CQ: The Communication Quotient for IS Professionals by Robert W. Service, Samford University 800 Lakeshore Dr.

Birmingham, AL 35229 USA rwservic@samford.edu 2005 Journal of Information Science 31(2): pp. 99-113. Abstract As a programmer, analyst, IS executive, and professor it is clear to me that it is becoming more difficult to communicate, not easier. It would seem that with all of the current communications technologies this statement does not make sense. However, the more sophisticated society gets, the more sophisticated communications must become. Information technologies have made it faster and easier to get messages out to vast numbers of people, but they have increased the danger that any message will be misunderstood. IS/IT professionals often exemplify this problem through personal and organizational communications. The purpose of this article is to provide useful information for those wishing to improve their personal and organizational communications and move up in the organizational ranks. This goal is accomplished by presenting the Communications Quotient (CQ) as a measurable and improvable type of intelligence. Keywords: IS/IT Management Advancement; IS/IT Professionals; Communications Systems; Communications Effectiveness 1. Introduction The world is in the midst of a paradigm shift of what it takes to be a successful manager or leader. A shift is occurring away from effective management of the past, which counted on command, control, position, and technical knowledge, to a new model based on openness, trust, and general knowledge; just as we are in the midst of change to an interinfovideotechnoreligiosity society where everything works through video bites [1]. These new paradigms make it clear that IS professionals must think anew about communications if they want to advance in their careers. As you read this article keep in mind the theme is to improve overall communication by moving from directing to connecting. Ask any leader what they consider the most important leadership or management task. Communication is included in the answer. Communicating effectively through many different forms and media separates successful from failed leaders. Communication is the backbone of leadership and management. Communication does not occur because one thinks they have communicated, communication only occurs because the receiver understands the message the sender intended. Only common understanding is communication. IS professionals often forget that they want to move to higher levels of organizational responsibility. Many IS/IT professionals speak in jargon that shows a basic ignorance of the rest of the world of organizational leaders. This CQ gap bars many IS/IT professionals from organizational advancement. Progression in the managerial ranks of organizations requires a broad understanding of communications: thus CQ. Every manager or leaders goal must be to really communicate. A real communicator is a facilitator not a director. Would-be leaders must be content to let others determine meaning, without specifically spelling out the details [2]. Many leaders feel they must convince others of what they know, when in reality it is much more important to allow others to realize what they already know. A modern leader will move from the mentality of Its mine to the mature view of You own it when leadership through empowerment and self-sufficiency is desired [3, 4, 5]. In a climate of empowerment high-CQ individuals expand their perspective. Most often both sides in an argument seem more interested in winning than addressing the real issues or using any

CQ: The Communication Quotient for IS Professionals logic. Many react to a message as if it is all the sender knows. It is as if by saying one thing one proves they cannot know another. Educated individuals know that there is almost always more to every situation, and addressing one segment does not mean one does not know about other alternatives. This deflection tactic occurs when the receiver has no logical objection to what one says. Remember this deflection from a truth tactic and do not do it or let your distracters get away with it! Certainly some important issues will be missed in this CQ description and some examples will not hit home with everyone. Those unavoidable or purposeful exclusions must not invalidate the overall effectiveness of the points made. Those with high CQs can learn from incomplete information. 2. Organizational Management and Leadership as Communication The purpose of management is to gain shared commitments on the part of organizational members and lead them to the realization of those visions [6]. These purposes cannot be met without effective communications. You are probably reading this article to prepare yourself for expanded managerial and leadership responsibilities. Specifically, most of todays formal students and selflearners of management are seeking at some point a General Managers (GM) role. Individuals fail at these higher levels because they choose to pay attention to issues that are not critical to their organization. The most valuable asset today is attention of top-level individuals [7]. Managers naturally defer to their strengths and tend to address issues they know best, not those that are the most important to the organizations success. Do not put yourself in a functional ghetto where most IS professionals put themselves by dealing only with issues within a specific area of expertise. Executives and consultants have favorite solutions or methods of addressing situations they apply regardless of the problem. Most IS professions have this preferred way syndrome to a greater extent than others. Selection and proper identification of problems must precede the solution and tool selection phases for if we solve the wrong issues or use the wrong tools we have ignored the real problems. Attention, selection, and distinctive solutions are key success factors for members of an organizations top management [8]. None of these things work for a manager unless she can effectively communicate. Communicating with the many varied and unique specialists that make up the modern organization is a difficult job. Communicating effectively with those who speak different functional languages like Human Resources (HR), Research and Development (R & D), Legal, Accounting, Auditing, and Total Quality Management (TQM) can be a nightmare. IS/IT professionals have a habit of speaking in acronyms and terms that make our listeners think they are speaking the Da Vinci code! 3. Technology, Problem Identification, and Decision Making An examination of successful identification and definition of organizational problems that leads to effective decision making shows success is enabled by selecting the right technology to use for communication. Give particular attention to the effective organization and management of the many varied functions, stressing decision making and executive competence enabled by communication. That greater purpose must override departmental or individual desires. CQ is aimed at helping you understand how your specific communications style fits associates in the environment in which you work. A key point is that you must fit in before you stand out to be successful as a manager or leader. GMs must address: 1) What drives managers to select specific problems, technologies, or opportunities to improve organizations; human relations, knowledge and other work? 2) How can leaders insure their methods of problem and opportunity selection and solution development meet the need for increased responsiveness to customers, instantaneous demand, geographic reach, leverage, development of better leaders, and organizational

