How many times have you had a bad feeling about a situation or a person, only to have your concerns confirmed?
Top executives tend to be very decisive, and a lot of that certainty comes from their instincts, not their processes.

You gut instinct isn’t perfect, however. It can steer you away from situations that may not be comfortable for you, but that are necessary for your company’s success.
For example, cross-cultural hiring may take a deliberate effort to ignore some of the warning signals going off in your head.
The rest of the time, learn to trust your gut.
My favorite trick is …read more

Remembering birthdays and anniversaries seems like such a predictable thing, but it’s a sign that you respect the people you deal with.
Whether it’s a client, a co-worker, or someone else in your life, it helps to keep track of the little details that matter to them.

Professional milestones, personal red letter days, religious holidays or national holidays in countries other than your own — knowing and remembering them is a handy excuse to connect.
I am awful at remembering dates and names, so you’re going to have to do like I say and not like I do on this one.
As a …read more

A good way to maintain a network is to help others.
Find some useful information? Pass it on. Forward it to the person or people you know will find if most useful.
Hear about an opportunity? Let someone know about it.
It probably won’t take very long, but it will help others and keep you in mind when they come across something that might benefit you.
Technorati Tags: tips,advice,business,communications,public relations,networks,social networks

The average person in business receives too many memos, e-mails and news alerts in a given day to pay close attention to all of them.
Unless you can communicate quickly  what value will come from reading your information, they may not even get past the heading.

Assuming you are distributing something that has value to people, it’s your responsibility to signal that value in the first few words.
And if you can’t think of a reason people would find the information valuable, maybe you shouldn’t be wasting their time with it.
Technorati Tags: influence,business,communications,values,teasers,stickiness,answers,information,words

There’s a temptation to include custom measurement in every communication activity, rather than doing some global measurement.

It’s great to canvas your customers, employees, suppliers and others from time to time about their expectations and how well you’re meeting them.
If you communicate in three different ways with a person, you don’t need to send them three different surveys.
But if you your measurement tools are more noticeable than the information you’re trying to communicate, they can cause survey fatigue among the people you most want to hear from.
Create feedback loops that aren’t intrusive. And when you do send out a survey …read more

Reporters are often looking for a follow-up angle for a news item.
If your company sells travel insurance, for example, there are frequent news stories about tourism, travel interruptions, health alerts, big storms and airport security.

Your goal isn’t just to get mentioned in the media. You should also be positioning your organization as a reliable commentator on your industry.
If you can also work in a mention of the products you sell, or your unique selling proposition. fine. But don’t sacrifice a reporter’s time just to push your messages in an inappropriate situation.
You’re creating a reputation as a reliable source …read more

Too many interviewers think their job is to look smart.
The job of the interviewer is to create an environment in which the subject of the interview is as open, animated and coherent as possible. If jumping on a couch and behaving like an orangutan (with a hat tip to Tom Cruise) is what it takes to achieve that, then that’s what they do.
Instead of proving how intelligent you are, use an interview to achieve your goals.
Ask dumb questions. Ask open-ended questions that force the person to explain more.
Leave your ego at the door, and you may find yourself getting the …read more

There are many instances when you can’t provide advance notice to business partners about an announcement.

But when collaboration is possible, take advantage of the chance to give organizations that you’re partnering with a chance to get their communications planned.
If there are restrictions on the distribution of information, be clear about those restrictions. If you need feedback on the facts and statements, ask explicitly for that help.
It’s much easier to fix problematic wording ahead of time. After you’ve made the information public, it’s harder to track down everyone who’s using the information and getting it corrected.
Other Quick Tips from Common …read more

In most cases, go straight for your goal.

That doesn’t mean you have to use linear thinking. If the best way to finish a project is to sidestep something that’s in the way, do it.
Don’t overcome problems that don’t need to be overcome. Keep your eye on your goal, and don’t be distracted.
(I give good advice, but don’t always follow it.)  :-)
Technorati Tags: business, communications, public relations, problem solving, advice, decisions, projects, management, productivity, goals, objectives, targets, getting things done

There are times when it’s important to pore over a document (or a video, or whatnot), refining until you’ve got it perfect.
Then there’s the rest of the time, when getting close to perfect probably took more time than the task was worth.

If you find it difficult to complete tasks because the thought of making a small mistake interferes with your sleep, you need to take a few chill pills and call me in the morning.
The advantage of good enough is that you can do it quickly.  In the time it would take to endlessly recraft a message, you can …read more