The Articulate CEO

The Lie Behind The Lie Detector

The dirty little secret behind the polygraph is that the "test" depends on trickery, not science. The person being "tested" is not supposed to know that while the polygraph operator declares that all questions must be answered truthfully, warning that the slightest hint of deception will be detected, he secretly assumes that denials in response to certain questions -- called "control" questions -- will be less than truthful. An example of a commonly used control question is, "Did you ever lie to get out of trouble?" The polygrapher steers the examinee into a denial by warning, for example, that anyone who would do so is the same kind of person who would commit the kind of behavior that is under investigation and then lie about it. But secretly, it is assumed that everyone has lied to get out of trouble.

The polygraph pens don't do a special dance when a person lies. The polygrapher scores the test by comparing physiological responses (breathing, blood pressure, heart, and perspiration rates) to these probable-lie control questions with reactions to relevant questions such as, "Did you ever commit an act of espionage against the United States?" (commonly asked in security screening). If the former reactions are greater, the examinee passes; if the latter are greater, he fails. If responses to both "control" and relevant questions are about the same, the result is deemed inconclusive.

The test also includes irrelevant questions such as, "Are the lights on in this room?" The polygrapher falsely explains that such questions provide a "baseline for truth," because the true answer is obvious. But in reality, they are not scored at all! They merely serve as buffers between pairs of relevant and "control" questions.

The simplistic methodology used in polygraph testing has no grounding in the scientific method: it is no more scientific than astrology or tarot cards. Government agencies value it because people who don't realize it's a fraud sometimes make damaging admissions. But as a result of reliance on this voodoo science, the truthful are often falsely branded as liars while the deceptive pass through.

Perversely, the "test" is inherently biased against the truthful, because the more honestly one answers the "control" questions, and as a consequence feels less stress when answering them, the more likely one is to fail. Conversely, liars can beat the test by covertly augmenting their physiological reactions to the "control" questions. This can be done, for example, by doing mental arithmetic, thinking exciting thoughts, altering one's breathing pattern, or simply biting the side of the tongue. Truthful persons can also use these techniques to protect themselves against the risk of a false positive outcome. Although polygraphers frequently claim they can detect such countermeasures, no polygrapher has ever demonstrated any ability to do so, and peer-reviewed research suggests that they can't.

Lie detectors don't work - and that is the truth!

2012's Worst Corporate Twitter Blunders

Ryan Holmes, CEO at HootSuite has come up with his list of 5 of the year's biggest corporate Twitter blunders and some thoughts on how the right technology and some basic training could've helped. 2012 may have been the year big businesses finally took the big leap toward embracing social media but it’s also produced some of the most disastrous tweets in corporate Twitter history.

Here then, is Ryan's top 5:

1. Insensitive employee tweets a presidential low-blow

On Oct. 3, in the course of the first US presidential debate, President Barack Obama mentioned his grandmother, who died just days before he took office. Moments later, this tweet went out to KitchenAid's 24,000 plus followers. As outrage flooded in, KitchenAid went into apology mode, explaining that an employee mistakenly sent the offensive remark from the corporate handle, rather than his or her personal account.

Sadly, this kind of account mix-up happens all the time. Heavy Twitter users often post to multiple accounts, switching back and forth on the fly. Mistakes are inevitable. That’s why leading social media management systems like HootSuite now prompt users with a special window before they publish to designated, high-profile accounts. Setting up these so-called secure profiles is often all it takes to avert a Twitter meltdown. 

2. Major supermarket chain tries to cash in on Hurricane Sandy

There were an appalling number of  insensitive tweets surrounding deadly Hurricane Sandy. Gap, for instance, encouraged followers to weather the storm by staying inside and shopping on the store's website. But the most spectacularly inappropriate tweet comes from Canadian supermarket chain President’s Choice. The above message linked to a Halloween recipe for marshmallow bloodshot eyeballs, made by slicing marshmallows in half and placing a grape in the middle.

This comes down more to a lack of common sense than a lack of Twitter savvy. Joking about death and tragedy - or using it as part of a sales pitch - isn’t acceptable in normal conversation. It’s certainly not acceptable on Twitter.

3. Fashion retailer riffs on Batman shooting

Hours after the deadly theater shooting in Aurora, Colo., during a Batman movie, UK-based CelebBoutique sent the above tweet. It was left up for an hour before being hastily deleted in a hail of angry comments. According to CelebBoutique, their PR people were totally unaware of the shooting when they sent the tweet. The Twitterverse, however, was not sympathetic.  

