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COMMUNICATION INTENTIONS

Candor
  • Disclose, announce early.
  • Explain reasoning and reasons.
  • Discuss options, alternatives considered.
  • Provide unsolicited helpful information.
Openness / accessibility
  • Be available.
  • Be willing to respond.
Truthfulness
  • Point of reference matters more than facts.
  • Unconditional honesty, from the start.
Apology
  • Verbalize or write a statement of personal regret, remorse, and sorrow.
  • Acknowledge personal responsibility for having injured, insulted, failed, or wronged another.
  • Humbly ask for forgiveness in exchange for more appropriate future behavior and to make amends in return.
Responsiveness
  • Every concern or question, regardless of the source, is legitimate and must be addressed.
  • Answer every question; avoid judging the questioner.
  • Avoid taking any question personally.
  • Build followers and be nice, even in the face of anger or aggressive negativity. Anger and arrogance
  • create plaintiffs.
Empathy
  • Action always speaks louder than words.
  • Action illustrates concern, sensitivity, and compassion.
  • Act as though it was happening to you or someone you care about.
Transparency
  • Our behavior, our attitude, our plans, even our strategic discussions are unchallengeable, positive, and explainable.
  • Our families would be comfortable reading about our actions, decisions, and discussions on the front page of tomorrow’s newspaper.
  • No secrets (because important things and stupid stuff always come out).
Engagement
  • Face-to-face is the communications approach desired by just about everyone.
  • Those who challenge us most will require aggressive positive interaction.
  • Our base and those who give us permission to operate expect us to deal with unconvincibles and victims.
  • Direct interactive response, even negotiation, empowers the initiator.
Clarification & Correction
  • Relentlessly correct and clarify the record.
  • Prompt, positive, constructive elaboration of the facts preempts critics and empowers employees and supporters.
The Lukaszewski Group Inc. 100 South Bedford Road, Suite 340, Mount Kisco, NY 10549 U.S.A.,
914.681.0000-Office 914.681.0047-Facsimile 203.948.7029-24/7
Copyright © 2009, James E. Lukaszewski. All rights reserved.
Permission to print one copy for personal use is hereby granted by the copyright holder.
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