Danger is the theme today. More on that in after a quick update on the newsletter and podcast.
Welcome to Chad’s Communication Club. It’s been condensed and refined into a short-format newsletter and podcast. Subscribe to one or both - they are both free!
My goal is to get helpful information about communication to as many people as possible. There are so many opportunities to communicate with people today. And it’s done so poorly much of the time! Here you can get a daily dose on communication and some motivation. It’s my goal to help each of you become a better communicator.
Let’s get started!
Chad Eaves
www.executivecommunicationbrief.com
Run, don’t walk when you see this red flag
Recently I attended a presentation on leadership in which this presenter/coach discussed communication. Ok, they’re related. He then asked the audience for the definition of communication.
Then it went off the rail. I offered that it is the exchange of information. Full disclosure - I clearly identified myself as a communication expert so there was no entrapment going on here.
With that being said, this person said with conviction my answer…sorry, THE answer was a “version” of communication. And that communication is about making sure the other person understands what you say.
His statement is not the definition of communication. Communication gets more involved and complex from that point. While understanding is a component of communication, ensuring it has been achieved is not understanding. There can actually be situations in which the goal is NOT for the person to understand a communication. Back to this fail in progress.
The definition is the definition. If someone gets this fundamental fact wrong, it does portend well for what follows. When they make up their versions of this, they will probably do more of the same as part of their “expertise” they want to share with you.
Get out before real damage is done to your career and your reputation.
Don’t drop that match on your boats quite yet
There’s been a resurgence of the “burn your boats” meme, meaning don’t have a back-up plan. This comes from a tale where an invader landed his army to fight an opposing force and burned his ships so they could not retreat back to the sea. By doing this there was no option for failure/retreat, so this force had to fight to win.
Getting on your boats if you’re getting ass kicked can also be called Plan B (which could be the smartest thing to do depending on the situation). There have been books on this topic and business “celebrities” espousing you shouldn’t be “distracted” by a Plan B. Only fight to achieve your Plan A!
What bullshit. Which is what many MBA students are learning as they seek a job post-graduation. As explained in the Wall Street Journal article “M.B.A. Job Offers in Short Supply as Tech, Finance, Consulting Dial Back Recruiting“ there is low demand for them and their degrees. Many companies, including some marquee ones, are delaying or simply not hiring right now. Yet another signal of our strong economy?
For these soon to be graduates, especially from top-tier business schools, this is coming as quite a shock. Not being able to find a good job at a top name employer was not part of their plan. Career counsellors at these schools are telling these students to have a Plan B (or C, D, E) for finding a job. Pretty sure that was not in their recruiting brochures or web pages.
I know Plan B’s are not ideal. We want to live out Plan A. After all, that is THE plan.
But things don’t always go to Plan A. It just doesn’t work out. This happens in life. A lot. Having a Plan B can save the day.
Speaking of saving the day, there are reasons fighter planes have ejection seats. It’s for when Plan A falls apart around you. As demonstrated by this Instagram post.
What should a Plan B do for you? For your business? Help you survive and regroup. Live to fight another day. Not to be hungry or homeless. Not for your family to be on the street.
You might be asking, “What are examples of a Plan B?”. They can include:
Savings that can pay bills for while (the longer the better obviously)
Keeping a good relationship with a prior employer in case you need to ask for a job (especially handy for people starting their own ventures)
Medical providers you can rely on
Having more than one valuable skill to offer people
Speaking more than one language
Identifying what assets you can sell if needed (are two cars necessary?)
When it comes to getting that dream job, whether it’s fresh from an MBA program, undergrad, or you’re looking for a new opportunity, not getting it sucks. You can still make Plan A happen in the future. It might take more time.
Be thankful for you what you have (hopefully good health and supportive people that care for you). Execute your Plan B. Live to fight another day for your goals.
Don’t burn your ships.
The Meaningful Communication Show on YouTube
Twice a month co-hosts Michael Gansl and Chad Eaves explore communication, business, and other topics with guests across industries. Our next episode features discussions on Charles Bernard’s experience in sales, entrepreneurship, and his philosophy on working with clients.
The Meaningful Communication Show is published here on YouTube.
The Meaningful Communication Show https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSZlVs1h5DtpDxeSXRx0aVw