I have published this George Bernard Shaw quote before on my Blog but no apologies from me for repeating it. As an 'ex' communications professional - it is one of my all time favourite quotes about communication;
'The problem with communication is the ILLUSION that it has been accomplished'
I am probably (sorry …. definitely!) obsessive about effective communication.
I nearly always respond immediately to e mails.
Not everyone has my obsessive traits - thank God, I hear you say - but often I am very disappointed that acknowledgements or replies just never happen.
What happens to that question I posed?
Does it just disappear into a black hole - never to rise again to the surface?
Did the e-mail not arrive? - I send a chaser just to check the person received the original - a reply sometimes arrives – more often a reply still doesn’t come.
Now I realise everyone is busy and not everyone feels need to respond immediately like me. In fact it is often more effective to consider one's response carefully and not jump in with an instant reply. I have occasionally found that out to my cost!
What really does irritate me though is the complete lack of response.
As I get older I should concern myself less with such things - and concentrate instead on really important issues in life - but to me it is just basic good manners for someone to - at the very least - acknowledge you have contacted them.
There can be few busier people in the world than Tom Peters.
I am privileged that Tom has kindly responded personally a few times to me - even if it is only a couple of words or a short sentence - he ‘finds’ time.
The feeling that your voice has been heard is wonderful and surely it is not too much to ask in these days of instant communication to receive at least an acknowledgment.
Obviously not everyone thinks this is important.... am I expecting too much?
Sunday, June 05, 2005
Friday, June 03, 2005
Silence is Golden
'In the attitude of silence the soul finds the path in a clearer light, and what is elusive and deceptive resolves itself into crystal clearness. Our life is a long and arduous quest after Truth.'
Mahatma Gandhi
I just love this Gandhi quote.
During 2004 I had a month of almost total 'silence' that enabled me to make some life changing decisions.
I shared my innermost thoughts with myself and spent much of the month alone.
Some will think that was self-indulgence in the extreme - and I accept their point of view - but, with the support of Annie, it helped me find a path forward.
During that month I wouldn't say things became crystal clear but it did provide me with a direction to follow.
Some say 'A problem shared is a problem doubled' and whilst I don't sign up to that, I can see the relevance of the remark.
I would rather say 'Seek your counsel wisely.'
On a lighter note ....
Not quite as profound as Gandhi perhaps ....but a 1960's Liverpool band called The Merseys (I think it was - someone will correct me if I'm wrong I'm sure)) had a hit record called Silence is Golden and that says the same thing!
Mahatma Gandhi
I just love this Gandhi quote.
During 2004 I had a month of almost total 'silence' that enabled me to make some life changing decisions.
I shared my innermost thoughts with myself and spent much of the month alone.
Some will think that was self-indulgence in the extreme - and I accept their point of view - but, with the support of Annie, it helped me find a path forward.
During that month I wouldn't say things became crystal clear but it did provide me with a direction to follow.
Some say 'A problem shared is a problem doubled' and whilst I don't sign up to that, I can see the relevance of the remark.
I would rather say 'Seek your counsel wisely.'
On a lighter note ....
Not quite as profound as Gandhi perhaps ....but a 1960's Liverpool band called The Merseys (I think it was - someone will correct me if I'm wrong I'm sure)) had a hit record called Silence is Golden and that says the same thing!
Thursday, June 02, 2005
Trust your staff
Since becoming self employed six months ago I have realised many things about the ‘office’ situation.
One of the things I now advocate - even more than I used to – is that staff working in areas where they are not in direct contact with customers, and who are office-desk based, should be allowed to work the hours they want.
The accountability they have is simply to do the work required in as many hours as it takes.
Yes I know that might sound crazy. But I genuinely do not think it is crazy.
I sometime work now until midnight. Sometimes I don’t start until mid day. Other times I will start at 7 am and then at 2 pm on another day.
My point is that I do not have to ‘report to’ a certain place to be able to do my work in a certain ‘shift.’ Frankly, all I need is a phone and a PC.
I realise, of course, there are other reasons people go into the office such as the personal inter-action but surely if people were allowed to work when they like their inter-action would more likely be of their own choosing rather than being required to sit in the same room as the people they work with – and maybe don’t actually like!