When delegating tweets to outside agencies, contractors or even junior employees, assign them limited permissions. Drafts can be fed into an approval queue to be vetted by senior management before publishing, avoiding this kind of PR disaster. 

4. A CFO tweets too much, too soon

Francesca’s, a clothing retailer with stores in 44 states, started the year on the wrong foot when its CFO sent out this tweet after a confidential meeting on March 7. The problem is that Francesca’s is a publicly traded company. The CFO disclosed company info to his followers before it went public, thus sharing inside information - a violation of long-held SEC regulations. He was promptly fired.

Regulated industries - finance, healthcare, insurance and many others - face strict rules governing what they can and cannot communicate to the public. Social media is not exempt. Every firm should have a social media compliance policy and a social media management system that can archive all messages in the event of an audit.  

5. A fashion model posts racist photo, then follows up with ignorant tweet

While in Korea on business to celebrate a new store opening there, a male model for Abercrombie & Fitch clothing label Hollister tweeted a picture of himself smiling, squinting his eyes and giving the peace sign. To top it off, when followers called him out on the offensive gesture, he responded with, “Hahahaha they ruhhvvvv ittt!'.” Korean media picked up the story and furious locals initiated a campaign to boycott the store.  

We must all accept the reality that social media is a public forum. Nearly everything posted on Twitter and Facebook becomes part of your digital footprint - potentially viewable not just by friends but by employers and the public at large. In this case, it’s crucial that companies have a social media policy and share it with employees. First and foremost, emphasize that tweets are public by default and messages sent over Twitter - even on private accounts - may ultimately reflect on the company.  Many social media management systems for businesses include online tutorials that hammer this point home.  

The tragedy is that all of these embarrassing and damaging tweets could have been avoided with a little social media 101 and the right social media management system. Some simple preventative measures would have spared a lot of apologizing, not to mention angry customers and possible lost revenue.

Is Introspection The Greatest Communication Tool?

Despite what you may have heard, communication is not a skill.  It’s actually many skills layered one upon another. Listening effectively, expressing yourself, focus, reflection, clarity… and the list can go on and on.

Among the most important is our ability to filter the information we receive and reflect on this.  Our internal filters decide what we pay attention to and what we ignore when communicating with others.  What we pay attention to can fuel our understanding of more than just the message we are getting.  It also affects our understanding of the relationship.

Our skill at filtering information can change depending on what is going on around us or our distractions.  These can come in many forms such as:

• emotional state
• outward distractions such as noise, kids, phone calls
• being tired
• previous negative or positive experience with the person
• nerves (ie with boss or a crush)
• bad mood or a really good mood
• your beliefs
• expectations of the person or the situation
• difference in personal style (some are bold, shy, withdrawn or in your face)
• self-protection mode (fear, rejection)
• situational (at work, late at night)
• message medium (email, phone, letters)

And it goes on and on.  You can see how we can so easily get our messages distorted when communicating with someone.

The point is there is no way to eliminate these distractions or filters - the key is to be aware of them. Introspection is often ignored when people talk about what matters in communication but, trust me, at the most basic level introspection really matters. Communication is tough enough without allowing our filters to take us unawares and add to the difficulty level.  Know yourself, where you are at and reflect on what messages you are receiving.  Be aware of your filters and stand in the truth of them.  If you are feeling in a bad mood and just not in a place to focus; ask the person trying to talk to you to give you a couple of minutes and tell them why. You own your filter; it doesn’t own you.  Pay attention to it.

Now You're Talking, Manager

In the following article by BRW's Leo D'Angelis Fisher I, along with Jon-Michail and the Chief Executive of the Australian Institute of Management Susan Heron, discuss the problems plaguing executive communication in Australia.

 

 

The Golden Rules of the 'Elevator Pitch'

Elevator pitches remain as critical as they have ever been - perhaps even more so given the increasingly short attention span we all seem to have. Here then is some good advice on how to create your own elevator pitch from Toby Marshall at Lead Creation.

1. A great ‘Elevator’ provides just enough information to hook the listener in and spark a conversation. It is just the beginning, not the close; think lead generation not sales.

2. It should be short—10 to 20 seconds. Our attention spans have become shorter due to fast-paced city living and Social Media.

