In Session

The last meat course of the Communciation Cookout is Grilled Rack of Lamb with Balsamic Reduction. Racks of lamb are marinated overnight in a vinaigrette with Dijon mustard, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and fresh rosemary. Just before grilling, they’re taken out of the marinade, dusted with granulated garlic and a touch of cayenne pepper, and coated with a mediterranean dried herbed rub. They are then coated with olive oil and placed on a medium-hot grill, where they develop a lovely crust while cooking.

After coming off the grill, they are given a five-minute rest and carved into individual chops. A drizzle of balsamic reduction (balsamic vinegar that’s boiled down to a thick syrup), a little kosher salt, and some chopped fresh mint finish off the dish, which is served as a finger food.

There are two things about communication that this dish illustrates. One is that great cooking is all about balance. The richness of the lamb is counterbalanced by the tangy marinade and the sweet and sour balsamic drizzle. The flavor of the lamb is rounded out with the earthiness of the dried herbs, the mild bite of the cayenne and the charred flavor from the heat of the grill. In the end, it all works together to deliver a great eating experience.

And so it is with communication. To deliver a great experience to whomever we’re communicating with, we need to take a balanced approach. We need to plan whatever we’re doing — to marinate it, if you will, in sound communication principles, to prepare it according to the rules of strategic communication. This means doing our research and analysis, determining the right audiences, developing key messages, delivering those messages through the right channels, and, finally, evaluating the effectiveness of what we have communicated.

As we are preparing and serving up our communications, we need to balance our planned approach with the flexibility to react effectively if the situation changes. We must balance our desire to use creative, innovative tactics with the need to keep things as simple and direct as possible. And we need to balance the desire of executives to water down and sugar-coat information with the powerful craving all employees have with the unvarnished truth. Without that cayenne pepper, the lamb is missing an edge, and without honest, transparent internal communication that addresses important issues in a frank and open way, our messages are as dull and bland as fast food, and just as nutritious.

A last word here about measurement. In barbecue contests we use a remote digital thermoter to accurately measure the internat temperature of our meat. We also use a chamber thermometer to measure the temperature of the inside of our cooker. These measures are important, but just as important (and sometimes more useful) is the simple touch of a finger to determine the doneness of the meat. We need to measure the impact of our communication using the latest technological tools, but there’s something to be said for good old instinct and editorial judgement.

Now we come to the main event: the Classic Barbecued Pulled Pork Sandwich with Tidewater Coleslaw. This is the way they eat barbecue on the eastern seaboard of the United States — in Georgia, and the Carolinas. A pork shoulder is cooked over a charcoal and/or hardwood fire at a low temperature for a long time (as much as 18 hours) until it becomes so tender that it’s almost falling apart. Then it’s pulled or shredded (hence the name of my team, the Butt Shredders), sauced, and piled onto a fluffy white bun and topped with sweet, tangy coleslaw. One doesn’t usually associate pork with the word fluffy, but a great pulled pork sandwich has a soft, fluffy texture and an incredible sweet, savory, tangy, spicy, smoky, rich flavor that you don’t just eat it — you inhale it!

Pork shoulder is one of the four official categories of barbecue competitions sanctioned by the leading governing body of barbecue, the Kansas City Barbecue Society. The other categories are chicken, pork ribs, and beef brisket. To become a Grand Champion, one must compete in all four categories and the winner is decided on the cumulative point score. Two years ago at the Jack Daniel’s Invitational World Championship Barbecue, our pork butt came second on the planet. Not bad for a bunch of hosers from Canada, eh?

On to the metaphor. Just as there are four official categories in a barbecue competition, there are four basic personality types in the workplace, and communicators have to understand this as we design and build our employee communications. This is my version of the Myers-Briggs or True Colors models of personality types. Here goes:

Chicken-types are sensitive, romantic, artistic people who define themselves based on their relationships with others and tend to see the big picture. Like their namesake meat, they are relatively neutral in flavour and see both sides of an issue. They are the peacemaker when arguments break out, and they appreciate it when their efforts are recognized.

Rib-types are extorverted and approachable but tend to get bored when they aren’t the center of attention. They are never satisfied with the status quo, and they often don’t feel a part of mainstream society. Like their namesake meat, they can be dry and tempermental and are easily overdone/misunderstood.

