Powerful, Practical Positivity

It always amazes me how powerful optimism can be.  When you spin your words positively, your outlook changes and you tend to think in the affirmative rather than the negative.  Your positive attitude transfers to your co-workers or your family and friends, who then begin to think positively about their own situations.  Contagious and addictive, optimism is a powerful tool.  The trick is to change your outlook at the start.

If you listen to the words that come out of your mouth, you may find that even "non-complaints" take on a negative tone.  Often the tone itself makes the comment sound like a complaint, even if you are stating mere fact.  Here is an example:

"My meat is overcooked.  I asked for it rare, but it doesn't even have a tint of pink in the center."

If you use the same sentiment, but take a positive spin on the words themselves, you wind up with:

"I believe that I asked for my meat cooked rare, and it looks overcooked."

Instead of focusing attention on what you did not receive, you turn your audience's attention to the straight facts: the original request and the result.  The first example can be construed as a complaint, while the second can be interpreted as a statement.

Listen to your co-workers and friends.  Do you hear the difference between a true complaint and a comment posed in a critical way?  When someone complains constantly, you tend to tune them out, or absorb some of their negativity.  Like positivity, negativity is also contagious, and it spreads rampantly.  When one person in the office complains about how stressed she is, she wears her stress out on her sleeve.  Others in the office will see that, feel the pressure themselves, and so they will adopt a stressed mentality as well.  If, however the stressor is actually energized by her workload, using Adrenaline to her advantage, her energy will transfer to the office, and others will begin to bounce around their workloads as well.

Karl Staib of Work Happy Now explains his experience in his blog series, "No Complaining."  Karl referenced the site A Complaint Free World, and for 30 days, he listened to his words, used positives instead of negatives, and refrained from co-complaining with others for the sake of empathy.  In his final post, Karl explains that his mindset has changed for the better, and he has seen a change in how others regard him.

A happy office is a productive office, so it pays to take an extra moment to spin your words toward optimism.  If you keep an eye on it, you will see a change in your overall mood in the office.

| Photo credit: Have-A-Nice-Day.org |

A Long Post About Short Words

In our on-the-go society, the latest way to communicate is through abbreviated words and acronyms. These methods of shorthand are very convenient and efficient; you can convey a lot of information with very little text. Unfortunately, we run into the issue that the information itself is not always clear. When you use acronyms or shorthand, you must assume that the reader understands what your code words mean.

Acronyms can be industry-specific (SQL) or universal (USA). Often, we develop the acronym to resonate when spoken, and somehow reference that which it describes (TARP is an acronym for Troubled Assets Relief Program which is the 2008 US stimulus package in response to the subprime mortgage crisis; the pronounced word "tarp" is a waterproofed canvas used to cover something up or squelch a fire). We have also adopted some acronyms into our lexicon as the name for the thing itself (laser, radar, ATM, PIN).

When you utilize an abbreviation to explain your intent, it is your responsibility as the writer/speaker to make sure that your audience is already educated about its full meaning. If the initials are used in our everyday language, this is usually not a problem. When speaking on an industry-specific level, however, you cannot assume that your audience is already fully knowledgeable. On formal documentation, you may benefit from detailing the meaning of the initials when you first use them:

The Fine Art show was on display at SFMOMA (San Francisco Museum of Modern Art).

... and then you can feel free to use only the acronym throughout the remainder of the document:

The collection began it's tour in New York, and then traveled to SFMOMA last month.

Without a brief explanation at the start, the use of acronyms tends to elevate the conversation above the general audience. Only those directly involved with the programs discussed will
understand, thus blocking out most of the audience who may be involved in your conversation. It can be viewed as an elitist approach, as if you are speaking a foreign language in front of others.

Similarly, shorthand derived from wireless texting (Text Message Shorthand) has found its way into professional communication. More and more, I see emails written with a shortened greeting, the use of initials rather than a full name, or notes written entirely in shortened text (I am guilty of this myself). Many of the abbreviations used in wireless texting have multiple meanings depending upon the context, or are so new to the digital language that they are not widely recognized. Emails written in short also take on a much more intimate, personal and lax characteristic, removing any professionalism that you may have intended. When coupled with the use of acronyms for hyper-shorthand, the result might be entirely unintelligible.

AFAIU Bob & Mary 8 P-ZA 2DAY @ SFMOMA - TAFN TTUL!

I am entirely in favor of streamlining your communication and making your conversations in the digital age more efficient. I just caution you to use your acronyms and shorthand carefully so that your audience will actually understand what you mean. If you have to explain yourself, you defeat the purpose of shortening your communication in the first place.

| Photo credit: ThadGuy.com |
| Noteworthy post: BlogHarbor |

NO I'M NOT YELLING (now I'm yelling!)

Contrary to what the format suggests, email communication is very sensitive. Your words and all of the space and punctuation between are taken literally and seriously. It is important that you recognize this when using email as a communication tool.

Developed for fast, specific, short-handed written communication, email has evolved into a measure for professionalism and has become a surrogate for actual verbal conversation. This being said, when you write an email, the recipient will often regard the words on-screen the same as your spoken words in a conversation. Fonts and punctuation become important markers for identifying the author's intent. Since we cannot discern emotion or vocal volume/inflection, we must use the words themselves to interpret feeling.

A good example of this is the use of ALL CAPS in an email body or subject. Just the visual appearance of all capital letters sends up a red flag that the writer is upset. Perhaps without intention, the use of all caps sets a negative tone for the email, and puts the reader in a defensive position before she even reads the first word. Similarly, all capitals can suggest a raised voice or a disciplinary stance.