ROBERT W. SERVICE learning? 3) How can selected problems and opportunities, along with the selection of their solutions, be effectively and efficiently communicated to organizational members who can make those intentions happen? Implementation of communications solutions that meet these overriding needs changes the nature of tasks, the management and leadership needs, and the relationship of department and tasks to other activities within the organization [9 quoting U.S. Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan]. The more advanced the technology or solution the more spectacular organizational change it generates and the more need for effective and efficient communications. Success is determined by selecting the right issues, addressing them in an organizationally global and strategic manner, and communicating them to the people who can make them happen. Competition forces providers to make obsolete their own organizations products as well as forcing us as individuals to refurbish our personal knowledge and skills. If you dont make your products, services, skills, and knowledge obsolete, your competition will, organizationally and personally. The worlds best leaders compete within the open information framework [10]. Keeping secrets is no longer an option, because when we do this we most often keep secrets from people within our own organization, which leads to performance failure. People cannot reach goals they cannot understand. 3.1 Communication and Technology: A Contradiction of Sorts? Communication is a description of how people transfer ideas and information to others. The media ranges from winks and nods to the Star-Trek-like telepresence, but regardless of mode of dissemination, communication is the only way meaning is shared. Technology defines how meanings are transferred to the masses. This includes documents, video conferencing, voice, and directing and leading instructions as well as all combinations and permutations of data and other representations. In our personal and professional lives communication is a necessity. General communication theory describes the need for a message initiator, a message receiver, and a means to confirm that the messages meaning was understood. Figure 1 provides a model of the complexity of communications, showing the keys to effective communication as mutual comprehension [11]. TRW, my former company, has 72,000 employees worldwide. Imagine what happens when the voice mail system is just a bit off; the e-mail system is hard to use; and the cell technology is out of date. When these issues occur, management has communications problems of a technical nature. When a computer-related tool is less than par, even a few hundredths of a second lost in each of hundreds of thousands of daily communications can cost bottom-line profit. Human communication can be divided into two forms: verbal and nonverbal. Body language is a form of nonverbal communication. Almost 90% of interactive human speech communication uses nonverbal communication skills [12]. Many wondered what President George W. Bush meant when in a recent interview on Meet the Press he shook his head indicating no as he said yes (February 2004). When U.S. TV newscaster Diane Sawyer questioned Mel Gibson about his upcoming Passion movie it was evident Sawyers actions and questions were definitely calculated more to give information than to get information! Both action and oral communications are effective, but the highCQ leader knows when to choose the correct type. What you do not say often speaks so loudly you really do not need to talk. Many mediums of technology can be linked for extending verbal and nonverbal communications. Man realized early in his existence that language played a role in success. Shouted commands, then relays of messengers, and later drums and amplification horns signal movements and extend the range of ones voice allowing command and control. As sophistication grew so did the reliance on communication technology. Printing allowed for the compilation of policies, procedures, and maps to be used as a communication means. Improved technology brought into broad use the telephone, fax,

