Like a Virgin: Secrets They Won't Teach You at Business School

MORE WALKING AND TALKING

Why is it so hard to pick up the phone? They are a lot smaller than they used to be, and these days, even non-tech-savvy types like me can call, text and email messages, sending files and photos around the globe with ease. Despite these advances, the quality of business communications has become poorer in recent years as people avoid phone calls and face-to-face meetings, I can only assume, in some misguided quest for efficiency.

I recently heard a senior manager defend his handling of a situation by saying, ‘I don’t know why they didn’t understand the issue. I must have sent a dozen lengthy emails on the subject in the last week.’ A brief conversation followed by a concise email to confirm the next steps would probably have settled matters within a few minutes, and saved him the trouble of writing those lengthy emails, and the complications that followed.

Another executive complained to me, ‘I’ve sent the guy a bunch of text messages. I know he’s there, so why isn’t he responding?’ Clearly it would have been better to pick up the phone or walk over to that person’s desk and discuss the matter face to face, a move that would have resolved the issue and immediately eliminated the growing tension.

In short, if these managers had tried walking and talking instead of typing and griping, they could have solved these problems quickly and easily, saving themselves time and effort.

Why not pick up the phone? As technology has evolved, so has business etiquette. People tend to rely primarily on email and text messaging because these communications are precise and less intrusive, while a phone call now signals that a matter can’t be solved by ordinary means. But there is nothing efficient about allowing a small problem to escalate.

To break down this new barrier to effective communications, make face-to-face employee contact part of everyday life in your office. The Australian term for it is ‘going walkabout’; many business management consultants call it ‘management by walking around’. Whatever you call it, it works, and if you and your senior staff aren’t doing it, you are missing out on one of the most inexpensive and effective management tools around.

I have always enjoyed getting to know people at Virgin companies. I find it a much better way to get a feel for what’s really going on than sitting in my office-okay, lying on my hammock at home-reading reports. As not everyone is outgoing, here are a few tips:

Be egalitarian. Don’t restrict your walkabout only to your area of the company; try to meet colleagues at (literally) every level-not just on the top floor! Go on your walkabouts at random times-you don’t want front-line employees thinking, ‘It’s three o’clock on Tuesday. He should be here any minute.’ If managers or department heads ask to tag along, politely explain that you will get to know people better if you are on your own.

When you meet an employee for the first time, be sure to shake hands and always introduce yourself by name, no matter what your position at the company. Keep it informal: ‘Hi, I’m John Brown’ is a lot less intimidating than ‘Good afternoon. I’m the chief financial officer, Mr Brown.’

Don’t restrict the conversation to work matters. If you notice a family photograph on a desk, a comment like, ‘I see you have a tennis player in the family? My kids love to run me ragged all over the court’ will help to break the ice.

Relax and have fun, ask questions and listen. Ask your colleague what she sees as her area’s strengths and stumbling points, and listen to her thoughts on the challenges the business faces. Jot down anything that strikes you as worthy of follow-up. (When I don’t have my notebook handy, I am notorious for writing reminders on my hands and arms.) If you have any news to share, provide a balanced view-positive developments as well as concerns. It’s less likely that shop-floor employees will know as much about the bigger picture, so they may need your help to put matters in perspective. But they will have ideas and opinions that can be every bit as relevant as your own so listen up and take more notes.

Above all, try to catch employees doing something good-recognise and celebrate people’s strengths and achievements on the spot. If, however, you stumble on a problem, it’s far better to quietly bring the matter to someone’s attention later, rather than embarrass the staff member by having the head honcho calling them out in front of their peers.

One boss with no such qualms was Robert Crandall, the legendary leader of American Airlines in the 1990s. Bob used to love using the old dog sledding line that went, ‘if you’re not the lead dog the view never changes’. The irascible Mr Crandall would seem to have failed to recognise that in business it is the job of the lead dog to go out of his way to make sure that the rest of the team gets to see the bigger picture.

We have found at the Virgin companies that, when senior managers make the effort to foster relationships with employees and colleagues, a real community spirit results. So please get out of that economically correct office chair right now-there’s no time like the present for a trial walkabout. It will get easier with practice.

If you need to explain your sudden presence in unfamiliar territory, you can simply say ‘Richard sent me’-or then again, maybe not!