Pork Butt-types are solid, logical, analytical, introverted and independent. They don’t jump to conclusions but would rather think things through in a systematic way. They’re perfectionistic, steady, cautious and like to abide by tradition. They’re money-conscious and risk-averse and they don’t take well to instruction.

Finally, the Brisket-type person is a natural leader, a dominating force. They like to be in control and they are motivated by the achievement of power and domination. They crave adventure and they are not happy unless they are constantly producing, whatever that product may be. They are driven by instinct and common sense rather than analysis and they can be quite insensitive to the feelings of others — even ruthless at times.

As communicators, what can we learn from these four meats? First that we should not ever consider our audience in a monolithic way. That is, we need to understand that the employee population of any organization is made up of many different types of people, with different characteristics, different ways of looking at things, and different motivations. Not everyone is motivated by money, but some are. Not everyone craves stability, but some do. Understanding and respect for the diversity of people in today’s workplace is perhaps the first rule of effective communication.

Another thing. Most communicators are chickens. With maybe some ribs thrown in. We have a love-hate relationship with brisket people and pork butts. We need them because they have important qualities that we don’t, but we also have trouble understanding them and are easily hurt and manipulated by them.

The seafood course of the Communication Cookout is Cedar-Planked Salmon with Whisky-Maple Glaze. I call this dish my tribute to the flavors of wood. It’s cooked on a cedar plank, which imparts an unusual astringent flavor, and the finishing sauce is made from Jack Daniel’s (which has a strong oak taste) and maple syrup, which has a classic woodsy quality. The salmon is served on a bed of field greens tossed with toasted walnut oil and roasted pumpkin seeds. Lots of different flavours and textures, but all centred on good old wood.

Which brings us to the next analogy: managing your communication career is like tending a fire.

But first a little background. Plank-cooking is based on an ancient aboriginal style of cooking in which fish is fastened to a plank and then leaned over a hardwood fire. In the 1800s oven-planking was adopted by American hotel chefs, and somewhere in the last 50 years or so it has made its way onto the backyard grill. The basic process is pretty simple: soak a cedar or hardwood plank in water overnight, or at least an hour (this prevents flare-ups), place the plank in a hot covered grill and let it heat up until it starts to crackle and smolder. Place the salmon or whatever else you’re cooking on the plank, turn the heat down to medium, and close the lid. The food cooks gently because it’s protected from direct heat by the plank, and it is infused with the aroma of the wood smoke. Have a spray bottle of water on hand in case you get any flare-ups around the edges of the plank. When the food is done, you can remove it from the plank or serve it right on the still smoldering board — a spectacular presentation style that’s bound to wow your guests.

It’s a simple technique but if it’s not done right, the plank will burst into flames and the salmon will get burnt. Or if the heat’s too low, the plank won’t smolder and you won’t get that unique flavor.

And so it is with your career as a communicator. Early on you have to soak yourself in the knowledge and theories of our profession, which can take years of college or university. Then, as you begin to work in your first job, you have to submit yourself to a lot of heat. Young communicators get thrown into the Kafkaesque nightmare of the corporate world with plenty of wide-eyed idealism about what constitutes good communication, only to have those ideals tempered by stultifying bureaucracy, horrible internal politics, cheapskate accountants, timid managers, creepy human resources people and psychotic CEOs. During the early period of one’s communication career you see all the warts of your organization more clearly than anyone else — and you have less power than anyone to do anything about them.

Then, as your career progresses, the heat gets turned down and you actually start cooking — getting more responsiblity, doing more interesting projects, learning how to present a plan and defend it against the cautious bureaucrats — in other words, you start feeling as if you are making a difference.

All along, you have to tend the fire of your career — fuel it with professional development like this conference, stoke it with different work assignments, share the heat of your fire with others by volunteering your time with IABC, even change employers now and then to knock off the ashes and freshen the flames.

Finally, as you become a senior communicator, you’re ready to serve up great advice that shows maturity and wisdom. You can exercise creativity tempered by discipline and experience. And you can make a measurable difference to the reputation of your organization.

And, if you’re lucky and you tended the fire properly, your career didn’t fizzle, and you didn’t get burned to a crisp.

