The Dog That Didnt Bark

A few weeks ago, after consultations with others in an association I represent, I made a partnership pitch to another organization with similar interests. If the idea comes to fruition, it will radically change our organization.

So, you can imagine my impatience when I didn't hear back from the person to whom I'd made the proposal. She had welcomed the idea, but a decision would be made by a council within her organization.

Given the dynamics of an important decision about the future of their organization, I didn't expect a quick decision. But, I would have liked at least a phone call saying the council had accepted, rejected, or was still considering the idea.

Then, I had a "Eureka" or maybe I should call it a "Whoops" moment. I realized I hadn't reported back to the people in my organization either. That made me guilty of the same lapse of communication as the lady in the other organization. With that recognition, I made amends by sending out an email and followed up with a report at a meeting.

In taking an analytical view of this incident, I realized that nothing can be something when it comes to communication.

The idea that nothing can be something seems counter-intuitive. But, you may remember the famous Sherlock Holmes observation about the dog that didn't bark (the fictitious detective solved a baffling case by noting what did not happen, rather than what did happen).

You can probably come up with several ideas about the importance of communicating, too, even though nothing has changed. That's especially true if you're the one who didn't hear from someone else.

First, you may have made plans that assume either a change or a continuation of the status quo. Perhaps you're holding off on holiday plans until the issue is resolved one way or the other.

Second, at least you know an anticipated decision or event hasn't yet occurred, and that you didn't miss something (for example, as I write this I'm waiting for a client to confirm some information and it would be nice to know that I haven't missed a callback or an emailed reply).

Third, if you've received an update telling you nothing has happened, you don't need to contact that person and ask if there have been any developments. Similarly, you can advise the people who look to you for information.

One other note: This might be a variation on what I call the Everybody Knows syndrome. That's a decision not to communicate, based on the assumption that others know what I know. For example, I might not tell anyone the office will be closed between Christmas Day and New Year's Day because I think everyone should know that, which is likely a bad assumption on my part.

In summary, if the issue is important, communicate frequently, even if nothing has happened. Something is nothing when you or others wait impatiently for news.

Robert F. Abbott writes and publishes Abbott's Communication Letter, a free newsletter that delivers communication ideas for leaders and managers. Read more communication articles at http://www.communication-newsletter.com .

---

3 Simple Things the Best Managers Do - And You Can Too!

If it's so simple, why don't managers all over the... Read More

Managing YOUR Expectations

I sit on the board of an organization and at... Read More

Take This Into Consideration Before You Write Your Mission Statement

What principles should a company keep in mind when developing... Read More

Implementation the Catalyst of Change for Management to Reach that Next Level of Success

From the personal and professional experiences of other colleagues and... Read More

Industry Analysis Section of Your business plan

Writing a Business Plan for your next entrepreneurial endeavor is... Read More

Problem-Solving Success Tip: Look For Sponsors And Solution Owners

Look for sponsors and solution owners rather than problem owners.Everyone... Read More

Mantra for Managers

What do organizations look for in a prospective employee with... Read More

Dont Get Caught With Your PR Down

Why risk the embarassment when with a little basic PR... Read More

Knowledge Mapping

This module focuses on the basics of Knowledge Mapping, its... Read More

Communicating When A Crisis Strikes

How would you handle communication if your business or practice... Read More

What is Six Sigma?

Six Sigma is a highly disciplined process focused on satisfying... Read More

Lets Make Training More Interesting!

Many HR managers believe that by sending their workers to... Read More

Finding the Right Way to Motivate Your Employees

Fear, Incentives and GrowthZig Ziglar says that there are three... Read More

Organisation Tips For The Mobile Executive

Despite the fact that everyone sighs "How glamorous!", the life... Read More

Narcissism in the Boardroom

The perpetrators of the recent spate of financial frauds in... Read More

Are You Cascading Your Strategy, or Fragmenting It?

INTRODUCTIONThe typical approach executive teams use to cascade, or roll... Read More

CEOs Role in Family Business

I first met Roland (not his real name) in 1972.... Read More

What Your Employees Want You to Know (But You Might Be Afraid to Ask)

This is a challenge for every company owner and manager.... Read More

Business Innovation ? the Value of Structure

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Problems with Group Decision Making

DECISION BY AUTHORITY RULE: Many groups start out with-or quickly... Read More

Try It Out On Your Team First

Wow! You're brilliant! You have a great idea. You've looked... Read More

Tap Employee Passion For Business Success

Meriwether Lewis set the stage for the Corps of Discovery's... Read More

Project Managment: Land the Plane Stop Doing and Start Succeeding

We all spend time on planning vacations. If it's not... Read More

Knowledge Management - Capturing And Structuring Knowledge Into Reusable Assets

Many organizations have an approach for identifying and recording lessons... Read More

How To Decrease Downtime and Increase Productivity

All maintenance activities of the workforce must be documented, this... Read More

Management Coaching to Improve Relationships with Work Associates

As a recent employee to your job, you are becoming... Read More

Problem-Solving Success Tip: Measure

Measure.The first key question to answer in starting a problem-solving... Read More

Quick Tips On Bringing Out The Best In People

Want to bring out the best in people?Edward W. Smith,... Read More

13 Comments on Bad Meetings

Bad meetings are a cultural malady that senior executives pass... Read More

Is Your Employee Newsletter Management Propaganda?

It should not be. If it is an effective newsletter,... Read More

ISO 9001 Registration ? 8 Steps for Success

You've made the plans, built the quality system and conducted... Read More

Do the People in Your Organisation Dress For Success?

What really amazes me, with all the personal and professional... Read More

Does My Bum Look Big in This?

If a good manager asks his workforce for their opinion... Read More