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“Creating Successful Leaders”

May 15, 2013 Good Writing Matters

Just as any good writer must know the subject they’re writing about, a good leader must be able to communicate well, and this includes strong writing.

You don’t need to become a novelist to write well. Whether it is an e-mail, memo, initiative, or presentation, good business writing follows these principles: clarity, succinctness and authenticity. Here are some quick and easy tips to help you write in this manner.

Write Short Sentences That Mean What They Say

Limit sentences to one idea each, only at first. It’s actually pretty hard to write a short sentence that is both clear and to the point. We tend to add words over weak sentences in an attempt to make them more professional sounding, but this usually backfires and makes us sound like we’re trying too hard. As New York Times editor Verlyn Klinkenborg puts it:

“It’s perfectly possible to make wretched short sentences. But it’s hard to go on making them because they sound so wretched and because it’s easy to fix them. Making them longer is not the way to fix them.”

You won’t need lots of big words if the core of your sentence has a strong idea. Once you feel comfortable with short and sweet, you can begin fleshing out your sentences. But only use words you know…

Use Words You Know

I encourage people to use strong action verbs on their resumes. These are words that follow the first two of our three writing principles in that they describe specific actions (clarity) with a single word (succinctness).  You may be thinking, wait, wasn’t I just told to avoid big words? Well, yes and no.

If you can use action verbs appropriately, then please use them and use them often! The trouble comes with those who use words in ways that do not make sense.

If you aren’t sure about a word, don’t use it until you look it up. Be sure to read examples of it used in a sentence.

Write In Your Own Voice

I think many miss the point that writing is an extension of our communication toolkit, and therefore an extension of ourselves. This may be due to negative experiences in school, where it seemed as if all the writing rules smothered a person’s unique voice.

Well, I’m telling you now that writing should always reflect a part of you. You must always be authentic with your words. Don’t betray yourself to big words you do not mean or big ideas you do not believe. Write what you know and what you believe. Disingenuous writing isn’t convincing and hinders real communication within an organization.

In this way, writing can be pretty empowering. You get to share your views in your unique way.

For more specific writing advice, check out my posts on resumes and cover letters.

Reference

Klinkenborg, Verlyn. Several Short Sentences about Writing. New York: Vintage Books, 2013, page 11.

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May 8, 2013 Are Middle Managers Still Relevant?

Researcher Behnam Tabrizi recently conducted a study to examine whether middle managers are still relevant in a world where executives have direct access to the front lines of their businesses. The results of the study showed that not only are middle managers still important, but the successful ones had a direct hand in the success of their company.

Based on the results, Tabrizi crafted three “rules” for being a successful middle manager:

Alignment

Successful middle managers were able to see how their own personal aspirations lined up with the greater aim of the company. This notion of alignment is similar to ideas I shared in a previous post. Accommodating someone’s personal goals does more than simply make them feel good about their job; research continues to show that it has a direct, positive impact on the company.

Authorship

Successful businesses gave middle managers the power to initiate projects. According to Tabrizi, “organizations create cross-functional teams of MLMs, who author change and innovation plans that turn executives’ visions into concrete steps.” Putting the power of the initiative into the hands of middle managers provides them a sense of ownership and commitment to success.

Action

Because middle managers in Tabrizi’s study were authoring initiatives, he stresses that they must be responsible for the enactment of their plans. They are the foot soldiers who must work through obstacles on a daily basis. It’s not always a glamorous job, but they’ll be motivated by the fact that they authored the initiative, not some out-of-touch executive.

This study puts the scientific stamp of approval on the things we already knew: that managers who didn’t share the common aspirations of their company don’t make good managers; that the company must place trust in their managers to come up with initiatives of their own; and that managers who work through enacting their own initiatives do much better than when they are handed an initiative from above.

Here’s a link to Tabrizi’s article.

Eager to learn more?  Read my post about authentic leadership HERE.

Happy managing!

Tabrizi, Behnam. “New Research: What Sets Effective Middle Managers Apart.” Harvard Business Review, May 8, 2013.

http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2013/05/reinventing_middle_management.html

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May 1, 2013 Telling A Story With Your Presentation

Exciting new technologies are now available which turn a droll presentation into something truly captivating. Let’s face it: Power Point has been with us since Pagers. It’s probably fair to say that sitting through meetings full of pie charts, bar graphs and poorly-cropped clip art is getting kind of old.

Great Presentations Tell A Story

Data is vitally important to business. We all know it, but it’s tough to get interested in plain old numbers. To understand data, we need to apply it, put it in terms that make sense. A good presentation therefore rests upon your ability to explain the hows and whys of the data you’re sharing.

New interactive applications allow for you to do this in a manner that tells the story behind the data, gives it context, and clearly shows how it relates to each and every member of the team.

Prezi is a website which provides interactive templates that lead the viewer through a story. Here’s an example:

Their basic templates and services are free, and you can upgrade to even more extravagant applications with a fee. Here’s their website: http://prezi.com/

But remember, tools like Prezi are only as good as you make them. There’s quite a bit of potential in interactive presentations, but with said potential is also the risk of going overboard. Here are three tips to keep in mind when drafting your presentation.

Use Less Than You Think

Less motion, fewer pictures, fewer flashy effects. You want to keep your viewers tuned in the entire time, and overstimulating them will turn them off to your message. The effect of any attention-grabbing techniques should always be intentional, which leads me to point two…

Highlight The Data With Attention-grabbers

Bring attention to the data you’re presenting with motion, images and other dynamic visual techniques. Do this intentionally and sparingly to highten the overall impact of the data. Finally…

Keep The Story In The Viewer’s Mind Throughout

Weave the data into a larger narrative. Lead the viewer from one point of data to the next in logical, incremental steps. Wrap the presentation up with a larger application of said data and your own conclusions. Perhaps open it up for discussion so others have a chance to verbalize their thoughts. I make these suggestions–keeping the data within a narrative, applying it, and relinquishing the floor–for one simple reason: doing these things will help the audience remember your presentation long after you’ve finished. This is the goal of any presentation. You want to make an impact on your audience past the 20 minutes or so of the time they give you. 

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