Page 17 - The Voice of Authority

Lack of coordination of routine tasks; details “falling
between the cracks”
Rework

Gossip, rumors
“Us” against “them” attitudes and conversations
Poor team “chemistry” (either open expressions of
hostility or silent withdrawal and cynicism)
Jargon and “double-speak” between departments

How Did We Sink to This State of Affairs?

The “Spray and Pray” Mentality

One of the three biggest communication challenges, ac-
cording to directors of communications, is getting senior
executives to pay more than lip service to the idea. Shellye
Archambeau, CEO of a technology firm called Metric-
Stream, uses the “spray and pray” phrase to label execu-
tives who shower people with information and hope they
can make sense of it, thus creating the illusion that every-
one is informed.
In my own consulting practice, I’ve yet to discover a sen-
ior executive who doesn’t say that “people are our most
valuable asset” and “communication is vital to our suc-
cess.”
But when feedback from an employee survey reveals
communication breakdowns, these same executives scratch
their heads: “What are they talking about? We bombard
them with information! It’s on the intranet. It’s on the Web.
We had a teleconference on that issue last Thursday. They
have an 800 number to call. We have monthly staff meet-
ings. I don’t see how we could possibly give people more
information. What do they want?”

There Is Just No Communication around Here 5