May/June 1999

Light A Candle Today

There’s an ancient Chinese proverb that says, “Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of a candle will not be shortened.” Sharing with others does not mean you have less; it means the world will have more.

In business, sharing knowledge and expertise has become essential to success. Still, that doesn’t make it any easier. Many people don’t like sharing their knowledge. They prefer to keep it to themselves and get all the credit for their good idea or a job well done. But companies where people work in isolation are destined to have serious problems-problems like mistrust, poor quality of work, and miscommunications. No one can go it alone these days. Companies need to foster environments where people want to share information, where people enjoy working with each other and trust each other, and where everyone gets the recognition he or she deserves.

So take it from your feathered friend: Light a candle today. Help someone solve a problem, or simply take a few minutes to listen with your heart. The world will be a brighter place for it!

Success Is Where The Wisdom Is
You’ve probably heard a lot about knowledge management these days. In its simplest form, it involves harnessing an organization’s collective expertise and tapping into this wisdom to gain a competitive advantage. Unfortunately, within too many organizations, knowledge disappears into a black hole. A survey of 100 companies found that 43 percent of executives said that a relationship with a key client or supplier had been damaged by lack of knowledge transfer. More than 10 percent said their company had lost significant income as a result.

Buckman Laboratories, based in Memphis, Tennessee, is a prime example of how knowledge management can work. Seven years ago, the manufacturer set up private forums on CompuServe so the company’s 1,200 employees could share knowledge and information. Before long, employees were hooked on forums to improve quality. A Buckman sales rep, for example, was able to clinch a $6 million deal, thanks to the forums. When the sales rep approached the management of an Indonesian paper mill with a business deal, the plant’s executives asked for a detailed proposal within two weeks-a seemingly impossible deadline.

The sales rep headed for an online forum, explained the potential deal, and requested sample proposals and information. Within 48 hours, he had responses from other Buckman employees across the world. He returned to the customer, delivered a proposal, and landed the deal. Instead of one person putting together a proposal in isolation, it was one person leveraging the collective expertise of the entire organization. Now that’s thinking like a Duck!

Sharing the Wealth
Most people agree that knowledge is power. And it’s never easy convincing people to give up power. However, sharing knowledge with others is critical to the success of any organization. In his book Competitive Intelligence, Larry Kahaner explains how to build a competitive intelligence system that allows employees to share important knowledge with each other.

First, there must be a director of competitive intelligence. This person, reporting to top management, is responsible for coordinating the information that exists in the company. One of the first things the director of competitive intelligence should do is perform an internal intelligence audit. This person should interview employees to discover where data and information are kept. Typically, information is scattered throughout the company in different databases, filing cabinets, or desk drawers. The director’s job is to find this information and implement a network making the information available to those who need it. Overcoming resistance to sharing knowledge isn’t easy. That’s why it’s critical for the top Duck to fully endorse the sharing of knowledge.

That’s also why, according to Kahaner, people who share the most useful information should be rewarded. Rewards can include anything from a personal letter from the CEO to mentions in the company newsletter or cash bonuses. Establishing an intelligence program can take years, so employees need pats on backs and encouragement if they are to break down information barriers and overcome institutional inertia.

Avoiding Communication Breakdowns
If there’s one skill that’s central to a leader’s job, it’s the ability to communicate. The average manager attends ten meetings a week, which makes one-on-one communication all the more critical. But as essential as the skill is, it’s too often taken for granted.

Experts suggest that leaders step back and carefully evaluate their verbal and listening abilities using these three tips:

(1) Don’t assume anything. Managers commonly play counselor. This requires wisdom, and wisdom comes from knowing, not making faulty assumptions. If a manager is negotiating between two parties and misreads the situation, three people wind up being confused, and the problem never gets solved. Instead of assuming, ask questions to confirm what seems to be true.

(2) Listen for feelings. Sometimes communicating is like approaching and iceberg: there might be more beneath the surface than meets the eye. When checking up on an employee’s work, learn to read his or her nonverbal cues. Don’t always take bravado or poker-face nonchalance at face value. Ask direct questions instead.

(3) Stay focused during meetings. Many managers are confident that they can steer a conversation without road maps and end up at the desired destination. What often happens, however, is that the goal of the meeting gets obscured by idle talk. To assure yourself and your audience that you’ll keep on track, state your goals within your opening remarks, and then develop them point by point. That way everyone knows where you’re headed, even if it takes a while to get there.

Books for Business
Organizations across the nation are catching on to a new way of keeping up with the latest business issues and trends – they read together. Business Literacy 2000, a national effort to promote reading groups in corporate America, is based on the notion that when people read together and discuss ideas, they learn more. Employees get together in small groups, typically ranging from six to 15 members from various departments, and meet at least once a month to discuss a business book’s concepts and ideas.

“When you discuss books with other people,” says one business executive, “you get a lot more out of them.” And that’s precisely what makes reading groups a success. “It was very insightful to read about competitive challenges faced by other companies and discuss how similar those challenges were to those faced by [our company],” observes an educational consultant.

Another benefit of reading groups is that they allow employees to network with each other. Groups may consist of people who wouldn’t normally come into contact with each other. And for many organizations, that kind of group dynamic can lead to more open, provocative, and productive discussions. Those interested in more information on Business Literacy 2000can visit the web site at www.bkpub.com.

Bridging the Gap
Who in your current organization do you most admire as a leader? In a recent survey, 20 percent of employees answered no one, and 50 percent listed their supervisor. Where does that leave top management? Senior officers and other leaders are often too distant from employees to establish relationships with them, says Steven Coats of International Leadership Associates. While employees may hear about top managers, many never see them in person. Senior leaders can appear isolated and secluded, and rarely are they considered colleagues.

True leadership, however, largely depends on trust – which only can develop among people who know and respect each other. When senior officers are considered virtual strangers, leadership may be a difficult role for them to take on – unless they make it a priority to close the gap, says Coats. The first step is for leaders to become more visible. At the same time, they should show people they are interested in them. What are employees’ needs, goals, anxieties, aspirations? Leaders must show that they are more than a name – they are caring people, involved in and committed to their community. That’s when others start to accept them as leaders worth admiring and following.

Words of Wisdom
Benjamin Franklin typically is remembered for his contributions to politics and science. But there is another area where Ben Franklin showed great insight – the art of human communication. Franklin was never a great public speaker; in fact, he didn’t do much talking at all. His motto was: one learns more by listening than talking. Here’s what he meant:

(1) Give people time. Franklin always wanted to make sure that others had enough time to say what they needed to say. Instead of responding to people immediately, he would always pause to make sure they were truly finished.
(2) Choose your words carefully. “Think innocently and justly,” said Franklin, “and if you speak, speak accordingly.” He knew that a few soft-spoken words could be more effective than a lot of loud quacking – as long as they were the right words said at the right time.
(3) Put your emotions aside. People usually regret words spoken in anger and frustration. Wait until you can think more clearly, said Franklin, before you speak your mind.
(4) Respect others’ opinions. While it is impossible to agree with others’ ideas at all times, don’t criticize or argue immediately. Give different opinions a chance, and then respond with good questions, rather than criticism.

Sincerely, Your Friend
Manco T. Duck