FACE TIME

Warning:  Our hackles have been raised.

Those hairs on our neck shifted upwards when we read of not-so-secret one-on-one meetings between money managers, hedge funds, and the like and public company CEOs.

Not that there’s anything wrong or illegal with the practice.  [After all, the SEC calls it “corporate access” and, though there’s some monitoring, it doesn’t breach the Regulation Fair Disclosure rule of 2000.]

Yet survey after survey of these fairly regular occasions – about 99 on average each year for public businesses, says Ipreo – demonstrates that this kind of face time allows analysts and investors to make better trading decisions and more accurate earnings forecasts.

So be it.  It’s obvious these kinds of conversations help persuade the monied occupations that a company’s stock is a worthwhile investment. 

At the same time, it allows other, external observers to gauge the tone and confidence level and body language of the CEO (or CFO).

So what we object to is not the need to present to the investment community, face to face.  No, what causes our discomfort is the not-so-equal access of the C-suite to his/her employees, the rank and file who need to understand the strategies, the changes, and, yes, the financials. 

Okay, we get it:  Executive time is precious.  But don’t employees relish and deserve regular face-to-face communications in small groups with key senior leaders?

THE SOUND OF SILENCE

Simon and Garfunkel got it right – almost 50 years ago.

Extolling the virtue of quiet, their song foreshadows what the media calls “the ultimate luxury.” 

Hospitality chains now promote tranquil Zen-like retreats. 

Amtrak’s Quiet Car has an almost cult-like status – and, we suspect, a long waiting list. 

Hotels are installing double layers of drywall, triple-pane glass windows, extra carpet padding, and programmed TVs that won’t exceed a certain volume, all to stave off the number-one complaint of guests worldwide:  Noise.

Even somewhat-unlikely product manufacturers talk about the quietest dishwasher, the ultra-silent vacuum cleaner, the noise-cancelling headphones.

And who can blame them?  Forget the individual who’s always on the speakerphone – or the constant beeps of incoming e-messages.  Noise (from the Latin word for pain) has been linked to elevated levels of stress hormones, high blood pressure, sleep loss, heart disease, and tinnitus (a/k/a ringing in the ears).

Phew:  Enough to drive a non-curmudgeon to the Fijis.

In part, we in the marketing and communications biz are to blame.  Believe it or not, the 24/7 nature of what we do can be stopped.  Why not a one-day moratorium on all voicemails and emails, presentations and unnecessary meetings?  A quiet zone where we can, literally, hear ourselves think?  Or, simply, a silent period of X time where we can focus on what matters

This conscious quiet has its roots in science:  Two hours of silence daily helped mice form hippocampus cells, the brain part concerned with memory.  And its philosophical foundation goes way back:  Nineteenth century seer Arthur Schopenhauer noted, “Noise is the most impertinent of all forms of interruption.  It is not only an interruption, but also a disruption of thought.”

“Sshh” never sounded as sweet.

MEET-OCRACY

Wherever you sit in your career, pros and cons of that position abound.

As consultants and entrepreneurs, we talk about such intangibles as flexibility and availability, in general, and relish our freedom from corporate doings like meetings and mandated forms et al.  [Though, trust us, meetings are de rigueur for many of our long-time clients, especially on short-term initiatives.]

So we were intrigued by a to-be-published book that, in part, took a new bead on meetings and corporate governance, in general.  Based on the notion that organizations are best governed by a constitution and roles (not titles), Holacracy is, for sure, an idea that some will find eminently practical.  And some, not.

Ahem:  About the meeting section, to ‘triage’ issues (author Brian Robertson calls them ‘tensions’).  There are three practices we particularly admire:

• The check-in and closing rounds.  One person at a time shares her/his present mindset, distractions included.  Upfront.  With no interruptions.  Similarly, the meeting’s end allows each individual to reflect on the time just spent.
• Agenda building – together.  Why not ask participants to tee up one issue apiece – during the meeting?  It forces everyone to mull over those problems that are most immediate, most important.
• The ask – what do you need?  Haven’t we all been taught about the WIIFMs … in terms of communicating, promoting, advertising, and so on?  This gets right to the heart of the issue, and helps all feel accomplished and motivated by the meeting’s outcomes. 

There’s more, obviously.  After all, re-arranging your meeting might be easier to implement than asking leaders to be guided by a new organizational constitution. 

THE PARTY LINE

Conference calls get our goats.

First, the dogs barking.  Vacuuming in the next room.  Or other distractables, like e-appliances, overloud conversations, random paper shuffling, texting.

Second come the introductions.  But only once.  [It’s hard to voice-ID during a business conversation if you’ve heard the name and the voice just one time.]

Third:  The sidebars, the jokes (when you’re not there), the awkward gaps.

Got the [silent] picture?  There seems to be a real need for a uniform manifesto for conference calls, with everyone agreeing and signing up, and with rules posted online and in our faces.

Sure, we’ve all been guilty, at one time or another, of multitasking, checking emails or smartphones when we think no one’s watching.  Still, since a meeting is a meeting is a meeting, we need to get things done.

Here are our demands:

• Appoint a moderator who’s sensitive enough to tease people out of their shells and strong enough to just say no to monopolizers.
• Stick to the topic – and to the time.  We all have other things to do.
• Start right away.  And that doesn’t mean 11 on the dot; it means 10:57 am.
• Pay attention.  Though email use can’t be monitored, it’s not hard to tell when folks are following the agenda.  Or not.
• Test the technology … ahead of time.  Not on our watches.

Researchers state that business’ spend on conference calls will grow 9.6 percent yearly through 2017, with 65 percent of those being audio.  Being active and good listeners (and participants) simply equates to good corporate ­citizenship … and good communications.