Dancey Growth Group

Stephen Dancey

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Write and Wrong

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This past week I read, and participated in, discussions amongst friends, family, and acquaintances that ranged from civil, to testy, to heated. I was reminded with emphasis how poorly text based social media are suited for accurate and intelligent communication.

For thousands of years, the vast majority of human communication was face to face, where tone, facial expression, and context are much more easily understood. Only in the last 100 years with the telephone (which removed facial context), and just very recently via digital media (which further removed audio context) have many of these interactions transitioned solely to text on apps like Facebook and Twitter.

As I was thinking about this problem, I was listening to The James Altucher Show Podcast (Episode 192 with Stephen Dubner). At 33:30, Stephen Dubner says, “Written communication is very two-dimensional and you’re missing all the inflection, you’re missing humor, people make mistakes in writing and in reading, and I find that a lot of problems I’m constantly encountering, like people failing to follow through, or to do stuff, or to get the idea, are the result of literally poor communication.”

Not to mention the ease with which one can type an update free from proofreading, nuance, or fact-checking combined with digital permanence denies people the chance to say, “I didn’t mean it like that, let me clarify” as they might in a conversation.

What makes matters worse is the virtual echo chambers we find ourselves in, whether chosen by us or for us. On Twitter, as you chose to follow like-minded accounts, you surround yourself with similar opinions. On Facebook, their algorithm increasingly encircles you by news and information and discussions that resonate with your pre-established thoughts. Their goal as a profit-maximizing business is to leave their users with a positive experience, and if that means divergence of opinions are squashed, then so be it.

To further exacerbate the problem, the sensationalized news promotes/derides the vocal minority on the fringes of any group that wants to get publicity, and that viewpoint or inflexibility is ascribed to the entire group.

Now, what does this have to do with business? I run into the same misunderstandings and miscommunications with email as with social media. The rules are the same no matter which media you are communicating with:

  1. Know your audience
  2. Type with clarity to avoid ambiguity
  3. Choose a conversation over text, especially when your subject matter may be inflammatory or divisive

Personally, my rule of thumb is “Never type anything I wouldn’t want to show my grandmother.”

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Keeping Your Briefcase Full

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My grandfather recently told me the story of a consulting engagement he had in 1972. My grandmother asked him, “What makes you qualified to be a consultant?” His answer? “I charge a lot and I come from out of town!”

After we finished chuckling, I thought about the mindset of hiring an outside professional to come into an organization. Are price and distance really the determining factors?

Price:

I’ve heard from multiple professionals in the industry who say that charging enough is critical as proof of value. The immediate thought when someone sees a low price is to question the value of the service they are getting. (I learned as much as I increased my rates trifold in the first six months).

In addition, people continually underestimate their own expertise. For many industries, there are no number of certifications and letters after your name that will convince a small or medium sized business owner that you are an authority worth hiring. More often, the social proof of referrals, testimonials, case studies, and fit in an organization will be the deciding aspect.

Distance:

When I think distance, what I really hear is ‘outside of the organization’. I have been on both sides of the coin-inside when an outside professional has come in, and outside as the ‘experienced professional’.

In both cases, communication is the key to success. Institutional buy-in, cooperation, and a true desire to teach or learn are the means to accomplishment in the organization. When all parties understand their roles, how the outside presence will affect them, and can see what the path forward looks like, then they can fruitfully move forward under the baseline expectations.

My grandfather also told me he brought an expensive leather briefcase to his gig. He said it was because successful people carried briefcases, and it was a signal that he was for real. Of course, it was completely empty. My advice though, is that you’d better be careful-any professional will be exposed in the long run if their metaphorical briefcase is empty.

Sorry Pop!

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Great Expectations

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The other day I told my daughter to finish eating and brush her teeth. At the same time I told my son to put his shoes on and bring the trash bin back in from the street. I was proud in how they listened so quickly, until I realized what had actually happened. After she brushed her teeth, she sat back down to finish eating. And after he ran outside to get the trash bin, he proceeded to put his shoes on.

Were they wrong? No! I failed to set the right expectations for them, and they acted accordingly.

The key to success in operational initiatives is setting and managing expectations.

