Byword

December 2010

Byword Buzz- December Events Not to Miss
1) December 1 IABC Phoenix trek: Anyone interested in joining a contingent of IABC Tucson chapter members in a ride up to the Tempe Center for the Arts on Dec. 1, 5:30pm, for IABC Phoenix Networking Night? IABC Phoenix's annual Network Night– Your Backstage Pass, gives guests exclusive access to meet and greet with communicators from varied industries for a rocking night of mingling, refreshments and the chance to bid on some amazing silent auction items. Live music, light appetizers and a drink ticket are included in the price of admission. Please contact events@iabctucson.com if you are interested. See the IABC Phoenix website for additional information.

2) December 14 PRSA Holiday Happening: From 4 to 6 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 14, take an opportunity to mingle with fellow Tucson communicators and enjoy treats at the Arizona Inn with a short magic presentation by the Carnival of Illusion. More info to come; for now, save the date!

3) IABC Tucson Indies Holiday gathering now in planning stage. Watch for additional details.

4) December Web Seminars: On the heels of our successful November 10 event, the chapter is now making plans for another IABC web seminar. Under discussion is the: Building a Case for Social Media: Why It's Vital to Your Brand's Success & How to Get the C-SUITE on Board presentation by Marketwire's EVP of Marketing/Media/Editorial Operations Paolina Milana. Please help us determine interest level in this seminar by emailing us. Seminar might be held week of December 13.

Powerful Presentations Web Seminar Held Nov. 10

If you attended our Powerful Presentations Web Seminar (Wed.Nov. 10 at UA's BIO5 conference room), you networked with great people and participated in an interesting web session presented by James E. Lukaszewski, ABC, APR, Fellow PRSA.

Nuggets about Three Powerful Techniques from James E. Lukaszewski's web seminar follow:

1. Packaging and bundling

  • Verbal skill is the single most powerful tool leaders have. It takes intentionally applied verbal skill to build followership, get attention and accomplish something.
  • The most powerful verbal technique is the use of small verbalized numbers. If you tell an audience that the three essential ingredients of your survival are…you’ll likely have them reaching for a pencil
  • Using numbering sequences of five or less triggers a magical powerful effect.  If you are speaking to someone who is angry, you could interrupt and ask them, "What are the two most urgent matters we need to fix?"

2. Stories
Small numbers get people to focus. But we learn from stories speakers tell us. Stories have very recognizable and understandable structures. Stories have:

  • A beginning, middle and end, told in plain language.
  • Non-technical language.
  • Recognizable subjects like people, animals and living systems.
  • Brevity (150–300 words).
  • Urgency (power words such as "important," "essential," "crucial," "urgent," "new").
  • Positive language (very few stories use negative words or phases).
  • A lesson, a moral or a self-evident truth.
  • An anecdote is a story that contains useful information but lacks a punch line.

Stories are powerful ways to convey things that have meaning in our lives. Powerful speakers are powerful storytellers.

3. Chronology: The most powerful simplifier
Even the most complicated subjects can be explained when organized in a chronological fashion. Using chronology as a speaker is doubly powerful because you have a wide variety of elements to bring into your description. Powerful images help simplify, focus and help audiences stay with you and benefit from the time you are taking to explain things.

News from around our international IABC organization

2011 GOLD QUILL AWARDS CALL FOR ENTRIES NOW OPEN
Choose from 27 categories to get recognized for your stellar communication work. The awards are open to members and non-members of IABC. Go to www.iabc.com
Early bird deadline: 28 January 2011
Final deadline: 4 February 2011

IS YOUR CEO AN EXEMPLARY COMMUNICATOR? NOMINATE HIM/HER FOR THE 2011 EXCEL AWARD
The IABC Excellence in Communication Leadership (EXCEL) Award recognizes contributions to business communication by an organizational leader, who is not a member of IABC. The recipient will accept the award and give a keynote address at the IABC World Conference in San Diego on 12–15 June 2011. Nominations must be received by 7 January 2011. Visit the EXCEL Awards web site for further information and the nomination form.

2011 FELLOW AWARD CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
The IABC Fellow Award is a professional career award. All IABC members are invited to nominate another member for the IABC Fellow Award. Nominations must be received by 7 January 2011. Visit the Fellow Award web site for further information and the nomination form.

