by Phil Jones | Updated 4 Jan, 2018 | Socialising strategy, Strategy as a learning process, Thought provokers
There was a question on a LinkedIn forum recently – “What is a good strategy?” Many have taken that to mean, “What is a good business strategy?” – but I want to widen this, to be a behavioural view of strategy… A view of...
by Phil Jones | Updated 4 Jan, 2018 | Communicating & Socialising Strategy, Strategy communication, Thought provokers
Do you ask your staff to boil down a message? Just give me the one page version” they say. The danger is you can boil down the ocean until there is nothing left but the salt, the sea salt. And you cannot swim in sea salt. Let me explain. I was chatting to a...
by Phil Jones | Updated 4 Jan, 2018 | Communicating & Socialising Strategy, Socialising strategy
Our clients love the idea of socialising strategy, rather than merely communicating their strategy. They understand the distinction between socialising and communicating strategy. When they are socialising their strategy it makes a big difference to how they think...
by Phil Jones | Updated 4 Jan, 2018 | Avoiding communication mistakes, Strategy communication
Have you ever noticed that something you may have said in a conversation, may have sent that person’s mind thinking, to the extent that they are no longer listening to you, but are processing their own ideas and thoughts. Moreover you have no idea what they are...
by Phil Jones | Updated 18 Oct, 2017 | Avoiding communication mistakes, Strategy communication
Mission statements can be fraught with problems but one I came across the other day wins an award for the worst I have ever seen. What sort of organisation do you think this mission statement comes from? Welcome to (Our company) and a team that’s passionate about...
by Phil Jones | Updated 19 Oct, 2017 | Communicating & Socialising Strategy, Communicating bad news
We sometimes have to deliver bad news, communicating redundancy, closures or similar change. Here is practical advice on planning and delivering the messages. Communicating redundancy, closures and other bad news At times you have to make tough decisions: to make...
by Phil Jones | Updated 4 Jan, 2018 | Avoiding communication mistakes
Do not misrepresent and misuse the Mehrabian statistics on non-verbal communication. I would be very surprised if some presenter has not trotted out Mehrabian’s statistics about not verbal communication is only 7% of the communication. 99 times out of a 100,...
by Phil Jones | Updated 18 Oct, 2017 | Strategy communication, Thought provokers
All plans should be burnt…. …and the Chief Executive did just that – in front of his 50 senior managers. Recently the Managing Director of a client organisation was presenting their strategy to the senior managers. He started by openly admitted that...
by Phil Jones | Updated 4 Jan, 2018 | Communicating & Socialising Strategy, Strategy communication
If you are not a natural presenter, just be yourself… Recently I was working in an insurance company and one of the top directors was an Actuary. I don’t know if you know many actuary jokes, but most centre on them not being great communicators. Typically,...