2010 is the year of the tiger in the Chinese Zodiac – and the tiger is the sign of bravery. With a fragile economy, the number of unemployed nearing 3 million in the UK, this year we will need all our courage to survive, go forward and prosper.
The tiger loves to be the centre of attention. With its qualities of boldness, bravery and natural leadership, it’s the perfect metaphor for recovery in 2010. But the downside to tigers is they can be independent and go their own way – and in business, that can hinder more than help.
Communicating how you intend to survive and prosper in 2010 is vital. There’s no doubt face to face conversation is best. Different time zones, flexible-working practices, and out of office working styles are also barriers that can prevent the communication from succeeding.
There have been millions of words written about the failings of the email. We all have heard stories about the wrong phrase or piece of punctuation that turns a routine email into a viral nightmare. So, with that in mind, more and more people are turning to video. It’s easy to do, there’s access for all, and more importantly, it allows you to communicate to everyone at the same time and on the same level.
The “message to the troops” video can be used to give an update on trading figures, reassure employees of a specific situation, and deliver a sales presentation when you can’t be there in person. It can be put on a company’s external website, your intranet or even YouTube.
Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw once said, “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” With a video message, there’s no such illusion – just hit the replay button!
Below is a short video with some clips of “Message to the troops” style communications.
*With apologies to Franklin D Roosevelt