INTRODUCTION TO MEASUREMENT – PART 1: OUTPUTS
 by Tamara Gillis, ABC, Ed.D, and John Finney
For many, measurement focuses on outputs—specifically, measuring the materials that are produced and how effectively they are distributed and received by employees. Output measures focus on tactical activities. Some typical questions communicators ask to assess communication outputs include:

  • Did employees receive the information?
  • How did employees receive the information?
  • When did employees receive the information?
  • How would employees prefer to get information in the future (print, online, face-to-face, etc.)?
  • Did the materials attract employees’ interest and attention?
  • Was the message received and understood?
  • Is the message believable and credible?
  • Are employees satisfied with the information/tools?
  • Is management “walking the talk” in the eyes of employees?

Common tools used to measure outputs are:

  • Employee opinion surveys
  • Readership surveys
  • Conversations/informal discussions
  • Word of mouth

This article is an excerpt from Essentials of Employee Communication, now available through the IABC Knowledge Centre. Member price: US$199 (PDF – US$149); non-member price: US$299 (PDF – US$223.50).

INTRODUCTION TO MEASUREMENT – PART 2: OUTCOMES
by Tamara Gillis, ABC, Ed.D, and John Finney
Researching and measuring outputs will help you choose communication tools for delivering your messages. Readability and comprehension measures are evaluations of outputs. The effects of those outputs on delivering the business strategy and improving the bottom line are the results of measuring outcomes—the measurement of achieving objectives and business goals.

Output measures still have an important role to play in your overall measurement program, especially in the development of communication tools. However, if you are relying solely on output or similar measures, then you are falling short and underrepresenting your value to the business—and your strategic communication project’s value to engaging employees in the business.

Evaluating Outcomes
It is no longer acceptable to rely solely on “soft” measures, such as awareness, understanding, satisfaction, distribution and preference, to demonstrate your value. In today’s highly competitive business environment, with decreasing resources and increasing demands to be successful, you need to show your worth to the business. This means speaking the language of business and demonstrating how your work influences employee behavior and drives business outcomes. It means focusing more of your attention on “hard” measures—behavior change, productivity, turnover and retention, employee engagement, etc.

Focusing on outcomes requires a different approach to measurement. When you plan communication campaigns or individual initiatives, you should consider the following:

  • What is the direct causal relationship between your communication efforts and the business bottom line?
  • Are your communication efforts aligned with and advancing the company’s strategic goals and business objectives?
  • Are employees exhibiting desired behaviors as a direct result of communication efforts?
  • Are these behaviors achieving the desired business outcomes?
  • What factors are supporting or hindering your communication effectiveness?

This article is an excerpt from Essentials of Employee Communication, now available through the IABC Knowledge Centre. Member price: US$199 (PDF – US$149); non-member price: US$299 (PDF – US$223.50).

Member News
Congrats to these members celebrating November IABC anniversaries:
2 years, Rachelle Howell
18 years, Al Whitehurst
3 years, Daphne Gilman
23 years, Nancy McCluskey Moore
32 years, J Kimball Hansen

Writing a book? Got a promotion? Got news? Tell us, and we'll help you promote via our chapter communications. Email Monica Surfaro Spigelman with the news!

Events
November 15 New Member dinner at Nimbus - More info coming soon!

Nov. 17: “Communicating in Tough, Touchy, Sensitive Situations: Dealing with High-Level Emotional Issues Can Be an Important Career-Building Opportunity” IABC/Tucson broadcast of IABC web seminar.

Dec. 1: IABC Phoenix Networking Night. IABC Tucson members interested will ride-share up to event. Contact Daphne Gilman.

Dec. 14: Tucson PRSA Holiday event. Treats and networking at the Arizona Inn with a short magic presentation by the Carnival of Illusion.

(Week of December 13: Indies Gathering and Possible IABC Web Seminar - Stay Tuned for info on both!)

January 2011 Service Event Date and Time TBA

February 2011 Partnership Event TBA

March 2011 Tucson Festival of Books

April 2011 Consulting 101

May 2011 Extreme Makeover: Communications Edition

June 2011 Big C