This may seem pie in the sky to those of you reading this who like the discipline of regular hours and times. For me it would be easy to allow people the freedom to choose the hours they work as long as they are fully aware that the buck stops with them for the outcomes.
To me this is another way of proving to our staff that we trust them.
I guess there will be few advocates of this approach.
By the way, I am talking of something here far more radical than good old ‘flexi time’. I am talking about staff making the rules about their own hours completely.
People should not be judged by how many hours they sit at their desk – they should be judged by the outcome of their efforts.
Just a thought ….
One of the things I now advocate - even more than I used to – is that staff working in areas where they are not in direct contact with customers, and who are office-desk based, should be allowed to work the hours they want.
The accountability they have is simply to do the work required in as many hours as it takes.
Yes I know that might sound crazy. But I genuinely do not think it is crazy.
I sometime work now until midnight. Sometimes I don’t start until mid day. Other times I will start at 7 am and then at 2 pm on another day.
My point is that I do not have to ‘report to’ a certain place to be able to do my work in a certain ‘shift.’ Frankly, all I need is a phone and a PC.
I realise, of course, there are other reasons people go into the office such as the personal inter-action but surely if people were allowed to work when they like their inter-action would more likely be of their own choosing rather than being required to sit in the same room as the people they work with – and maybe don’t actually like!
This may seem pie in the sky to those of you reading this who like the discipline of regular hours and times. For me it would be easy to allow people the freedom to choose the hours they work as long as they are fully aware that the buck stops with them for the outcomes.
To me this is another way of proving to our staff that we trust them.
I guess there will be few advocates of this approach.
By the way, I am talking of something here far more radical than good old ‘flexi time’. I am talking about staff making the rules about their own hours completely.
People should not be judged by how many hours they sit at their desk – they should be judged by the outcome of their efforts.
Just a thought ….
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
Sir Bob - cage rattler extraordinary
When Sir Bob Geldof starts asking the questions that most caring human beings want to ask - demanding, for instance, that the world takes notice of poverty - how come the 'doom sayers', the 'spoilers, the 'negatives' and the 'cynics' are immediately having a go at him?
Luckily and thankfully for the rest of us Sir Bob will ignore them and keep asking the right question - thank God he never takes things personally – he would have given up years ago.
He remains focused on simplicity – challenging things he sees as simply unfair and morally unjustified.
It seems to me that some people see the world as a place where change is not welcome and we should carry on ignoring matters that are not immediately in our own back yard.
Regardless of the personal motives for Geldof doing something like this - and I happen to believe the man is genuine - surely he needs our total support on the crusade to re-assess the priorities of the worlds 8 richest economies.
Who in their right mind can argue with re-distributing some of that wealth to our fellow human beings?
Sir Bob is a genuine cage rattler, a rocker of boats and fits perfectly into the Tom Peters description of someone wanting to see change;
'Nearly 100% of innovation – from business to politics – is inspired not by ‘market analysis’ but by people who are supremely pissed off by the way things are.'
I hope Sir Bob keeps asking directly the difficult questions to the worlds 8 leaders and I hope they give him the right answers.
More power to Sir Bob I say
Luckily and thankfully for the rest of us Sir Bob will ignore them and keep asking the right question - thank God he never takes things personally – he would have given up years ago.
He remains focused on simplicity – challenging things he sees as simply unfair and morally unjustified.
It seems to me that some people see the world as a place where change is not welcome and we should carry on ignoring matters that are not immediately in our own back yard.
Regardless of the personal motives for Geldof doing something like this - and I happen to believe the man is genuine - surely he needs our total support on the crusade to re-assess the priorities of the worlds 8 richest economies.
Who in their right mind can argue with re-distributing some of that wealth to our fellow human beings?
Sir Bob is a genuine cage rattler, a rocker of boats and fits perfectly into the Tom Peters description of someone wanting to see change;
'Nearly 100% of innovation – from business to politics – is inspired not by ‘market analysis’ but by people who are supremely pissed off by the way things are.'
I hope Sir Bob keeps asking directly the difficult questions to the worlds 8 leaders and I hope they give him the right answers.
More power to Sir Bob I say
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