“I can’t believe he wrote that to a client!”
Have you ever found yourself surprised by things your representatives say on behalf of your organization? Instead of blaming them, consider that maybe it’s your fault.
If the problem is a poor command of grammar, spelling, and vocabulary, it probably starts with the hiring process. If you don’t screen for that, don’t be surprised at what you get. But that’s a topic for another day.
It may be the tone, or how they choose to express themselves – even if their grammar is perfect. You probably expect your company to be represented a certain way based on many factors such as your industry, who your clients are, and your company values. A financial service organization in Manhattan serving the uber-rich will expect certain standards of formality and protocol that probably won’t play well for a farm supply store in rural Kansas. And you undoubtedly have many other sometimes subtle, yet important, expectations. But how clearly have you expressed your expectations about the “Voice” of your organization?
Articulating Your Organizational Voice
We’ve seen organizations gain great benefits from defining, discussing, and demonstrating their organizational values. And getting clarity around values lays a solid foundation for enabling the kind of communication you expect to see. Maybe it’s time to clearly articulate how those values get expressed in communication with others.
Define It, Discuss It, Refine It, Demonstrate It
First identify the traits you expect your Voice to exhibit. This would make a great brainstorming exercise for your leadership team. Finding the right Voice often involves finding the right balance between extremes. So define what you think you want, discuss it using lots of examples, refine it for greater clarity, and constantly demonstrate it.
Ask others to point out times where they believe you’re not using the right Voice. That may create opportunities to further clarify the Voice, or it might help you use it better (probably both!)
Here are just a few examples of traits you might consider when defining your organization’s Voice:
- Confidence/humility – Knowing our capabilities while admitting what we don’t know or can’t do.
- Consistent use of key phrases – Proper use of key words that represent your branding and values.
- Crisp & Concise – Don’t use three words where one will do.
- Audience awareness – Recognizing when we’re not communicating well and appropriately adapting to the person you’re talking to.
- Relational but professional – When do we use first names vs. “Mr./Miss/Mrs.”
- Upbeat – Encouraging, optimistic…How should this impact how we deliver bad news?
Who Do You Want to Define Your Voice?
This can be hard work. But that’s why you need to do it. Otherwise, each person will decide your Voice on their own.
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