This flows in many directions:
1. Management to employees
2. Internal staff to external vendors
3. Internal staff to external customers
4. Department to department

Management to Employees

This is the most easily understood flow, but often the most miscommunicated. A good boss or manager will set the metrics that are important to the company and the employee, and use incentives to hold the employee accountable to monitor and act on those metrics. They will also meet periodically to check in on these metrics and troubleshoot issues. Conversely, in a good work environment, the employee will be empowered to share valued feedback with the manager.

Internal Staff to External Vendors

I’ve learned from experience that “if it is not written down, it doesn’t exist”. When you are purchasing goods or services, assume nothing. Over-communicate to the vendor (via email, purchase order, or RFP) to guarantee your needs on delivery deadlines, shipping method, lead-time, product quality, pricing, design requirements, etc. are met. If the vendor doesn’t have a confirmation process, create one. Ideally every vendor is a perfectly oiled machine, but be sure to keep your own can of oil around if they start squeaking.

Internal Staff to External Customer

This is the most crucial to the success of your business. Never take for granted any customer knowledge. At all phases – quoting, sale, delivery, post-delivery customer service – anticipating what expectations your customers have will allow you to confirm or redirect to smooth their experience. Nothing leaves a worse taste in the mouths of customers than disappointment due to unmanaged expectations.

Department to Department

Frequently overlooked, this is vital to company success. Many departments simply don’t understand what each other does, let alone why they do it. Sales will follow no rules, Finance will have too may rules. Marketing never gets back to you, and Customer Service won’t pick up the phone. Departments, in order to most productively work together, must have an understanding of the what and the why, and continue to adjust expectations back and forth as required. Making interdepartmental transparency a priority will prove valuable for the growth of your company.

In interdepartmental projects, the operational role is often project manager. Ensuring that all participants understand their specific role, the timing of deadlines, and how each portion triggers the next step in the process is crucial. And even more important is that each participant understands the reason why and how their component interacts with the next, and the importance of the finished product as significant to achieving the overarching company goal.

While no experience will perfectly match expectations, even incremental corrections can vastly improve the inner workings of any company.

Now, if I could just apply these principles to my children and their inter-sibling squabbles…

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Productivity Through a New Lens

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Improving personal productivity is a persistent theme of current thought leadership, ever present in blogs, podcasts, and books. (I wrote about my own personal productivity methods last year!)

And while this advice is helpful for individual growth, how many of us exist in a vacuum (that would suck!), completely independent of others for our own success? None of us do, of course. We are part of a community that relies on interpersonal skills to prove value, express understanding, and bolster the bonds that generate business.

You can be the most motivated, efficient, and streamlined individual, but if you are a demanding tyrant, all of your gains in personal productivity will be wasted.

The key is that one person’s demanding tyrant is another’s driven boss, and another’s goal-oriented win-at-all-costs manager. Every day we interact with different personality types, different learning styles, different attention spans, and different workplace settings. And our relationships fall across a wide spectrum of overlapping styles, types, and traits, making our self-awareness, perception, and empathy crucial to understanding how to work well with others.

What requires more attention is improving how we interact with clients, colleagues, bosses, employees, vendors, and partners.

Here are some ideas I keep in mind as I navigate my business interactions…

Personality Types:

Whether you’re a fan of the Myers-Briggs, Disc, True Colors, or any other personality test, the vital part is to recognize the indicators of your own personality, and equally as important is to recognize those indicators in others. Understanding how your behaviors coexist with others will offer compelling insights, allowing you to powerfully develop your network and collaborate effectively.

We depend on mutually beneficial relationships, and there is no better way to strengthen those relationships than with a true understanding of what makes people tick. Remember the last time you tried to discuss the details of a project with a creative person?

Learning Styles:

I learn by seeing and hearing a topic being discussed, but putting a book in front of me and asking me to retain the content is a futile task. I also listen to different audio content (music with no lyrics, music with lyrics, or podcasts) that demands varied attention levels to help me focus on my main task at hand. Right now I am listening to Miles Davis. (I guess growing up in a household with five siblings now forces me to employ constant noise to feel at home and comfortable!)

I know that this is not universal, however. Acknowledging how your team members (at any position on the field) learn best allows you to customize to the efficiencies and preferences, leading to better results.

Attention Spans:

I’ve been listening to the Faster Than Normal podcast recently, hosted by Peter Shankman. His first guest was Dr. Edward Hallowell, aka the ‘Father of ADHD’, author of Driven to Distraction.