3. Practice it by speaking out loud and standing up—never just write it and read it to yourself. Say it again and again in front of a mirror; then with colleagues or friends. Say it 20 times and you’ll then know it enough to improvise and vary it so it comes alive and doesn’t sound stale.

4. An ‘Elevator’ is not just for sales people or business owners. It’s also for people who have jobs and want better ones—that’s most of the population!

5. A great rule of thumb is to only use your ‘Elevator’ when asked the question. If you walk up to someone and start talking about yourself it’s usually a big turn off; most people would say something like “so tell me about you.”

6. Sell yourself, not your product or business. The other person needs to be interested in you before they will buy anything from you. The old adage that ‘People buy from people they like’ still rings true for B2B marketing

7. Elevators are never about closing a sale, despite the name ‘pitching’. In this Social Networking age, blatantly selling is less and less acceptable. Even at Chamber of Commerce meetings—a pure business setting—I run a mile from people who are all about themselves. Life’s too short!

8. It’s NOT your cold calling script (if you are still foolish enough to be doing cold and not ‘very warm’ calling!)

9. Use pauses to emphasize; it is not a race to get the words out. Vary your tone as speaking in a monotone bores people—it’s very common though, possibly because they themselves know the words are boring!

10. If you are in a business setting, think about how you can help the prospect achieve their goals. That may be the breakthrough you are looking for with your lead generation—thinking about the implications for them?

Note that there is nothing in the above about providing a case study. In my experience they will ask me if they are interested, once they have heard my ‘Elevator’. Also, including studies that are meaningful makes it too long, and you are likely to see their eyes start to glaze over! Just have a couple ready to go in case they ask, though.

The above rules will help you see much better results with your lead generation in all types of social and business settings; learning to change the pitch depending on who you are speaking to, and where you are speaking to them, is a huge advantage to you and your business.

Mishaps, Mistakes & Mayhem

Every now and again at the Articulate CEO I just like to kick back and have a laugh at what goes on in the world of communication. With that in mind here are the latest examples of mishaps, mistakes and communication mayhem with the odd comment from yours truly:

This engineering sign gets right to the heart of the problem!

Remember... I just posted it, I didn't make it and I don't endorse it! Now, get me a beer woman!

A Disney best seller... perfect for the kids!

Enough said really...

Come on there must be some 18 year old out there with 20 years of experience!

Now that is one f***ing fresh sale!

Still in business after all these hours!

 

 

Spelling Really Does Matter

Communication blogger David Wise sent me the following link and asked me to comment. It is an article citing the work of CQUniversity researcher Dr. Michael Cowling who states that "Spelling is overrated. As long as the meaning of something is clear, why does it matter how we spell the words?"

For the benefit of Michael, David and everyone else, this is why it matters.

How you say what you say has a huge impact on its meaning. As readers, we don’t set out to be judgmental. In many cases, however, the only knowledge we have of an author is through what we are reading—and, consequently, how that text is written greatly affects our opinion of both the writer and the message. If all you can see are misspelled words, you might start questioning the credibility of the writer. You might wonder about the author's age, education or intellect and just how seriously you should be taking that person. Forget 'might'... you will!

That is the reality of the situation. However, we live in an era where those who point out errors in grammar or spelling are quickly marginalized as "Grammar Nazis". Ignorance rules the day, and the social pressure encouraging good spelling and grammar has dramatically declined. Consequently, people are making the mistake of thinking they can get away with poor spelling and grammar.

Now, English may well be a very difficult language, with a tremendous array of conflicting influences, and a host of specialized rules and conditions. It is fair to say that it is very difficult to conform to all norms of grammar given that many of them are subjective and conflicting (and many self-appointed gurus have themselves made embarrassing errors). I have absolutely no doubt that this entry, for example, has over a dozen real or subjective grammar problems: From the incorrect placement of a comma, to the overzealous use of a compound adjective, to the use of a colon where a dash would suffice.

I am not making a claim of perfection nor am I requiring that of others. Mistakes of grammar are common and, given the complexity, understandable. However, spelling is standardized (with minor regional variations), so unless you are intentionally trying to extend or adapt the language, some effort should be exerted to check it. To do otherwise is simply being lazy.

How we write is a direct reflection of our intelligence, knowledge, education, experience, and personality. Even if you are not intending your writing to be such a reflection it is how you are judged. So does proper spelling really matter? Of course it does! It helps make your voice more powerful and, in some respects at least, more meaningful.

