Internal Communication Improvement

All businesses, regardless of how large, needs to not only measure its external communications, but as well as its internal communications. If organizations do not know what its employees think, say, and or do then the company is on a road to its demise. Within Katie Paine's book "Measure What Matters,” she goes explains the importance of measuring these factors. In Chapter 9, she states that there are seven key steps to measuring what ones employees think, say, and or do because of one’s internal communications. 

1. Understand the environment and where they really get information 

          I loved the way she phrased this step, "where they really get information." To many times I have seen companies believe its customers and or employees gets its information from one source but in reality that option does not make sense. Katie then brings up a major point of the step, that being "what channels or vehicles do employees trust?" This is key because this relates to where is it the employees are getting the information. The channel could be at the water cooler or in the break room, but the need to know these channels are important. 

2. Agree on clear, measurable goals

          This is one of those steps that are present in all measuring processes. This one relates more specifically to understanding what senior management wants to know as well as the HR department. 

3. Select a benchmark to compare to

          Again, this is a common step among most to all measuring processes. This step most likely would be a comparison of year-to-year results, but it is a benchmark nonetheless. 

4. Define the criteria of success

          This step is as simple as the name implies. What criteria are you using that will be your specific, measurable definitions for success. 

5. Select your measurement tools and collect data

          Within this step, one could end up using a variety of tools to collect the data. These tools generally come in three types of areas: message analysis tools, outcome measurement tools, and surveys (to determine what employees think). 

6. Analyze and take action

          Examine, examine, examine. This is the "so what does it all mean" step. 

7. Make changes to improve employee relationships and repeat

          As our professor likes to say, this is the "rinse and repeat" type step. Once one knows what the issue is, improve and or fix it, and repeat the process to see if the outcome is more desirable. 

Until Next Time,

Matt

More Options To "McPick" From

Ladies and gentlemen, please take note that you will have an additional option to choose from at McDonalds. 

 By no means am I talking about another food option choice to choose from, but more so a food combination option. That is right, McDonalds is soon to start offering the "McPick 2" deal. What is the McPick 2 deal you may ask? It is as simple as the name can imply, you have the choice to pick two items for the low price of two dollars. Customers are able to choose their McPicks from a list of four items: McDouble(s), McChicken(s), small order(s) of french fries, and mozzarella sticks. 

The launch of this menu is to take place starting Jan. 4, 2016. McDonald's believes that is has finally hit gold with this product deal. For years, fellow fast food competitors have struggled to offer a deal that satisfied the "I am hungry, but not that hungry" market. 

I think McDonald's is right in saying it has struck gold with this option. For one, it is launching the menu in the winter, following the holidays. Typically, all the leftovers are finished by this time and people begin resuming his or her normal schedules. With this option now available, it will bring in the sales of those on the run and not looking to spend more than a literal couple of dollars. 

In addition to that, it is offering three of its most well known options. These options also allow the individual to purchase any amount of any option he or she would like. There is no requirement stating the choices have to be different, so McDonald has again struck gold. Personally, I do not eat fast food, and if I do, it is once in a blue moon. Does this new menu option entice a person like me? Not at all. Do I believe it to be a brilliant marketing and sales move? Without a doubt. 

Until Next Time,

Matt

One Week Left

As many of my fellow classmates would agree to, this is the second worst week in the semester. The only other week worse than this one in terms of class load is finals week. There is no clever way to put it.  This week simply blows with as many projects, reports, and exams that are to take place within five days. Being that we as Ohio Northern University students have a Thanksgiving break starting on Friday, our professors timed most of their last exams before finals to take place in this week. Am I mad at the professors for doing so? No, because I understand that time is a scarce thing and this is college, not high school, so we need to "grow a pair." In addition to the typical homework assigned each work, this week for me is filled with a total of three exams, three reports, and much, much more.

I am lucky enough to have a relatively lighter semester with only five classes, but that does include everything additional that I must do this week. Outside of being a student, I also am an athlete. So right there alone is three hours out of each of my days for practice.  I also am a sales representative for Polar Merchandise, a nonprofit promotional merchandise provider. In addition to meeting the monthly sales goal, I have four projects I am working on, all of which are to be relatively concluded by the end of the week. These projects include interviewing for potential new sales representatives, develop and lead the new training process from scratch, designing a new customer product fundraising document, and getting our new promotional ads around campus. Typically I spend about two hours a night on Polar related things, so another time limiting factor. Let’s not even mention the amount of sleep I need to even stay awake because of all of this.

It may seem like I am complaining about this hell week, which I am a little, but it leads me to my next point. All of this "craziness" I think will help us in the future. If we can get through it all now, then later down the road when we experience similar stress, we will be prepared. I hate how busy I am this week do not get me wrong, but a part of me likes this challenge. It is absolutely exhausting, but when break finally arrives, it will only be that much more relaxing to go home and forget about the stress for a few days. 

Until Next Time,

Matt