He discusses using your attention span, whether diagnosed or not, as a superpower, since the flip side of ADD/ADHD is an ability to hyper-focus on a subject that has grabbed your attention.

I see this in many CEOs, as these traits often manifest in a dogged pursuit of a business goal, all the while ignoring the naysayers who might tell you said goal is unattainable. As I work with more and more people, I’ve identified the need to tailor my business to maximize the output from each person.

Workplace Settings:

Do you prefer a darkened office, or a sun-drenched open workspace? The settings that are invigorating for one person may be overstimulation for another. While I like a consistently noisy backdrop, I realize that some people work best in quiet settings, or in a coffee shop with many distractions, or outside in a park.

In addition, businesses that have established a collaborative team atmosphere, versus those that are reliant on individual performances, need employees, managers, and outside consultants to factor these when any new or modified initiative is begun. Or maybe schedule a team lunch?

The main idea in all of this is that one size does not fit all. We all act differently, think differently, work differently and thus the need to support others in getting into their ‘zone’ for maximum productivity is an important tool for success.

And if you are reading right now, thinking, is he talking about me? The answer is yes.

What did I miss? What have you experienced?

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Grabbing Coffee? How to Jolt Your Small Business

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I read this article recently at Observer called “How to Politely Turn Down People Who Want to ‘Grab Coffee Sometime.’” The author, Noah Kagan, of AppSumo, lays out his methods for avoiding in-person interactions at all costs.

My motto has always been to do what works for you in, especially in marketing and networking, and that takes many forms. To date I have tried these methods: membership in frequently meeting groups, attendance at social style events, maintaining a website, blogging, all styles of social media, and one hour get-to-know-you meetings with other professionals.

And while avoidance may work for Mr. Kagan, most people are not the Chief Sumo of a national brand. Mr. Kagan assumes a one-way relationship, in which the other party is incapable of bringing anything to the table. Although, confusingly, he uses group meetings successfully.

The world in which I live is sustained by these very types of personal meetings. For a small business owner who works with other small business owners, the connection is a key. Most importantly, I open as many doors as I can for others, without the need to expect reciprocity. I know that in turn, doors will be opened for me as well.

Remember, you never know who knows the next important contact for you! Meet people, build a network, and be a reliable resource for your connections.

While I appreciate that Mr. Kagan has found a system that works for him in efficiently managing his time, I would encourage him to open his eyes to the possibility of a positive experience.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need another cup.

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Scams, Spam, and Pork: A Week in an Email Inbox

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I heard someone once say “your inbox is someone else’s to-do list for you.” It is not under your control and should not be the guide to how you run your day. In an effort to manage this I decided to track my inbox distractions.

I was originally planning on this being “a month in an email inbox”, but after just one week, I had more than enough non-essential emails to analyze and see just how much time I was wasting. In an attempt to streamline my own workday and become more efficient, I’m adding these to my Daily Distraction Total (DDT-not to be confused with this or this).

In just one week I received 125 emails that I consider Scams (blatant attempts to steal my identity, money, or compromising photos), Spam (business related emails that I had no connection to), or Pork (business related emails that I did have a connection to).

  • Surprisingly, I only received 7 outright Scam emails, or 5% of my email DDT. Luckily, I did not fall for any of these, although I did make some international friends that are starting new business ventures. You can’t do much about these, so I crossed my fingers that my filters will continue to work well.
  • Likewise, I only received 16 Spam emails. These newsletters/offers may be interesting to some, but I had no idea how they got my email, and the content was not at all relevant to me. These were all a quick ‘unsubscribe’. This 12% of my DDT is now permanently gone, and I won’t think twice about it.
  • What I didn’t expect was that the vast majority (75%) of my DDT was from emails that I had control over, or Pork! I had 92 emails that were newsletters I had signed up for, social media notifications, and professional organization event notices. I went on a rampage of unsubscribing and setting my email permissions to take in this information in a usable manner. However, I did have a couple that I stayed with for relationship preservation reasons, even though I don’t consistently see value in them.
  • When it all came down to it, I had 10 emails that I wanted, anticipated, and enjoyed, a mere 8%. Good content is hard to come by!

Managing your own time is a key to remaining and improving efficiency. Reducing email distractions is just one way. What other tools do you use to keep focused?

While you think about it, I need to go take those compromising photos off the cloud.