Communication Mailbag by Steve Adubato, Ph.D.

Art Browne from Woodbridge wrote in response to a recent column that explored an example of an ineffective PowerPoint presentation with way too many slides and statistics crammed together with no coherent message. The presentation left many audience members confused and bored. Says Browne; “The presenter could have started off by verbalizing the findings of the study, catching the audience’s interest with some dynamic revelations and then space out use of stats to support the findings. Then, she could have verbalized a strategy to correct the present circumstances if they are negative and use whatever available stats to support the strategy.”

Great point. It is critical that presenters don’t confuse PowerPoint itself with the message that must be communicated. They must fill in the blanks with a personal touch using anecdotes and examples. We must ask ourselves; “What are we trying to communicate and how is this PowerPoint presentation achieving that goal?” Where it falls short, changes and improvements must be made.

Alfred Krzywosinski from Toms River had some thoughts on a column on job titles not being an indicator of an employee’s leadership abilities; “In your column, you dismiss job titles as something not needed. I must disagree. If a company is small, you may be right, but if you are a worker in a larger company and someone approaches you with an order to do something, would you do it? I think not. If I were to visit another company, would I get the same treatment if I came as ‘Mr.’ or ‘CEO?’ Or, if you get two letters in the mail, one from Mr. Bush and the other is from President George W. Bush, which one would you open first?”

Great points, Alfred, but a clarification is needed. My original column stated that job titles can clarify confusion and sometimes avoid chaos as well as communicate organizational status, which goes to your point regarding “Mr. Bush” versus “President Bush.” Yet, a title itself doesn’t make you a leader and they have little to do with motivating people. People motivate people. Leaders motivate. That’s more about communication than any job title a person might possess.

Received a great letter on workplace bullying from a reader who asked not to be identified. “At work I am being bullied. I have gone to administration and received no help. I am the senior person with 13 years and the bully is the new kid on the block, in their second year on the job. The department has been turned upside down, with the bully creating alliances to rally the troops around him. The quality of production has dropped and administration has turned their back. Is there anything that I can do to protect myself and bring the bullying to a halt?”

Many workplace bullies act out because they perceive certain employees as easy prey. Some bullies feel better when dominating someone else. The key is to find the courage to look the bully in the eye and let him know exactly how you feel, which will throw off his game plan; “Bob, when you interrupted my presentation at the meeting and said it was a waste of time, I felt disrespected. I am not convinced that was your intent, but that is how I saw it. What were you trying to accomplish?”

Tell the bully how he made you feel. He can’t deny you your feelings or impressions; he can only offer a different perspective. Put the ownership on him to explain his actions, which changes the dynamic and puts him on the defensive, a place he doesn’t want to be. This will communicate a clear message that you are someone that cannot be pushed around. Don’t be surprised if he leaves you alone or seeks another target.

Dr. Steve Adubato coaches and speaks on the subjects of communication and leadership and is the author of the book "Speak from the Heart." Write to him at The Star-Ledger, 1 Star-Ledger Plaza, Newark, NJ 07102, or click here to contact him through this web site.