Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Even the best speakers were once terrifed

Most of us will have to give a talk or make a public presentation at some time in our lives. It may be to a handful of colleagues or an audience of hundreds. It may be to our chama or god forbid at a funeral. The ability to put your point across in an interesting and informative way is essential. In today’s competitive business world those who can communicate with authority and confidence have a great advantage over their peers. It is a great way to advance your career as well as an opportunity to be seen and heard by clients, peers and management.

If the reason for the speech is social and you’re not comfortable speaking in public you can always decline and no-one will think anything of it after all research has shown that most people would rather die than speak in public! However, if it is part of your job you most probably have no choice. At any rate, today, making presentations is a part of most people's working lives, and it is vitally important to do them well, as good communicators are the ones who make it to the top. Thorough preparation is the key to confidence, which in turn is the key to success, and I cannot emphasise that enough. After all, you never know how much new business could depend on it.

Any sort of presentation takes hours to prepare, not minutes. Having found out why you are speaking and to whom, put yourself in their seats. Try to answer the questions those people want answered and you will get your points across. If you are addressing a group where you know there are specific concerns, address those issues straight away. There are some fundamental rules; you must know your subject, you should be sincere and you have got to be enthusiastic.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Front line tactics

Recently I was contacted via email by the head of an organisation who was interested in the services offered by my company. We agreed on a time to meet at his office. I showed up early (as you always should) and someone directed me to his PA whose desk was down a corridor. A red flag was immediately raised when there was no smile or professional greeting but an indifferent “Yes?” to my presence at her desk. Things began to go pear shaped when after informing her whom I was there to see she failed to ask the next basic follow up question namely my name! The nearest seat where she directed me was back down the corridor next to a file cabinet piled with papers a good ten feet from her desk and then she proceeded to resume her previous activities. I could hear her boss in animated conversation behind the door so presumably she didn’t want to disturb him just yet.

After five minutes I went back to her gave her my name and that of my company and told her I had an appointment. She asked to me to sit down again and said she would let him know as soon as he was done with his conversation. After about ten minutes she went into his office and came back out and sat down without a word to me. So after being in the office for fifteen minutes twiddling my thumbs literally (no reading material anywhere), I had no idea whether he knew I was even here. More than a little peeved off at this point I asked her if he was aware that I was here. She curtly replied “sure” and volunteered no other information. I ended up waiting for another twenty minutes and finally left for another appointment. The boss never came out to see me; I was not updated nor was there any apology issued. As for being offered a drink or some refreshment that was wishful thinking! Granted I was there to solicit his business but what do you think was my first and lasting impression of that organization and my feelings regarding the competency of their core business?

Let’s examine what went so ghastly awry here. The front office can be considered ‘The Nerve Centre’ of any company. It is where the first and lasting impressions about an organization are created. This is the first point of contact with the organization and sets the tone for the culture of that office or business. The people here are vital to the organization as they are the literally the gateway. They are also the first and last customer contact areas. The qualities of front office staff which any organization should vie for include: smart appearance and proper grooming, pleasant nature and voice, good deportment and posture, a willingness to assist visitors, a sound knowledge of the organization, effective communication skills, sober temperament and habits, the ability to work under pressure and grace or flair for public and human relations. Please note that this also includes security staff. Some security guards are so zealous at their job that by the time you have negotiated your way onto the premises you need a sedative to calm down!

The ability to be warm and welcoming yet portray competency and professionalism is essential for them. I don’t necessarily need to be saluted like an army general, but certainly a smile and a friendly greeting is expected. The official language of business in this country is English – which means they should speak in English and not Kiswahili or Sheng or a variation of their mother tongue. I’m talking basic English here, regardless of the accent that I can comprehend when that person is hopefully giving me some indispensable information such as office floor location. And there should be no compromise on hygiene or grooming – remember they are setting the culture and tone of that business.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Business manners

Do manners matter in business and are they even necessary at all? Research has shown your technical ability and academic qualifications account for as little as 15% of getting a job and progressing within an organisation, and as much as 85% really boils down to your people skills and how you navigate office politics. At the crux of this is how you relate to other people - are you the congenial office colleague or the co-worker from hell. A recent study revealed that 40% of new hires into management failed and that the key reason for their failure was their inability to build good relationships with co-workers and subordinates. Good manners are said to be ageless, classless and priceless. If we can raise people’s level of behaviour by increasing their awareness of others as well as giving confidence and self esteem, we may lessen hostility and aggression, and who knows - the world might become a slightly happier place. Good manners never go out of style and are crucial in business.

Manners underpin all good business relationships and it does not take any more time to be nice than it does to be rude and it is one of the things in life that is still free. If we all followed the guidelines of good manners and mutual respect, we would treat each other more kindly, behave more honestly and enjoy greater professional success. People with good manners treat others with civility, think of others before themselves and have respect for each other. People buy from people and so better manners mean better business. Having good manners is an essential business tool but few managers consider whether bad manners are actually harming their business or what the cost is on the overall performance. Bad manners can cost businesses by contributing to loss of revenue and increased customer loss and decreased employee morale.

According to etiquette expert Anna Post, The University of North Carolina in the USA did a workplace study on manners a few years ago, and these were the resutls

Of 775 persons who had an uncivil or mannerless act committed against them:

28% Lost work time avoiding the instigator

53% Lost work time worrying

22% Decreased work effort

12% Actually left their job

You do the math in terms of the negative impact in the workplace.

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Brand Kenya ambassadors

There has been much ado about branding or re-branding Kenya recently. Articles by experts and opinion makers abound about what we need to do to increase investment, trade and tourism and even get citizens to get behind a cause and change the attitude they have towards the country.

What I really want to know is what is the image of Kenyans traveling or living outside of the country? What is the image of the Kenyan student in Kansas, the nurse in Manchester, the manager in Uganda or the bouncer working in Dubai? What about those who carry our flag highest – our sportsmen, ministers, business people and cultural ambassadors. I heard a disturbing story recently about a Minister and his entourage who on a visit abroad at an official dinner broke many of the established rules of common etiquette, protocol and good manners. The group showed up late, drank too much, were dressed inappropriately, had 15th century dining manners, only talked amoungst themselves - and when they did talk to anyone else it was the men trying to chat up (or tune) other women. And these were only some of the most egregious examples by all accounts. It was an embarrassing spectacle for all present who included their host, the mayor and leading businessmen from that city as well as the diaspora Kenyans invited. Our brand, Kenya, took a severe dent that night.

Our rugby players proudly wear the Kenyan colours and airline logo on their jerseys and one hopes that in the lobbies of hotels in Wellington, London and Las Vegas, that they conduct themselves as competent and distinguished citizens in whom we have much pride. Good manners and a great image in the international social arena cannot be overstated. Ask any tourist who visits Kenya and overwhelmingly they will say Kenyans are friendly and hospitable. Is this the same image we have when visiting and living overseas? The good name we enjoy at home can be wiped out by boorish behavior or by a breach of etiquette especially by those in an official capacity or representing the country. When you travel abroad, remember you are an ambassador of Brand Kenya.