CQ: The Communication Quotient for IS Professionals radio, television, e-mail, the Internet, and telepresence. Technology and communications are intertwined by the need to tell others what we do and how and why we do it. Another application of communications technology is enhancing a managers image. As competition becomes more accepted in all disciplines, we will be forced to increase the use of communications technology to get messages out as well as to operate more efficiently and effectively. Effective CQ extends the leaders control. The elements of effective corporate communication technology are: 1. Language selected must be clear, concise, and understandable. 2. All communications should have proof of mutual comprehension. 3. The medium of delivery has to be affordable and easily used. 4. All mediums should be interconnected. 5. There should be a record of all transactions. 6. There should be a means to evaluate the effectiveness of communications [13, 14, 15]. Since the beginning of time, there has been a need to develop communications resources. As our society and technologies have become more complex, we have become more reliant on others to advise us about our technology requirements. It is important to know what can be accomplished within your organization to meet communication requirements. Only you are the expert in several of these decisions. You can hire someone, but they only know what they are told. Regardless of how you do it, communications requires the understanding of several formulas that complement basic CQ. First, understand that only communication allows one to lead: DATA = Raw facts INFORMATION = Data + Meaning COMMUNICATIONS = Information + Mutual Understanding COMMUNICATIONS EFFECTIVENESS = Accurate alignment of sender's meaning and receiver's understanding CQ = LEADERSHIIP WISDOM = Communications + Proper use of Shared Meaning As a manager or leader your effectiveness is measured by your ability to speak and write with clarity and conviction. However, your job as an organizational leader goes beyond personal communications to developing an organization that effectively interacts with all levels to foster an innovative, timely, quality conscious, customer focused organization [15]. The myriad choices within this framework can lead us to chase down numerous rabbit trails that do not contribute to our purpose of building your CQ. Statistics is an example. Statistics should allow the data to reveal to us its meaning, not to torture it until it confesses to the meaning we desire. A decision is a choice made under varying degrees of uncertainty and statistics can help reduce the uncertainty making for better decisions only if we allow the data to communicate its real meaning. Other forms of management science such as gaming theory, simulation, expert systems, Decision Support Systems (DSS), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT), Critical Path Method (CPM), and other tools and methodologies should be considered for their communication value. The value of any information-related tool is making meaning out of data and if methodologies do not communicate more clearly the real meaning than other ways, avoid their use. 4. Communicating Effectively - Getting Ideas Across: Technology or Not The following should be the goals of communications: 1. Completeness 2. Conciseness 3. Consideration 4. Concreteness

ROBERT W. SERVICE 5. Clarity 6. Courtesy 7. Correctness To accomplish the necessary 7 Cs in a presentation, begin by analyzing the topics purpose as it particularly relates to the intended audience [12]. Let the receivers define your context not your purpose (the content). Correctly identify if your objective is to sell, convince, generate enthusiasm, clear the air, negotiate, problem solve, get support, or simply to state a view. Then clearly identify the key people in your audience and what they need; their cultural specifics and hot buttons are not necessarily what you want them to be. From these identified items prepare an outline of your message. Start with an introduction, support for your idea, and build to a conclusion based on proper research and logic. Start by formulating in your mind the basic question you want to answer with your speech and then research it before determining the answer you would like your audience to conclude. Practice listener-centered communication if you want to succeed. When preparing and delivering presentations: fire the speech writer; do it yourself; be prepared, brief, bright, interesting, and gone! Enthusiasm and optimism are contagious. Good presenters use them effectively to communicate feelings. Voice Power [16] proclaims that everyone has a voice that can be dressed up for success just as we clothe ourselves for success. Breathing correctly, using posture, molding delivery, writing speeches, and rehearsing how you speak are all things we need to dress up our personal communications. All leaders continue to use their voice throughout their careers, yet few have worked to train themselves to maximize their speaking effectiveness. Your voice can demand respect or get attention. Insure you know what yours does for you! To foster open communications: Build trust - strong relations. Commit to sharing ideas. Interact openly and directly. Encourage contradictory views. Keep your boss informed. Practice what you preach. Use staff meetings and bulletin boards to inform, not for covering yourself. Do not shoot the messenger. Return snail-e-v-mail, calls, visits, etc. Be a scribe. Be as open as possible. Make sure few receive surprises - internal and external scanning Then for listening "actively" to self and others follow these guidelines: Hear - first seek to understand - look interested. Interpret it may just be a presenting complaint so you need to paraphrase what you hear. Understand - from their perspective. Interrupt to clarify your understanding. Respond - do NOT focus on what you will say. o focus on what someone else is saying. o summarize what they have said. If you have trouble listening try repeating to yourself mentally what you just heard. Speaking and listening both can be improved if you will treat communication as a problem to be solved: Define the problem - not the presenting complaint. Discover and identify alternatives. Evaluate alternatives. Select an alternative that satisfies.

