Published in Canadian Supply Chain Sector Council (CSCSC) e-Newsletter - January 23 2008

Right up front, I have to confess that I am an analogy guy. Most of my analogies relate back to my days serving tables. I have been known to compare product frustrations to "being at the table trying to serve empty plates," and cross-functional support to "the hostess deciding what 'medium-rare' looks like." They may not always work, but for me there is nothing as fulfilling – nor as convincing – as a good analogy.

Published in Canadian Supply Chain Sector Council (CSCSC) e-Newsletter - February 21 2008

Try this: think of all the things about your favourite restaurant that you really like. Be thorough and make sure to focus on both the service and the product. Talk to two other people about the same place, and you will notice that the mix of product and service preferences can vary widely. And, the mix can change over time. Great service can compensate for mediocre food; continued poor service, however, brings more scrutiny to even the highest-quality food.

Published in Canadian Supply Chain Sector Council (CSCSC) e-Newsletter - December 17 2007

Now-deceased Irish politician, Charles Haughey, is credited with the quote, “Deep down, I am a very shallow person.” This mind-set may become highly visible in your listeners when your plan for change comes face to face with their status quo inertia. When you’re asking people to change their behaviours, be prepared to answer the self-serving question – whether it’s spoken or not – “So what?”

Published in Canadian Supply Chain Sector Council (CSCSC) e-Newsletter - November 23 2007

Marshall McLuhan’s widely quoted but poorly understood line states: “The medium is the message.” In interpersonal communications, you become the “medium,” which means that you are the message, or, as we will see, a big part of the message.

Published in Canadian Supply Chain Sector Council (CSCSC) e-Newsletter - October 25 2007

As described in the Council’s Sector Study, realizing efficiencies often requires individuals to change their approaches to sharing information. Implementation of this kind of change increases in difficulty when people are not fully “bought in.” Buy-in to any message stems directly from an individual’s beliefs and motivations. (See the September newsletter for how individual perceptions are largely shaped by our personal past experiences.) How well an individual receives particular information may depend on how ready he or she is for the message. You can increase this “readiness” by understanding different styles of communication and tailoring messages appropriately.