Communication Ideas for Leaders & Managers |
What's your Reputation Quotient?By: Robert F. Abbott Haven't heard of the Reputation Quotient? Well that's two of us. I just recently discovered the RQ, as it's called. In a nutshell, Reputation Quotient refers to a company's ranking in an annual corporate-reputation survey by the Reputation Institute and the market-research firm Harris Interactive Inc. It includes only highly visible corporations, and rankings are based on extensive polling of American consumers. Think of it as the Peoples' Choice Award for corporate reputations. As with most awards, the rewards are somewhat abstract. But, for companies that can't easily differentiate themselves from competitors, the award will have value. For the others, there's always that indefinable but prestigious idea of goodwill. Which may or may not translate into greater sales and profits. Criteria for the award include emotional connection, quality of products and services; social responsibility; financial performance; vision & leadership; and the workplace environment. Overall, the best way to win the award is through great customer service, which turns out to be a key component of emotional connection and other criteria. As a senior Harris executive notes, excellent customer service leads to a stronger emotional connection with customers, as well as increased confidence that the company stands behind its products. Let's note how big a role corporate communication, both internal and external communication, plays in winning the award. Customer service, for example, is almost entirely about communication. In particular, it involves listening to customers and their troubles. It's not just solving problems, it's also providing a sympathetic ear and an empathetic tone. Product or service quality, as we know from Total Quality Management days, begins with customers, with listening to and watching them. In essence, they send messages and we'd better be listening. Quality is always judged by the consumer, not the vendor. Financial performance may not fit our common ideas about communication, but it does have a place. Strong financial results communicate that shareholder interests have been served, that jobs are secure, and that suppliers can safely extend credit. Vision and leadership - there's not much other than communication in this double-barrelled criterion. Yes, some character traits affect vision and leadership, but most of all they involve the articulation of a common goal, and someone who will guide the organization as it moves toward the goal. And, how does a leader guide an organization? With good communication, of course. Workplace environment has many components, including corporate communication. Think of the critical role of communication in allowing the integration of diverse operations, of its role in lubricating the social gears, and of its basic information-transfer function. In summary, corporate communication plays an overarching role in creating and maintaining reputations, both personal and corporate. It weaves itself into and through every criterion that defines reputation. To read another article, click here More communication resources...Want to make your writing more lively, more interesting, and more effective? Robert Abbott shows you three quick and easy techniques for achieving those goals, and as a result, getting better results. You get the techniques, a practice document, and an example document in one concise booklet.
One of my favorite resources on public speaking is a free newsletter that arrives by email -- Tom Antion's Great Speaking. Whether you're an experienced speaker/presenter or you're just getting started, this newsletter will help you.
Effective communication begins with a strategy. A plan and a statement that ensure you put your words into the right framework. How to Craft a Communication Strategy, guides you through the four steps involved in developing a strategy and a statement for the strategy. Want to know more? http://www.effective-communication.com/booklets.htm
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What do you need to know before you begin writing or designing your newsletter? Find the answers in A Manager's Guide to Newsletters: Communicating for Results, the response-focused newsletter book. It was written by Robert F. Abbott, who wrote most of the communication articles you've seen above.