I’m grateful to Jane O’Hara blogging on the HR Magazine website about the key skills which enable leaders to engage staff in change.

I could blog for some time on the verb “to engage” but let’s agree for the moment that it describes a spectrum of a response between “Ok I’ll not get in your way” to “yippee!!”

I responded to Jane and that got me thinking – if someone held a gun to my head and asked what I thought was the number one of such skills I’d reply, in a strangulated fashion, “Myth Management”.

A lot has been written about leadership communication, much of it very interesting – I particularly appreciate the work done on rapport and what an understanding of Myers-Briggs types and communication predicates has offered to my own approach. However a quick google search on “Myth Management” threw up nothing - which was surprising  its probably the most important thing I’ve learnt over the last few years. For this I must thank Evan George from Brief in London

What does this rather unexact and uncertain notion as “Myth Management” say about leadership communication? Well ask yourself this – is it the fancy intranet that keeps communication flowing in your company? Staff newsletter? CEO briefings? Team meetings? Fabulous PowerPoint slides?

My guess is no. What drives communication is your (and my) organisation is rumour, innuendo, gossip and myth.

Let’s agree at for the moment that the only meaning that really matters is that which is taken on board by the listener, that perception is much more powerful than truth (if there is such a thing). People’s impressions drive their responses – why is that we smile immediately on seeing one colleague coming down the corridor towards and duck into a doorway when we see another? It’s their reputation! Also – and perhaps more importantly – we have a tendency to filter our responses to experiences based on the beliefs that we have formed. If we think that our employers think little of us, then all their communication will be viewed in this light with apparantly dismissive messages amplified and considerate ones ignored. 

Does it mean that we don’t have control over what we want other people to think/believe?

Evan would say that we can have a lot of influence over what we do – to the benefit of all involved - if we talk about what we enjoy and appreciate about it. Now this isn’t talking cr*p, ”bigging something up” without reason. It’s about highlighting what it is valuable and valid.

For example – my family and I live in an area with a wide catchment area for just one secondary school. Unfortunately this school has had some bad reports and it’s a big scary place with lots of very active teenagers who spill out at 3.00 and fill the town with their talk, music and other interests! It’s exactly the kind of place which causes a certain amount of middle class panic – hey and I’m not immune!!

My son is due to go their next year and I was really delighted that they had provided a brilliant open days for the new intake who were shown around by existing pupils and generally given a good time by the staff. Everone knew that this day wasn’t “school” really, but everyone went away talking very positively about the experience and this has continued. Neighbours with older/no children are starting to say things like “they’ve really turned it around haven’t they”.

Now, this school will become an academy, have a shiny new head, new buildings and lots of cash thrown at it. However what will have the biggest impact will be what they say over the meat counter in Tesco’s.

What does this mean for our teams and companies? Well why not try this

• At the beginning of team meetings ask everyone to spend a bit of time talking about what’s gone well this week
• Wrap up project meetings by asking what those present will tell colleagues outside the group about the progress of the project
• Try the wonderful (Evan again) positive rumours exercise. At the end of team building events by asking people to mingle whispering to each about team members, relating tales of their virtues and strengths, listening to others and passing them on – collecting stories as they go

Let me know what you think

: – )

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