CQ: The Communication Quotient for IS Professionals Implement. Evaluate and revise. When the situation changes, I change my mind. What do you do?

5. Building Flexible Organizational Communication Systems Getting back to thinking about our entire organization and its needs, all of us must start by determining what the communications requirements are if we wish to improve organizational CQ. Define terms in the language of those you want to reach. Avoid jargon or formulas unless they fit the audience. For a plan to be workable, it must be understood at all levels. Ask these basic questions so you can understand your communications requirements: 1. What are the bare necessities and nice-to-haves: requirements? 2. How much of the existing communications systems meets your present requirements? 3. How much of the existing infrastructure can meet your new requirements? 4. Why consider communication technology changes? 5. How can organizational communication requirements be integrated or interconnected? 6. When is the appropriate time to implement such changes? 7. Where can we find the help to accomplish this kind of survey? The remaining question to be asked is, Who can do it? The basic development of communication requirements should be a corporate decision based upon a communications-based performance standard. Only your organization can develop such an evaluative and measurement document. This inventory starts with a list of all corporate communication activities as they exist. The document identifies present deficiencies and suggests changes necessary to improve the situation. Finally, the communications-based performance-standards document becomes the basis for planning, organizing, directing, developing, training, selection, elimination, coordination, interfacing, measurements, and implementation of communications systems that meet your organizations real com needs. Formulate your organizations own unique communications-based performance standard using the information shown in this article. 5.1 Communications and Communications Technology: The path to understanding the past, improving the present, and creating a future. Communications technology is too complex to be addressed simply. Leaders have communications face-to-face, but they are having an increasing number of interactions via new technologies made possible by computers and cellular technology and the like. Many parts of an organization are linked internally and externally via some form of electronic data interchange (EDI). Many organizational processes are now accomplished computer-to-computer without human intervention [13, 14, 17, 18]. With this in mind, address: What are communications technology considerations that might help increase your CQ in todays fast-changing and highly connected world? Technologies are represented in two categories of delivery systems: 1) Wiretelephones, telegraph, computers, faxes, e-mail, and cable television are the best examples of wired systems, for the most part, though there are wireless systems. 2) Wirelesstwo-way radio, radio paging, data communications, and network television are basic examples of wireless systems. Today almost anything related to com can be designed and constructed to operate in either the wired or wireless world. All communications technologies are some medium designed to support communications from one location to another or to multiple locations and can carry data, audio, and video. Automated linking of an organization and its partners systems is not as simple as anyone can attest who has started an EDI or integrated enterprise-wide planning and communicating system

