Biz-commPulse

Integrated communication (IC), if applied correctly in the business, will help you to build long term relationships with your customers. You can somewhat control how customers feel about your business through unified communication and messaging. I still consider Don Schultz as one of the pioneers of the integrated communications concept. Although theorists are still trying to work out a united definition of what integrated communication entails, the majority of literature on the topic indicates that by controlling all communication the brand of the business is enhanced through a consistent brand image, which could eventually result in better sales. Having loyal customers can only benefit the business through repeated sales. Sounds impossible?  Exactly how can integrated communication be achieved?   ·      The top management must first of all understand integrated communication. Integrated communication can only be achieved when it is implemented ...

The fear of speaking in public is very real and many people’s biggest anxiety. Some people stop breathing, start stuttering and sweat excessively when they need to speak in front of other people. A fear of speaking in public has nothing to do with incompetence. Even people in top positions had to overcome the fear to speak in front of a large crowd of people. Some well-known public speakers still feel butterflies just before they step onto the stage, which is quite normal. I know somebody who never applied for promotion because the new position entailed speaking in public. The good news is that fear of speaking in public is only in the mind and has mainly to do with how a person thinks about him or herself when being in that position. The brain is an amazing organ with unimaginable capabilities. Neuro-programming is a powerful self-improvement technique to help you climb the corporate ladder and to adjust your brain into thinking differently. Fear of public speaking can be overco...

Rumours in the business should be managed through proper communication . As a manager you have the added responsibility to look after the communication in the business, that is to make sure that communication is coordinated, early enough, frequent and clear.  Many large businesses have communications employees to deal with the communication aspects for the business, but it ultimately remains the responsibility of the manager.  It is human nature to discuss issue with you colleagues, especially if there is uncertainty about unforeseen changes in the business or problems with employees.  But it is important to stop or prevent rumours early enough before they get out of hand, damage the reputation of the business or the morale of the employees.  What role should the manager play to put an end or prevent rumours in the business? A weekly blog on the Intranet is increasingly being used by managers worldwide to inform employees about goings-on in the business or to...

Photo credit : Photobin. Are your employees spending too much time reading emails?  Many employees are constantly being interrupted by reading emails throughout the day resulting in a loss of productivity for the business.  Once interrupted by an email, some experts suggest that  employees can on occasion waste up to 30 minutes to get back to work again.  Many of these emails are from colleagues and not really that important.  As a result some businesses now do not allow employees to send emails to their colleagues and only to clients of the organisation.  However, since emails have become essential for daily, instant communication, some businesses even introduced instant messaging for employees to communicate with each other without having to send emails while file sharing through applications such as DropBox or similar  applications are encouraged. What do managers need to do?  Depending on the nature of the business, it is ...

Source: Recruitingcycle.com A business is just as good as its employees and therefore managers aspire to employ only the most talented people.  Not only are talented employees appointed, but star performers are also handpicked for further improvement  of their talents to the benefit of the business through specialised training and skills development programmes. Why is it so important for a business to manage and develop the talent of its star employees? First of all it is an investment the business makes in its employees which will pay off in the long term.  It is considered a strategic advantage for the business by attaining all of its business objectives through highly skilled employees. It cultivates the loyalty of the best employees in the business because it makes them feel appreciated and rewarded to be handpicked for further training. It also improves the performance of these employees in the business as the training is usually directed link...

Source: Freedigitalphotos.net Many business owners want to motivate employees for better productivity but lack the knowledge how to do it effectively.  This, however, might become easier for managers in future as some businesses now contemplate using gamification to motivate employees while others already successfully implemented this.  What is gamification?  Gamification uses game elements such as rewards or badges to reward online users for using a specific service or purchasing a particular product.  In this way users feel appreciated while some might even aspire to gain more rewards.  Game elements also engage users and add a human element to an otherwise impersonal environment. How can gamification be used in a business environment?  First of all the right software should be obtained and installed on all employees' computers.  Once all employees are registered on the system,  the games can begin.  A good point of departure is...

Any change management process requires good communication skills as many employees are naturally resistant to change.  If changes in the business are also not congruent with some employees' self-seeking interests, the challenge for managers is even greater.  Employees also have unique personalities and may react to change differently (also read my post why employees might be resistant to change ). Employees need to prepared for the change in the business and all changes need be reinforced.  What role does communication play in the change management process? Source: Soshable.com Before the changes are implemented, the manager first needs to motivate employees to appreciate the need for the change.   Many employees feel too comfortable in the current status quo and need to see how the changes could benefit them in the long term.   The manager could, for example, communicate current problems in the business and explain how the changes would solve the...