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How Do You Say
What You Want To
Say?
ULA Annual Conference
May 2006
Institutional
Communication
C. Jeffrey Belliston, Chair
General Information Services Brigham
Young University
Institutional
Communication

Definition: Communication undertaken in the

Touch on five areas
performance of, or furtherance of, one’s job
responsibilities.
–
–
–
–
–

Importance
Applicability
Principles
Hurdles
Tools
Good (but only representative) summary of issues
is Parsley, Andy. “Road map for employee
engagement.” Management Services, Spring 2006,
10-11. (Items in quotes from this article.)
Importance

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Poor communication frequently cited as number
one, or at least a major, problem in organizations.
Another way of saying the same thing: lack of good
organization and/or dissemination of information
Personal work experiences of most people bear this
out
Good communication  employee engagement 
organizational performance by helping to create
happy, loyal customers (patrons)
Applicability



Applies to all libraries regardless of
size
No one knows everything
We must inform and be informed by
others
Principles


1 – Effective communication is everyone’s
responsibility.
2 – Assuming things about communication
leads to problems.
– Common assumptions include Everybody already
knows. and They don’t need to know.

3 – Timely communication is the best
communication.
– If necessary, give emotions time to cool before
generating institutional communication whether
verbal or written.
Principles (cont.)


4 – Strive to give the right amount of
detail.
5 – The larger the organization, the
greater the challenge in creating
effective institutional communication.
Hurdles


1 – People (especially managers) “don’t see
communication as part of their day job.”
2 – People “have not developed their
communication skills” which rely on
“unnatural” technological tools.
– Consist, conscious effort and practice are
required
– Technological tools may not feel as “unnatural”
to younger librarians

3 – “Communication channels are absent,
inappropriate, or over-subscribed”
Tools




Feet (go see someone in person when
appropriate)
Meetings (which allow for a true exchange
of information among a larger group)
Phone (no visual cues but still have voice
cues and is interactive)
Voicemail (completely one-sided but
effective for verbally giving information to
one or more people)
– Change voicemail greeting often
Tools (cont.)

E-mail & Organizational Listservs (writing
isn’t the same as speaking)
– Allows for a written conversation in an exchange
of e-mails
– Can be forwarded (good and bad)
– Can be preserved (good and bad


Intranet (place for posting of useful
information such as meeting agendas and
minutes)
Instant messaging or IM (potential
usefulness but no personal experience)
Conclusion

Reemphasize
– 1st Principle – Communication is
everyone’s responsibility.

With consistent, conscious effort we
can improve to the betterment of our
libraries and patrons.
Feedback
Diana Skousen
Library Director
Summit County Library System
What is feedback?


Verbal or nonverbal
Communicates perceptions and
feelings about another person’s
behavior
Why is it important?

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Learn new behaviors
Assess our impact on others
Learn to “keep on course”
See ourselves as others see us
Key ingredients
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Caring
Trusting
Acceptance
Openness
Concern for the needs of others
Feedback is a learned skill that can
be developed through use of 9
guidelines

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Consider the needs of others.
Describe behavior only; do not attempt to interpret.
Focus on behavior that can be changed.
Be specific.
Wait for feedback to be solicited.
Be nonjudgmental.
Give feedback immediately after the behavior.
Allow the freedom to change or not to change.
Express feelings directly.
#1
Consider the needs of
others.
#2
Describe behavior only;
do not attempt to
interpret.
#3
Focus on behavior that
can be changed.
#4
Be specific.
#5
Wait for feedback to be
solicited.
#6
Be nonjudgmental.
#7
Give feedback
immediately after the
behavior.
#8
Allow the freedom to
change or not to
change.
#9
Express feelings
directly.
Remember:
Feedback should be
 Descriptive
 Nonjudgmental
 Specific
 Offer freedom of choice
Effective Listening
Leslie Schow
Branch Manager
Herriman Library
Dangerous
Assumptions
About Listening
Assumption
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
Speakers control
communication
We can listen when we
really have to
When we start talking,
others start listening
Reality
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Listeners control the
dialogue
Listening harder
doesn’t mean listening
better
It takes time to engage
listeners
Developing
Listening Skills
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Stop talking
Imagine the other person’s point of view
Look, act, and be interested
Watch body language
Don’t interrupt
Listen between the lines
Speak only affirmatively while listening
Rephrase what you hear
Stop talking
Group
Communication
Britt Fagerheim,
Reference Librarian,
Utah State University
Group Communication
Skills

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
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Communication skills for working in
groups or teams.
Teams = Sharing ideas and experience
= discussions
Good discussion skills are key to a
productive team.
How are groups skills different than
individual communication skills?
Communication in a
Group

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Speak loudly enough.
Keep focused on key points.
Explain jargon.
Avoid sarcasm or put-downs.
Show how your idea ties into the
current topic.
Communication in a
Group

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Actively contribute your ideas and
suggestions to the discussion.
Make eye contact with everyone in the
group.
Be clear about the messages or points
you want to make.
Try making a simple drawing or visual
aid to explain or make your point.
Communication in a
Group

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Give specific reasons for your opinions.
Be prepared to support your ideas
with examples, data, etc.
Ask others to explain the reasons
behind their opinions.
Listen closely to what others are
saying.
Ask other people for their opinions –
help to get everyone involved.
Communication in a
Group
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
Help to manage your team’s
discussions – don’t contribute to
leading the discussion off topic.
Pull together thoughts and ideas
Provide ideas for how the group can
work better, resolve issues.
Communication in a
Group
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Help the group check for agreement
and consensus.
Try to find areas of agreement for
conflicting points of view – be a
positive force in the group.
Source: The Team Memory Jogger: A Pocket
Guide for Team Members. Madison, WI:
Joiner Associations, Inc., 1995.
Meeting protocol
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From Mindtools http://www.mindtools.com
Involve the group in creating an agenda for
the meeting
Encourage active participation
Try to keep the meeting at a comfortable
pace
Summarize discussions and
recommendations throughout the meeting
Circulate minutes to all participants