ROBERT W. SERVICE (Enterprise Resource Planning Systems-ERP). Many of these huge ERPs are never implemented even after spending millions of dollars, because the complexity becomes too great. A number of companies have gone out of business trying to implement these systems [19]. Incremental solutions work better than revolutionary changes for ERP implementations. All organizations need some level of information for decision making that allows leaders who are not communication experts to chart their organizations course with communications technologies that: Improve organizational and individual efficiencies. Enhance accounting, finance, security, and records: increase control while keeping costs down. Expand the utilization of all resources. Improve measurement, compensation for results and morale. Avoid lawsuits and limit liability; allow fraud audits. Project work: planning, estimating, scheduling, controlling, measuring, and adjusting. Standardize development, training, and secession contingency planning; often accomplished through the web. Control inventories of parts, people, locations, knowledge, skills, etc. Forecast upgrades and needed features or facilities. Enhance utilization of Computer Aided whatever. Track orders, purchases, and sales of products and services. Integrate constituency relations. Manage: plan, organize, direct, control, reward, strategize, etc. Increase corporate image and PR. Leverage everyone/thing. Use a building-block approach to technology to be in position to take advantage of new technology advancements without having to junk everything. First address this communications issue and understand how dependent you and your organization have become on so many ways of communicating. To more fully realize any of these goals and objectives it is important to take a large number of factors into consideration. Given the prior requirements, communications technology decisions involve consideration for the following (starting point for organizations communications-based performance standard): Determine goals and objectives for your IT and communications systems. Inventory and list all of the communications technology presently being used. Determine how communications technology helps you accomplish given tasks. Look closely at the kinds of technology interaction required to accomplish essential tasks: interactions are the tricky part, individual elements are relatively simple. Understand who performs which tasks and the difficulties they experience; define how tasks might be made more efficient or effective. Identify the communications technology interfaces that are presently a problem or impossibility. Determine the technology changes, hardware or software that can improve personnel efficiency or effectiveness. Find out the internal intelligence capabilities or expertise that exists in communications technology systems or people. Determine the level of communications technology integration. Determine the true requirements for communications technology capacity, speed, and backup. Assess what your organizations competitors are doing and what the vendors are providing. Assess the people factors of all communications technology: many become wedded to their existing technology. Implement technological solutions that achieve communication goals and objectives, but allow the recovery of capital equipment costs in a reasonable amount of time.

CQ: The Communication Quotient for IS Professionals Achieve improved efficiency while maintaining and improving organizational public image, improving employee morale, and insuring longevity. Planning and implementing a more integrated communications technology must use a building block approach using widespread standards. Measure the cost-benefit of any communications technology upgrade over its projected life. Plan for the next upgrade by building in potential links with each upgrade [19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 34]. Most organizations have allowed communications to happen over time, becoming so dependent on their current happen sense solution that they cannot take the time to fix anything. Most leaders suffer from a low CQ because they are not fully utilizing all their resources. When organizational structure or technology changes, the lower CQ leader or manager is not in position to keep up with his environment. In setting goals and objectives that measure existing organizational performance, many other issues become apparent. Most organizations discover that their communications and technology systems are stand-alone systems that are being used together: not really integrated. Telephone systems are integrated with other systems, yet they were not designed this way initially. Wireless communication systems are often stand-alone operations. In fact, all of the two-way, paging, tracking, e-mailing, computer, voice mail, and video could possibly be used together, but they most often are not. Recognizing that all these separate communications operations are really vertical stand-alone systems obviously indicates the need for evaluating and upgrading your communications technology. Your organizational goal should be the development of an efficient and effective integrated communications system, not just a comprehensive or convenient one. While the solution is easily expressed with those six words, it is not easily implemented. Most of the existing communications technologies were implemented piecemeal without an overall design. The internal and external forces for change are enormous and include many governmental as well as private entities. Many organizations could create an internal communications technology group comprised of those who do the job daily, led by an internal communications technology coordinator. Solicitation of ideas and methods from vendors, industry groups, and service personnel needs to be someones job. With a group or person responsible, you can start to determine whats really needed. In developing a communications strategy, it is important to recognize that decisions must be made because of competitive advantage or cost benefit. These cannot be determined without identifying corporate goals and objectives; and determining exactly what communications, technological or otherwise, could improve the present situation. The key point is that without a viable corporate communications strategy that develops an integrated system approach to communication, achieving your highest CQ is impossible. A realistic strategy assists in prioritizing goals and identifies how to best integrate all corporate communications systems and technology. The essence of a successful communications system is to integrate all aspects into a user-friendly communication system that allows for continuous growth. This is preferable to a series of blocks of individual pieces of equipment that may be linked in subsystems. Unfortunately, some organizations find that to improve their telephones or data systems they have to start from scratch. Flexibility and your corporate expertise, existing standards, and expectations improve your chances of getting what you need. How can you best avoid normal problems as you develop a viable communications system? 1. Create a communications group that has worker representation and has an influential communications technology officer leading the effort. 2. Seek and obtain employees descriptions of communications problems, effectiveness, limitations, and needs. 3. Compare and contrast what communications systems and technology others have inside and outside your industry. 4. Create a database of communications ideas. 5. Have review and test procedures in place prior to any commitments.