A more subtle instance of implied emotion occurs with punctuation use. A comma is perceived as a pause, professional and thoughtful. A period signifies the end. It may bring closure to a thought, or truncate that thought abruptly. Exclamation points infuse extreme happiness or excitement into your statement, while a question mark implies ignorance about the true answer to the question asked. A dash between words severs a thought mid-way - ellipses (...) require the reader to complete the thought on her own...

Consider the following examples:

PLEASE WORK ON THIS TASK.
THANK YOU.

Please work on this task. Thanks!

Please work on this task.
Thank you,
Kate

Please work on this task...

Please work on this task - thanks.

As you may notice, each example presents it's own subtle, but unique emotional signature.

Be mindful of your implied tone in emails; not only does your email put your thoughts into words, but it also sets the stage for how those words are interpreted. I recommend reading the email aloud to yourself before hitting "send". Your voice may follow the visual cues, which will allow you the chance to modify the text so that it suits your real intent. You have no control over the reader's actual interpretation, but you can do your best to set the correct tone ahead of time.

Thanks!!
-Kate

Phoning It In

The hierarchy of communication at the corporate level is a professional game of Telephone. As a manager, I find myself receiving updates about new processes, new projects or new ideas, and relaying the same to my team. The difference is in my delivery: I usually try to consider the new information before I pass it on so that I might use my own words in my explanation. This also helps me prepare for any questions or concerns that may arise.

Sometimes, when the matter is urgent, I deliver the news in the same way that I received it, without taking the time to review. In this case, my words are not my own, uneasy and often confused, and I leave my team with more unanswered questions than they had at the start. Because I did not take the time to translate my manager's words into my own, I did not fully understand them. My lack of understanding transferred to my team; a game of corporate telephone.

As a manager, you must be careful about the way you describe the "wisdom from above." It is vital that you develop, refine, and constantly use your own voice to deliver information. Your team will respect you since you can tailor your delivery to ensure that everyone understands as well as you do, and answer any questions on the fly. Likewise, you will find that you are able to use that voice when speaking with your own superiors and peers. Your voice will carry above others who simply relay their managers' messages without another thought. You will have the chance to ask questions yourself and perhaps influence the new idea before it hits the newsstands. Your superiors will know you for your voice, and your eagerness to understand. It shows that you are confident enough in the information to reword it for the masses. Rather than a game of telephone, you are opening the lines of communication, and your coworkers will thank you for that.

So, test your vocal chords, and stop using that telephone.
-Kate

Straight from the Horse's Email...

I always say that it is better to speak to someone directly when having a communication issue rather than emailing or writing a note. Emails have a tendency to remove all intention, which opens the door for the reader to interpret whatever emotion or meaning they think comes through the email. It can make for very lengthy email volleys, resulting in a massive miscommunication, bruised egos and hurt feelings.

However, there are some instances where addressing an issue via email is more effective than an in-person confrontation. This depends upon the situation and the recipient of your address, but can provide a buffer of time and space to allow the recipient time to react and think about the issue. I recently experienced an instance when I received an explosive emotional reaction in person, when I expected a very dry, indifferent response. In retrospect, I would have preferred to document the situation in an email, and allow the recipient time to process my concerns. Instead, my words came across as an attack, forcing her to defend and react, rather than consider the situation in full and respond.

It is tough to judge when it is appropriate to resolve conflicts face-to-face or through written correspondence. Take into consideration the issue at hand, and how it will affect the other party's ability to carry on. If it is a small issue of little consequence, but one that needs to be addressed, perhaps it is better to mention in an email. My example above is case in point. If, however, the issue is ongoing or one that may have great consequence for either of you, you must respect the weight of the problem, get in a room, and work it out together.

This is part of management and working closely with others; you have to gauge the situation and each individual’s personality in order to effectively communicate with him or her. It takes extra effort to change your approach for each instance, but will benefit your communication in the long run.

Food for thought...

-Kate

Hello and welcome!

I’ve been reading a blog lately about how to improve happiness at work, and it has inspired me to get off my duff and start a blog of my own. I have been threatening to do this for some time, and it feels good to finally get it going. In the spirit of emerging on the blog scene (albeit a bit late in the trend), I want to outline for you my principals and goals for the writing I will share with you as we go.

• Everything boils down to communication, good or bad. Every issue; war, tiff, promotion, anything involving more than one human; is directly caused or influenced by our ability to communicate clearly. If you approach any challenge with this in mind, you are already one step ahead of the problem because you will proactively try to communicate clearly.
• Vegetables to Careers – try everything once. I firmly believe that most ideas have some merit, and that you cannot fully judge an idea’s success without first giving it a shot. Perhaps you can learn something about the issue at hand even if you try an unsuccessful solution. Perhaps, by trying broccoli, you find that you like the taste but not the texture. This will better inform your vegetable choices in the future, and the same holds true in our work lives. It may not be the solution that you had envisioned, but to try another person’s idea may inform your decision-making down the line.
• Share your success with others – hence the blog! What better way to make the world a happy place than to share your accomplishments so that others may find a similar success. In a capitalist nation, it is easy to hide your success story in an effort to keep a leg-up on the competition. Communication skills must be shared, however, in order to work effectively. One person can communicate clearly, but unless the whole team understands one another, that person will run into a wall at some point. Show and Tell – it worked in Kindergarten, why not in adulthood?

Believe it or not, my background is in the Fine Arts. I have always been a Left-Brained Artist (a contradiction, in other words), so after leaving school with my Masters in Fine Art, what to do with my life? I am here now as an Operations Manager, supervising a team of 4, and loving every minute of it. I thrive on the teaching, the organizing, the conflict resolution, the problem solving… and yes, the communication analysis.

So my hope is that you will enjoy my brief yet regular posts about anything I can share, in an effort to improve your ability to communicate within your own life. Please join me in my endeavors and feel free to comment, guest-post and network.

Cheers!
-Kate