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COMMENT
Who’s who at the
Specialized Carriers
& Rigging Association
CHAIRMAN
Michael Battaini
Sheedy Drayage
San Francisco, CA
PRESIDENT
Ron Montgomery
Intermountain Rigging & Heavy Haul
Salt Lake City, UT
VICE PRESIDENT
Alan Barnhart
Barnhart Crane and Rigging
Memphis, TN
TREASURER
Delynn Burkhalter
Burkhalter
Columbus, MS
ASSISTANT TREASURER
Bruce Forster
Rigging Gear Sales
Dixon, IL
ALLIED INDUSTRIES GROUP CHAIRMAN
David Wittwer,
Hays Companies
Salt Lake City, UT
CRANE & RIGGING GROUP CHAIRMAN
David Cowley,
TNT Crane & Rigging
Longview, TX
LADIES GROUP CHAIRWOMAN
Cathy Moore,
NBIS
Atlanta, GA
TRANSPORTATION GROUP CHAIRMAN
Geary Buchanan,
Buchanan Hauling &
Rigging
Fort Wayne, IN
SC&R FOUNDATION OFFICERS
President:
Robert Moore,
NBIS
Atlanta, GA
Vice President:
Stephanie Bragg,
Bragg Companies
Long Beach, CA
Treasurer:
Jim Sever
PSC Crane & Rigging,
Piqua, OH
R
egardless of economic
conditions, business leaders
share a timeless ambition:
making sure their message is heard and
understood in as efficient and meaningful
a way as possible. After all, what’s the
point in entering a conference room,
walking onto a jobsite or even doing an
interview for the media if the value of
your message gets lost within the disorder
of your delivery?
It’s important to remember that a
successful company has a wealth of
moving parts. A lot of these parts are
actually people – themselves in key roles
that often involve the interpretation and
delivery of company-wide information
and initiatives. Indeed, even these folks
need to be effective communicators – or
else the information becomes distorted
as it filters down through the ranks.
A message may be delivered quite
effectively at the top, only to be sliced
and diced and watered down as it makes
its way through various professional
channels to the final recipients. Or that
process could happen in reverse – with
top-tier staff members and executives
delivering valuable information in
completely unmemorable ways.
There are hundreds of ways to deliver
information poorly – too many to ever fit
in an article, or even a magazine. We’ve
all been half-asleep in a meeting, no
matter the size. It’s best to try and figure
out why this happens and how to avoid
it. To that end, there is an emerging trend
that highlights an extremely effective
method of delivering information
successfully – and in a way that stays with
the audience, all the way down the chain
of command. You may have heard of it –
it’s called storytelling.
Screenwriter Robert McKee believes
that “persuasion is the centerpiece of
business activity.” His concept emphasizes
the notion that people are not inspired
by reason alone. In other words, trying
to force-feed an audience your logic can
often distract them, or even make them
defensive. Additionally, if your method
of delivering that logic is putting the
room to sleep, well, it’s probably time to
consider an upgrade in your approach.
Recent studies have revealed that people
are swayed more effectively through
storytelling than by almost every other
kind of exchange. Researchers at Ohio
State found that, within test groups and
surveys, participants overwhelmingly
agreed that persuasion is most effective
when the audience is “transported” to
another place in their minds using a
story. So then why don’t we tell more
stories at work? Perhaps we think that
logic and figures and spreadsheets will
keep everyone focused on the objective
– the greater vision. Whereas these
tools are certainly valuable, it might
also be time to consider a new style of
communication for your company –
especially if you’re noticing a drop-off in
the consistency of your message down
through the chain of command.
The good news is that most of us
already have a wellspring of stories to
tell simply by being a part of the crane,
rigging and transportation industry. So
much of our industry is supported by
an interconnected framework of family
businesses – if there ever was an industry
ready-made for storytelling, it’s this one.
As you consider implementing stories
into your communicative approach,
remember these three strategies:
■
Plan your takeaway message. The
ending is the most important point –
the “hook.” This will linger with your
audience.
■
Brevity. Keep your stories short for the
workplace – three to five minutes.
■
A good story provides a challenge or
conflict – and the resulting triumph.
Intensified with rich language and
delivery, your story – your message –
will connect with its recipients on an
emotional level, and likely remain with
them for quite a while.
■
FEBRUARY 2014
ACT
The story you tell
could determine your
company’s success.
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
Joel Dandrea
5870 Trinity Centre
Parkway, Suite 200
Centreville, VA
20120
Ph: 703-698-0291
Fax: 703-698-0297
Delivering
your message