In three days time I will exchange my virtual podcast experiences of the IABC Vancouver conference for the full five senses and launch myself into a truly global Change Management process. Ann Hood has wetted my appetite to learn about how companies like Scottish Power not just cope but also thrive during dramatic regulatory, economic and cultural changes. I’ll be packing my paperback Fons Troppenaars Riding the waves of culture: understanding diversity in global business as this has been quoted in recent IABC UK seminars on how different nationalities respond differently to identical scenarios. The one in the book which intrigued me most was ‘If invited, would you paint your boss’s house over the weekend?’…so if you are attending and come across a 5ft 8inch 44 year old bloke reading out loud to you, it could be me trying that one out from you.

Many things are marked on my card in the Change Management section such as Marianne Allison of Waggener Edstrom Worldwide telling us about how innovation and communicators mix (sounds like a cocktail for spontaneous combustion) and Annita Stokes Thomas discussing new strategies for delivering your company’s global message (I wonder if she’ll agree with Fons Troppenaars?).

Now that I’m getting the passport out and checking my Zoom e-ticket, I feel the countdown starting and am looking forward to finding myself a changed man by a week today when I’ll be zooming back to Greenwich, UK (even if I remain 5ft 8inches and 44 years old).

The next course of the Communications Cookout is Grilled Quesadillas with Smoked Gouda and Jack Cheese with Fresh Rosemary and Granny Smith Apples. An unconventional quesadilla to say the least, but addictively delicious and easy to prepare.

A soft flour burrito shell is layered with gratings of two cheeses, then a sprinkling of chopped rosemary and a layer of thinly sliced apple. After a pinch or two of salt and pepper, more of the cheese is spread over the apple layer, and the quesadilla is topped with another burrito shell. The whole thing is grilled for about three minutes per side over medium high heat and then cut into pizza-shaped slices. Served with a crisp, dry, fruity white wine, it’s a gluey, tangy, herbal piece of heaven.

For our purposes, the quesadilla is a metaphor for the communciation vehicle, the internal print publication in particular. It’s a classic format. Most of us have had a quesadilla in a Mexican or Tex-Mex restaurant, and it is usually filled with jack cheese, shredded chicken, some salsa, and maybe some refried beans. Fried on a griddle until the cheese turns gooey, it is served with some salsa, guacamole and a dollop of sour cream. And most of us have written, edited, or at least contributed to a company newsletter or magazine, with its stories about the latest corporate program, quarterly production numbers and financial results, information about changes to employee benefits, and so on.

This menu’s modern take on the traditional quesadilla nicely parallels the changing tastes and needs of today’s employees, and how the company publication needs to change with them.

In my new handbook, Writing and Editing the Internal Publication, I document a major shift in employee attitudes and values based on a great book called Values Shift: The New Work Ethic and What It Means for Business, by John Izzo and Pam Withers. In the book Izzo and Withers talk about how the workplace dynamic is shifting in a way that gives skilled employees more power and control over their destiny than ever before — and how reducing turnover and keeping employees is the biggest issue facing business today.

The new generation of employees has vastly different expectations of employers. Today’s workers detest the corporate heirachies and paternalism that have defined big business in the past. They are sick of the enormous stress of the modern workplace, they are oppressed by technological change, and they expect their employers to make things better. And they care more about their family, their health, and ethics than they do about power, prestige and money.

The greedy, selfish “me” generation has been overtaken by self-aware, moral, non-materialistic employees who expect a lot from their employers, and are more than ready to leave for more socially responsible pastures if their company doesn’t live up to their high expectations.

And so, although the vehicle or delivery mechanism might not need to change (the burrito shell or the print publication), the contents surely do.

Just as the new-age quesadilla reflects a more modern and sophisticated taste, we need our internal publications to reflect the changing values and expectations of employees. That means recognizing the stresses of the modern workplace and demonstrating what our organizations are doing to make life easier for their people. It means telling stories in human terms that make the vision of our companies real. It means breaking down barriers and encouraging real two-way communication that builds new connections between our company’s leaders and its employees. And it means creating shared experiences that create a true spirit of community. Finally, it means communicating with integrity — providing our organization with open, honest, timely and ethical communications that build trust, the most important building block for anything else in human life.

What it doesn’t mean is using the employee print publication as a vehicle for delivering hard news. News in big organizations happens at a pace that print just can’t keep up with, and is ideally suited to electronic communications. As my friend David Murray says, today’s print publication is less about news, and more about providing employees with a physical embodiment of a company’s brand, its values and its culture.