Begin With The End In Mind

If there is one thing everyone needs to understand before they start their presentation it’s the ending. Begin with the end in mind. As Oscar-winning movie director Andrew Stanton explains, “Storytelling is joke telling. It’s knowing your punch line, your ending. Knowing that everything you’re saying from the first sentence to the last is leading to a singular goal.”

 Ask yourself: when’s the last time that you built your presentation, meeting agenda or sales pitch on a punch line? Did you begin with the end in mind? Did you pre-plan the one thing you wanted everyone in the room to leave with? It’s absurd not to plan a punch line - even the worst joke tellers have one in mind. So, if you have never done it then it’s time to start.

It’s the big idea, the lead of your story, and most importantly, the phrase that signifies the biggest change in how you want your listener to think or act about your topic.

Your punch line should not be “buy my product” because that is a message focused entirely on you. It needs to be a message that is framed with the listener in mind. How and why should your listener think or act differently about technology, an issue or their priorities. What problem are you trying to solve?

It is the most important thing you want to impart to your listener and the whole reason you are speaking to them in the first place. Therefore, not only do we need to be ruthless in prioritizing our most important message but we also have to frame it in a way that matters to them.

The fact is that most communication does not begin with the end in mind and, as a consequence, quickly becomes convoluted and confused. However, if you spend the time beginning at the end then it will lead the way. It will frame everything you do and all of the supporting content, claims and evidence that you need to gain buy-in will come easy.

Formality Stifles Clear Communication

The business world has an unfortunate habit of confusing hierarchy with formality. In other words we teach people that the higher the status of someone within an organisation the more formal our language should be in dealing with them. Yes, of course there will be differing levels of respect depending on who you’re talking to – whether the CEO or the colleague you share a cubicle with – but formality leads to rigid communication channels that are inflexible and inefficient.

For example, if I disagree with a colleague, I’m likely to let him know directly and unambiguously. But the higher up the chain you go, the less people ‘give it to you straight’; fine if you have a fragile ego, but not useful if you want honest feedback about yourself and the business in general. Also, as employees feel they must communicate formally with superiors, leaders feel compelled to talk back to them in the same way – which leads to the scourge of homogenised and bland internal communication.

Leaders should encourage people to express their disagreement the same way regardless of the level at which that disagreement is occurring. That is, not through arguing, but by registering their protest through sensible discussion. This should happen at all levels of the organisation – which, of course, is best achieved by starting at the top. That means we should all simply talk to people as we would want to be spoken to – which for a true ‘leader’ should be in an open, honest and respectful manner.

 

Authenticity - The Key To Communication And Everything Else

Authenticity lies at the heart of success in communication and, arguably, at the heart of success in anything. We all achieved whatever success we have by being us.  Sure you may have honed your skills, gathered experience, even stolen some ideas along the way but you have remained the person you were from the start.  No one becomes successful by being someone other than who we are because we can’t maintain the charade long enough.

You are who you are.

And success doesn’t change you either.  It simply highlights whatever traits existed in the first place and allows them to flourish.  For example we often hear people say that money has changed someone and turned them into an asshole.  Not true - they were an asshole in the first place!  Money just allowed you to notice.

The most successful people in the world are those who have the strongest grip on who they are.  They are acutely aware of their values and they are not afraid to articulate them to anyone who will listen.  Consequently they gather like-minded people around them and that collective power breeds success for as long as those values have currency.  Those values are not always popular to begin with or they may not be popular towards the end but the person who believes in them, sticks with them, and we remember them for that reason.  If you want an individual example of this then look no further than Nelson Mandela.

Mandela's words, "The struggle is my life," are not to be taken lightly.

Nelson Mandela personifies struggle.  He continued to lead the fight against apartheid with extraordinary vigor and resilience after spending nearly three decades of his life behind bars.  In prison Mandela never compromised his political principles and was always a source of strength for the other prisoners.  

He sacrificed his private life and his youth for his people, and remains South Africa's best known and loved hero.  He stands for something.  It is the stand that people rally to not the man.

It is the same in business.  To be truly successful you and your business have to stand for something.  There have to be guiding principles and values that people can identify with and rally to.  There has to be a way for people to determine if you are like them and if they can trust you to fulfill your promises.  The way is simple.

Tell people what you are like. 

Tell people what they can expect from you in their business dealings.

Tell people what they can rely upon to be a part of every transaction.

Live up to it.