Build your information power base - Career Management

"Why didn't someone tell me about the problem at the printer?"

"Why, did I have to call the designer to find out there's a potential problem with the color seps?"

"Why didn't didn't I know our lead story, was coming in late until I asked for a copy?"

"Why, do I always have to find out everything by myself?"

The answer may be simply that there is no clear avenue of communication between you and the people who have something to tell you. Regular staff meetings, voice mail or memos are all good ways for staff, freelancers and outside vendors to get their messages through to you. If those avenues don't exist, create them. If there are bottlenecks, clear them. That's the easy part.

All too often, however, the avenues exist - they just aren't being used. Why?

It might be a question of training and acculturation. Do your staffers know the appropriate avenues to use to communicate with you? Do your vendors know how to reach you when they need to? if the answers are no, you have a mechanical problem, easily fixed. Make sure all new employees understand the lines of communication and how to use them. Make sure all freelancers get not only the standard style guidelines, but communication guidelines as well. Make sure that vendors get not only the standard purchase order form, but also your guidelines and expectations on performance, and clear-cut directions on how to communicate problems.

But, once a again, maintaining avenues of communication is generally not the major problem. The major problem, dear reader, might be you. The important question is this: How do you respond to the information once you get it? How do you react?

Do you rant? Do you rave? Do you berate the person who brought the bad news? Do you blast the writer, the designer, the printer? Do you freeze the hapless messenger with your icy disdain?

If you do, or have done, any of the above, then whether you realize it or not, you have transmitted a message of your own - that you don't want to know about any problems, don't want to hear the bad news, that you can't cope with it. So the news-bearers react in self-defense, or your defense: They don't tell you anything.

If they are worried about themselves, they withhold information, hoping to fix the problem themselves. That way, you'll never hear about it, and they will be spared the anguish of your ire. If they are worried about you, they withhold information, hoping to fix the problem. That way, you'll never know about it, and won't be stressing your body economy.

Too many editors, designers and production supervisors convey that "Don't tell me" message, and they pay the price. They find out about problems only when they go searching for answers, and that takes valuable time away from other activities. Often, once they do learn about a problem, it is too late to do anything, or so close to deadline that whatever can be done is limited and costly.

Is there a solution, a better way? Yes!

The secret is to treat the arrival of good news, news that is neutral, and bad news in essentially the same way: You take responsibility for the bad news, give credit for the good news to the bearer - and always thank the person who brings the news, whether it is good, bad or neutral.

Assume, for example, that someone has just given you news you enjoyed hearing and were glad to get - good news. What do you do? You thank the person and say something like, "You did a great job. You helped make my day." The message the person gets is that you are glad he or she told you, that you appreciate the effort.

Of course, news isn't always good. Sometimes it is just information, neither good nor bad. What now? The same rules should apply. First, thank the person, then show your support, even if only by saving, "Your effort to keep me posted is appreciated."

What's the message the person gets? That you're grateful he or she told you the news, and you appreciate the effort.

It won't be long before the word gets out - bring the boss news, good news or neutral news, and there's an emotional and ego-building reward awaiting you.

The real test, however, comes with bad news, the news that normally makes us shudder - that the article is late, the illustration not appropriate, the imposition is changing, the pressrun delayed, and so on. How you respond to this information will determine whether the communication channel will be clear in the future. So brace yourself.

First, thank the person for bringing you the news. You're not thankful for the problem, you're not thankful for the inefficiency that might be revealed - you're thankful that you found out about the problem now, rather than tomorrow or next week when a solution might be difficult or impossible.

Don't destroy the messenger. Remember, the person just did you a favor by telling you about the situation at the earliest possible moment. Even if it was his or her fault, be careful. If you explode now, the word will circulate: Tell the boss the good news, hide the bad.

Here are some possible responses: "Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I need to think about what should be done next. What ideas do you have?' Or, "Thanks for telling me. I wish I didn't have to face this right now. Any ideas?" Or, "Thanks for bringing this right to me. I appreciate that. What can I do now, and what must I do in the future to make sure we don't run into this again?"

The key is to set a consistent pattern. If the bearer brings good news, he gets thanked and complimented. If he brings neutral news, he gets thanks and appreciation. Even if he brings bad news, he still gets thanked and becomes part of die solution process, not the problem process.

Too many staff members have learned to tell the boss the positive news, to offer platitudes but withhold the problems. This may result in problems being solved that you never hear about. But it also lays the groundwork for crisis and disaster. Better to learn of problems early. You can still choose to have others handle some of those problems, but you will have made an informed decision. There will always be room for employees to learn, to make their mistakes while doing their jobs. It's how you respond to these events that will set the stage for a clear - or clogged - channel of communication.

Once the word gets out that the boss welcomes all kinds of news, the news will be plentiful and you'll be in the best position of all - the position to thank, compliment, reward, delegate or grab hold at an early stage to prevent full-blown disasters. And you will have your staff totally committed to the resolution process.

Jacob Weisberg, head of Trabuco Canyon, California-based Creative Communications, is a consultant specializing in communication skills.

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