Tag Archives: Wall Street Journal

In My Own Hand

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I rarely blog about written communication, but a quotation I read in a recent Wall Street Journal motivated me to write this.

My mother died many years ago, but recently I had a personal connection with her. In one of my files, I found a letter she wrote to me in the 70s.  She wrote like she talked. I could almost hear her voice. I treasure that piece of paper because of that personal connection. Her handwriting was as unique as her personality.

Letter writing has become a lost art. According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, The Lost Art of the Handwritten Note, “A British survey found that the average time since an adult wrote anything at all by hand was 41 days.” A veteran elementary teacher told me, “It is a rare elementary school teacher who teaches handwriting skills.”

As long ago as 54 C. E., the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand,” implying that it was unusual.

I find that writing notes helps to develop a personal relationship with a client or to enhance a relationship with spouse or child. The personal hand-written note will help people remember you. When I write a thank-you note, a thinking-of-you note, or a note of encouragement, I think more about what I am going to say and usually have a more specific and personal message than if I am emailing or texting.

We want to have a professional website, an attractive business card, and always look our best when working with a prospective client. An added competitive edge is to make use of the personal note.

My mother wrote me once a week for years after I left home. I looked forward to the weekly epistle on Tuesday or Wednesday; her letters gave me a weekly boost.

When looking through her papers after her death, I found a letter I’d written, thanking her for all she had done for me. I guess the letter writing meant a lot to her as well.

Is the Cue Card Still Relevant?

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You would think that the cue card would be obsolete with all the technology available today. As speakers, announcers, and performers, why should we need notes on cards as we communicate with an audience?  According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, the cue card is still relevant for certain performers.

“Saturday Night Live” uses the services of Wally Feresten to hold the cue cards they read from. “30 Rock” is another popular program that uses Wally.

Even though the cue card holders cost more than the teleprompter, the personal touch is important. As Katherine Rosman writes, “Attuned to the rhythms of each actor, Mr. Feresten lifts the cards and drops them into the hands of an assistant. He never looks away from the performer.”

He often rehearses extensively with the performers, which helps him anticipate what they will be doing.

Let’s not get so caught up in the technology of communicating that we forget the impact of the personal touch. John Naisbitt in his book Megatrends, as far back as 1982, coined the phrase, “High tech, high touch” to stress that the human element will never be eliminated. You still need the soft skills of people instead of more software to be successful, whether you are giving a presentation or conducting a job interview.

As speakers, we don’t want to rely on PowerPoint as a substitute for the personal touch the speaker gives to content. His or her ability to connect with the audience cannot be replaced by a YouTube clip. Texting or emailing a program chair is certainly helpful in gaining information about the audience. But most of the time you want to follow up before your speech with a phone call or have a conversation over coffee if the venue is local.

Don’t minimize the human part of communication. The competitive edge in the market place may not be the latest in a software program, but rather hearing in person what he or she has to offer or suggest.

Let’s Stand and Meet

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According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, stand-up meetings are becoming common in some companies.  In one company, Atomic Object, employees follow these rules, "Attendance is mandatory, nonwork chitchat is kept to a minimum, and, above all, everyone has to stand up." 

            This trend says much about why we don't like to go to meetings.  They are too long; they often involve irrelevant information, they are boring.  Atomic Objects is a soft-ware development firm where their meetings last five minutes each morning.  We may think standing for a meeting is a little extreme, but the idea of speeding things along in meetings is positive.  Here are some tips in addition to standing up for a successful meeting. 

            Send out an agenda 24 hours before the meeting so everyone has a chance to prepare.  Take turns conducting meetings when they are held at a regular time each week.  This helps everyone have a vested interest in the meeting because each person knows his or her turn is coming soon. 

            Start by announcing the length of the meeting and remind the group toward the middle of the meeting how much time is left.  End the meeting by summarizing and then giving relevant information about the next meeting. 

            Start on time even if all members are not present.  Limit discussion time.  Encourage quiet people to participate by asking them a direct open question. 

            We are used to the refrain, "Let's stand and sing."  Maybe to improve morale and get work done more efficiently in meetings, we may want to say, "Let's stand and meet." 

Listen, Ask, Listen Again

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The words in the title of this piece are part of key training skills Delta Airlines is using to send 11,000 agents back to school, according to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal.  Another  training skill  stressed is "be there."  This is another way of saying, pay attention to your customer!  Why are these skills being taught?  Because among major airlines this past year, Delta had the highest rate of customer complaints. 

            One of the points I stress in each listening seminar and in my keynote, “Be Present When You Are Present,” is the importance of listening and paying attention to the bottom line in any situation.  Many companies have similar products and cost.  The competitive edge, as Delta knows, is that customer service is based on these people skills of listening and attention.  On my website, I even offer wallet cards with reminders of “How to Keep Listening Instead of Talking.”

            If these skills are at the crux of profit and loss in a company, think how important listening and attention are in day-to-day living!  As Henry David Thoreau said, "The greatest compliment that was ever paid me was when one asked me what I thought and attended to my answer."