Tag: communication

Lack of communication

FabrizioLeave a comment

Silence is golden. Lack of communication is not.

One can find comfort in silence. It is a moment of reflection, of expression, of deep connection. Leaders who learn the power of silence are better listeners, and their team members get in a habit of sharing.

Lack of communication is on the opposite side of the spectrum. It is about retreating, hiding, avoiding. Lack of communication digs holes that others will fill with assumptions, fears, and regrets. The more difficult the situation, the wider the holes. Many leaders practice lack of communication, and their team members get in a habit of keeping to themselves.

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Fabrizio1 Comment

Four ways companies can decide to (automatically) answer an application for an open position.

#1

*crickets chirp*

#2

Hi, we have received your application. Best Regards.

#3

Hi *candidate name*,
Thank you for your interest in *company name*! We wanted to let you know we received your application for *open position*, and we are delighted that you would consider joining us. We’ll be in touch again once we have processed your application.

Best Regards.

#4

Hi *candidate name*,

Thank you for your interest in our *open position*!

It’s getting close to saying our goodbyes to 2020 and welcoming a fresh new year! This marks the start of a Holiday season with our team as well, as all our operations quiet down for a couple of weeks – until we’re back on January 4th.

We’d like to take this chance to thank you for your patience with our team taking the time to rest and spend time with our families, and to wish you joyous and love-filled Holidays and a wonderful New Year!

*Animated GIF – Happy Holidays*

See you in 2021! 🥳

Two questions.

  1. As a candidate, for which of the four companies would you feel more excited to go work for?
  2. How soon after being hired will you forget about the importance of such seemingly minor details?

And perhaps a third one. Does it matter?

I believe it does. Even when it is about a simple, automated communication with somebody you might not hear about anymore.

The way you communicate is a choice. And it speaks volume to who you are.

Not going to work

FabrizioLeave a comment

The things you say have a life of their own.

They do not fade once you are done saying them. They keep floating, and those who have heard them carry them around for an indefinite amount of time. They change in meaning. They change in strength. They change in effect.

Often they are still there once we have forgotten them. They might even become drivers for actions we later fail to understand. To our own misery.

The act of saying is anything but final. It’s a step in a process of reciprocal understanding, and we rarely do a good job with our own part.

Despite the fact we have never used it more, communication is fragile. Starting from the assumption it is not going to work is an easy way to become better at it.

All-encompassing

FabrizioLeave a comment

When you are sending a message to the mass, the tendency is to make it as all-encompassing as possible, and by doing that you probably fail to make it relatable, motivating, effective.

A great example is what happens every year when companies share season’s greetings with their audience. And as it is possible to send a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year (accompanied by the emoticons of your choice) to a vast number of people, individuals got lazy as well.

Next year, instead of sending a mass message to all your team, your group of friends, your family, pick a finite number of people that had a significant impact on your life in the past twelve months, and share a personal and emotional message with them. Tell them why this Merry Christmas is different. Tell them what they mean to you. Tell them how they have succeded in their job. And let them know why you want them close in the New Year as well.

The return on this small investment will be huge.

Startup mentality

FabrizioLeave a comment

Startup mentality is a beautiful concept we are gradually wearing out.

It is about not being stuck in hierarchies and roles, being able to spot problems and go about solving them, having the flexibility to do work that matters whenever it is easier for you, feeling at ease with change and appreciating the challenges that come with it, sharing knowledge and experience with others to get better together.

On the other hand, it should not be about getting paid only when things are good and be happy about it, being loyal to the founders no matter what they preach, being on call 24/7, working 60 hours a week for years, competing relentlessly with everybody, being too busy to share, and having a vision of you on a Tesla in three years.

It is a not so subtle difference that might make or break your company. One to remember and often repeat to your colleagues.

P.S.: it is Christmas, and I am going to give away 5 Kindle copies of Storynomics to the first 5 who comment on yesterday’s post, sharing what they are getting from this blog. It is a slow burner, and I am going to run this until January 6th.