of their strengths, of their passions, of what they care about. Well, you can expect the outcome to be a whole lot different, can’t you?

Let feedback go

FabrizioLeave a comment

When we give feedback, in the same way as when we offer our help, the next best thing to do is to let it go.

Clinging to it is counterproductive, and most likely only the person receiving it knows if it’s going to help them or not.

By all means, give feedback. And then let it go.

Multiple versions

FabrizioLeave a comment

We are ready to go great lengths to reinstate order in our life when someone or something does not adhere to our version of the world.

If somebody does not behave the way we expect, they certainly have some hidden agenda. If something happens that we have never experienced before, it’s probably a mistake or somebody trying to frame us. Even when we witness – with our own eyes – something that does not fit with our story, we just go to what we know, and try to make it big enough that the anomaly can go unnoticed.

The moment we are put in front of the facts, the moment we realize that there’s actually nothing wrong, the moment we accept that multiple versions of the same world coexist at any given time, that’s a moment to cherish. It’s the moment when we open up, when we are welcoming, when we grow.

We just have to make sure that moment does not at an horrendous cost.

And if it does, apologize.

You are out

FabrizioLeave a comment

There comes a time in most relationships (sentimental or not) when the parts involved simply do not trust each other anymore.

No matter what they say, no matter how hard they try, no matter how much time and resources you spend making their case.

Actually, continuing to state the case in these situations is futile. Chances are the main arguments, values, plans are at least part of the reason why the distrust started developing. So, if that’s all each part has to contribute, the relationship is over.

The only thing to do in these cases is take a step back.

Open your mind, listen, apologize if needed (it usually is). Be critical of your original stance and see if there’s still space for a part of it.

Relationships, as most things, evolve. When you do not evolve with them, you are out.

Counterintuitive

Fabrizio1 Comment

We won’t open an e-mail we have not asked for.

We avoid banners on websites as if they were bearing plague.

Whenever possible, we avoid giving permission to be tracked for commercial and retargeting purposes.

We are fed up with listicles and click baits.

We are very sceptical of sources we are not familiar with.

We do not answer cold calls, and when we do we shut the conversation off as soon as possible.

We get mad when an ad appears for a product we have only visited the information page once. Three months ago.

We would never buy from a place that treat us badly, disrespectfully and dishonestly.

We could spend half of our very precious day to engage in an angry conversation with a customer support rep that cannot tell us why we are not getting what we have paid for.

And yet, as marketers we often assume others will be happy when exposed to all of that.

Why?