ARE YOU SPEAKING THE RIGHT LANGUAGE?
Risk managers and other professionals sometimes fail to get buy-in from directors, senior managers and other colleagues because they use inappropriate language or ineffective methods of communication, the AIRMIC conference heard today.
“It’s not just about what you say, it’s how you say it,” John Stevens, Managing Director of Fleet Risk Profiler told a workshop. “There can be a fundamental mismatch between what you think you’ve said and what the other person hears. The acid test is whether or not your message is received, understood and acted upon.”
To ensure that their messages are communicated effectively, risk managers need to use the correct language that fits in with the culture of the organisation. Typically, it will be business-focussed, commercially relevant, and possible to integrate with organisational systems and motivate people to assist the process.
“We both sometimes hear risk managers and others complain that they’re stuck in silos within the organisation,” said co-presenter Peter Odele, Risk Manager of Kuehne+Nagel. “One way to escape from your silo is to use language that connects with your directors, senior managers and other colleagues.”
The two speakers outlined some of the barriers to effective communication, including:
- Wrong language
- Communication style (e.g. saying ‘must do’ instead of ‘it would be very beneficial to do because..................’)
- Wrong jargon
- Communication not designed to suit organisational culture
- Irrelevant or excessive detail
- Assumptions: don‘t assume the audience is interested or interested to the same degree
- Misunderstanding or lack of understanding of receiver‘s requirement
The AIRMIC annual conference takes place at the Edinburgh Conference Centre June 17-18. The association represents nearly 1,000 risk managers and corporate insurance buyers, including approximately 75% of FTSE 100 companies.
For further information, contact Mark Baylis, Complete Communications, +44 (0) 7775 693994, mark.baylis@airmic.co.uk