Ie application cca
- 1. You have just participated in an important meeting with your superior. How will you ensure that the instructions received will properly reach all subordinates, suppliers and clients, located in different parts of the world?
- 2. Plan
- 3. First you must prioritize the messages… 1. Plan Prioritizing by importance and timing will ensure everything gets done before the deadline with the highest quality possible. Importance Of the task to be undertaken Of the Receiver High: The 20% that gives 80% of results Medium: Neccessary but no added value Low: Optional, marginal value High power over processes/outcome Medium power over processes/outcome Low power over processes/outcome Timing Tasks that take a long time Bottlenecks Time Zones Example: Speaking to the managers of certain divisions or providers, to explain what may be required of them and solve any issues. Example: Starting the bureaucratic procedures necessary to obtain a permit for the activity you want to undertake in a country. Example: Set up conference calls that fit into everyones schedule within the time during which the work day of the different geographies overlap
- 4. … followed by an analysis of the receiver… 1. Plan By analyzing the receiver of the message we will be able to adjust its channel and form to better suit his preferences, promoting greater fluidity and understanding. Cultural differences: customs, etiquette, work ethic… Relationship: good, bad, long term or temporal Language Hierarchy
- 5. … to choose the best communication methods 1. Plan Phone Call: Talking directly with a person, either face to face or through a phone call, is the fastest and most personal way of communicating. It reduces misunderstandings and usually makes the receiver respond faster to the tasks than if sent by mail. Conference/Video conference: Best way to organize teamwork, resolve issues and brainstorm ideas. Fast problem solving and milestone setting for each part in a consensuated manner. E-Mail: Less personal and fast than the previous channels, but convenient to send fast tasks to different parties and geographies without depending on their availability. It makes it possible to send files and makes it easier to organize and store the responses. Intermediary: In certain situations, employing on-site support in the geographies or with certain providers/clients can ensure faster responses and keeps realtionships strong. Finaly we will choose the communication channel/method most adequate for each task and receiver:
- 6. Execute
- 7. Kick off communicating the most important … 2. Execute To start with, we will make phone calls to the persons that are to be responsible for the highest priority tasks (both in importance and timing), if their geographies timeframe overlaps with ours. We will also set up conference calls/video calls to organize the different teams, brainstorm ideas and solve issues. E-mails will be sent to those in the most distant geographies and those with which we haven´t been able to contact by phone. They will also be used to summarize/refresh what was discussed and agreed during the phone calls and conference calls. Phone & Conferences first Email if unreachable and to summarize/refresh
- 8. …without forgetting the personal touch… 2. Execute Relationships with providers and clients require special care as hierarchical power does not apply in these cases. We may find resistance to changes or actual hurdles due to their logistics or setup. They may not prioritize our needs or be downright hostile for other reasons. Thus the use of intermediaries, either on-site staff or people from other companies with which we have agreements, can prove very useful. They can gather information which the provider/client might not want to discuss directly. They provide a more personal touch, which in some cultures is a must for making business. They can make pressure to speed up the provider and make him prioritize us.
- 9. …finishing with medium to low priority tasks 2. Execute Phone calls and conferences are time consuming and difficult to organize, thus they should be used to communicate high priority issues. However, the bulk of the communication will be done through e-mails, as they provide unique benefits: 1 2 Can be sent at any time, independently of the time zone Give the receiver time to think and organize him/herself Easy to organize and find any message that you may need to consult3 Can be sent to many different recipients at the same time4 Cheap and time-efficient5
- 10. Control
- 11. Everything discussed needs to be supervised 3. Control No matter how well the communication is done and how efficiently everything is organized, it can all be for nought if left unsupervised. This must be done on all levels, in one way or another, as it is crucial for the detection of problems/errors and the correct completion of the project. Planning deadlines, task distribution, minutes of meetings etc. Checklists, progress reports, emails… Periodic conference calls to analyze the level of progress, completion of milestones, executive reports… “Regular feedback is one of the hardest things to drive through an organization”.-Kenneth Chenault