Category Archives: Uncategorized

The Department of Redundancy Department (4) What is to be done? Or the medium is the message.

What to do when the case for persistent, redundant communications is compelling, but senior executives are not easily compelled? As we’ve suggested in an earlier blog, part of the resistance to redundancy is situational: Something about “positional power” makes redundant … Continue reading

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The Department of Redundancy Department (3) Why leaders need to say the same thing over and over again; and why they don’t

A number of years ago, I worked for the chairman of a multi-billion dollar global enterprise with very well known brands. He was (and presumably still is) a superb, inspirational communicator who wanted to make sure that his senior leaders … Continue reading

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The Department of Redundancy Department (2) Why leaders need to say the same thing over and over again; and why they don’t

When the Harvard Business School newsletter, Working Knowledge, recently published an article with the pungent title, “It’s Not Nagging: Why Persistent, Redundant Communication Works,” professional communicators rejoiced.  Finally! Research supporting what communicators have been telling senior leaders for ages (with … Continue reading

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The Department of Redundancy Department (1) Why leaders need to say the same thing over and over again; and why they don’t

It’s one of the things that drive professional communicators crazy about working with senior leaders: trying to get them to say the same message over and over again until their people get it. But it’s necessary. You don’t have to … Continue reading

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Why tell “why?” (1)

Not too long ago, I was brought in to help a global corporation’s employees make sense of a vast change initiative. Or initiatives, to be exact. 35 in all. What the company wanted was an umbrella “brand” for all 35 … Continue reading

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Why tell “why?” (2)

Why wouldn’t leaders tell their followers the “why” behind change? Not a question I hear frequently, perhaps because it’s not easily answered. In fact, there may be no single, simple answer.  Individual leader’s reasoning on this may be quite idiosyncratic … Continue reading

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Why tell “why?” (3)

Okay, I know that we’ve taken a huge leap here, from the case for incorporating the “why” behind change into strategic leadership communication to suggesting narcissism as a cause of non-communication.  A leap that could land me in a heap … Continue reading

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The making of a minor communication disaster (1): It’s not what you say, it’s who you are

It was fairly early in my career. I was the de facto lead speechwriter for Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) – at that time, the number two computer company in the world. The event was DECWorld, a one-company trade show that … Continue reading

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The making of a minor communication disaster (2): It’s not what you say, it’s who you are

How did Gates do it? How did a powerful Microsoft message emerge from his homespun talk about his home? The answer is rooted in the nature of communication itself. Simply put, all communication comes across on three basic levels: content … Continue reading

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The making of a minor communication disaster (3): It’s not what you say, it’s what you symbolize

Bill Gates had finished his presentation to a healthy round of applause and appreciation. Ken Olsen got up from our table and started walking toward the stage to thank Gates and end the evening. But just as he started walking … Continue reading

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