One more thing. If we think of the burrito shell as the physical container of the quesadilla, then paper, ink and staples are the shell that holds the contents of our employee publications. I’ll talk later about this as we progress through our menu, but I want to illustrate an important issue here. I believe that, by embracing new technologies like e-mail and intranets in the 1990s and abandoning print as a channel for employee communications, many big organizations have disenfranchised huge segments of their workforce. It’s as if we decided, collectively, that it’s just as effective to throw our cheese through the cooking grate and onto the fire below as it is to wrap it in a tidy shell. Shame on anyone for wasting food, and shame on our profession for wasting so much information by throwing away a perfectly good communciation format, the print publication.

The first course of the Communication Cookout is Grilled Asparagus with Roasted Garlic and Chipotle mayo, an amuse-bouche (French for mouth teaser) that will represent the simplicity and power of conversation.

The asparagus is treated simply: the spears are trimmed and tossed with extra virgin olive oil and kosher salt. They’re then placed on a hot grill and cooked for about two minutes, just until they’re slightly charred and they turn a brilliant green. They’re taken off the grill and given a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. That’s it. On the side will be a dollop of mayonnaise flavored with garlic, cumin and fiery chipotles. Simple and delicious.

And so it is with the most direct form of human communication, the conversation. No planning or approvals needed. A meaningful interchange, much like sharing a meal. And, just as the humble asparagus shoot can be ruined by overcooking or overwhelmed by a heavy sauce, we can second-guess and plan ourselves into oblivion, producing soft, sanitized communications that feel like they came out of a can.

Keep your communications simple and direct, in the spirit of a natural conversation. And, like our little mouth-teaser, you will have your audience paying full attention, and hankering for more.

Woo hoo! Let’s barbecue!

In a short series of posts over the next few days I hope to provide In Session readers with a preview of my Sunday pre-conference session, Communication Cookout: Everything I Know About Communication, I Learned From My Barbecue. As you can gather from the title, I intend to use barbecue as a metaphor for organizational communication. I figure, if others can use sailing, or mountain climbing, or golf as analogies for business, why not barbecue?

I’m uniquely qualified to lead the session on Sunday, which is sold out. As the chief cook of Rockin’ Ronnie’s Butt Shredders barbecue team, the Dean of Barbecue Academy, and the author of two barbecue cookbooks, I’m a self-proclaimed barbecue evangelist. And, as the author of the IABC Knowledge Bank’s new handbook, Writing and Editing the Internal Publication: Delivering Employee Communications with Impact, Integrity and Style, I’m well-versed in the ways of organizational communication.

On Sunday, my passions for barbecue and communication will collide, with what I hope will be tasty and entertaining results. Here’s the menu:

Grilled Asparagus with Roasted Garlic and Chipotle Mayo

Grilled Quesadillas with Smoked Gouda and Jack Cheese with Fresh Rosemary and Granny Smith Apples

Cedar-Planked Salmon with Whisky-Maple Glaze

Classic Barbecued Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Tidewater Coleslaw

Grilled Rack of Lamb with Balsamic Reduction

Mission Hill Planked Pears with Rhubarb Compote and Icewine Reduction

It sounds like lot of food, but the portions will be fairly small and it will be spaced out over the three hours of the session. With every course I’ll serve up some thoughts about organizational communication, using the food and how it’s cooked to represent the concepts I’m planning to present. There will be no PowerPoint show — just me and the food…and about five cases of superb Okanagan wine.

In my next post I’ll start exploring the menu, and its connections to great communication. Stay tuned.

IABC President Julie Freeman, ABC, APR, talks about the business of the association that is conducted during the international conference, including board meetings and the Annual General Meeting.

 

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Elisabeth Tanguy has some clear objectives in mind for participating in this year’s international conference. A senior corporate communications manager at Nokia headquarters in Finland, Elisabeth shares her thoughts in this interview about her role at Nokia, why she’s going to Vancouver in June, and what she’s looking to gain from her participation as a conference delegate from Europe to learn and share with her colleagues. In our conversation, we also talked about social media (blogs, wikis, etc), its impact on internal communication and how it’s developing as a communication channel.

 

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Lynne Lancaster studies and consults on the impact of multiple generations of workers in our organization’s various workforces. Expectations, values, approaches to work and simple demographic numbers all are factors in how companies should address these individuals. At the sold-out IABC Research Foundation luncheon, Lancaster will present research and its implications for companies and communicators.

 

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