ROBERT W. SERVICE Develop a detailed written description of what services integrate with which existing systems. Craft corporate-wide communication policies and procedures. Consider the cost differences among the many forms of building, buying, or renting services. Understand the cost benefit trade-offs of each decision. Evaluate lowering or increasing costs and the facilities or services youll get. These guidelines are not an attempt to tell you what specific communications technology could improve your CQ. They are an attempt to help you understand the need to establish general guidelines and directions of your own. Communications decisions a leader or manager makes are affected by: Business climate. Industry advances. Technology advances. National association positions. Governmental policies and regulations. The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rulesor your countrys appropriate regulatory agency guidelines. Future business decisions. A successful communications technology strategy can outline the development of an integrated system that lasts for years. However, it will last only if flexibility is built in, not built onto. Planning and implementing communications technology strategy is a complex activity, but it is worth it. There are differing opinions on what is the most productive and cost-efficient means to assess and validate your evolving strategy. Outsourcing the activities is often a good idea, but that is for an expert to decide. Every leader should evaluate the real cost of their current communications systems so they can understand the cost/benefit relationship. The leader should never abdicate the responsibility of managing the communications systems. In fact, it is harder to manage outsourced activities than those handled in-house [25]. Look at the formal and informal ways of communicating and if you see much dissimilarity, you have a problem. People use a different informal system because something is wrong with the formal system. Make sure the formal and the informal communications patterns and systems are relatively the same. If there is inconsistency, the formal system should be changed. It is hoped that this section has been general enough to cover many environments, yet specific enough that you can find application. In other words, have we communicated? Now for the specifics as they relate to individual CQ [26]. 6. Strengths and Weaknesses Identified With Effective CQ Research-based articles, books, popular press accounts, experience, and over 800 completed CQ exercises resulted in the identification of traits and characteristics that identify effective CQ individuals [26-cites 450 sources]. Those findings will be presented in the next section so that you can identify your own strengths and weaknesses in communicating. Do not stagnate on the strictness of what is really under your control and what is not. Items listed as natural indicate things someone is not likely to change because they became ingrained early in life [27]. It is not how great you did telling people, its how great they did understanding what you said that counts. 6.1 Normal Natural StrengthsFigure 2 Quadrant 1 of CQ Matrix Speaking is often the first trait that is noticed about a leaders communication ability. He is just a natural speaker, is a typical observation. Those people are easy to listen to and convincing as public speakers as well as in personal interactions. We often think of people as dignified in their speech or public speaking when they present their thoughts with clarity and conviction. Even those who have been trained to be effective speakers usually start with quite a lot of natural ability. The 6. 7. 8. 9.

CQ: The Communication Quotient for IS Professionals speaking talent is exhibited early on and indeed that talent is often what gets one on the path of choosing some form of speaking as a major contributor to their leadership style. Choose words carefully, speak with force and persuasion. A second natural trait we have all observed is listening. An inclusive listener shows he is focused on what someone else has to say, not on what he himself wants to say. When someone is a good listener, you can see it and feel it. They are paying attention to you and clarifying what you mean, not what they want to make of what you mean. To really understand and solve problems and make decisions nothing is more important than listening. While in Europe I was impressed by how someone sitting next to you on a tube or train could be on their phone and you could not hear a word of their conversation. I said to a close friend in London, You guys can hear a lot better than Americans. The reply was: No we cannot, we just pay more attention. The Briton made a good observation about our very noisy, communications-cluttered society. In the current American culture we have to be screamed at to get our attention. A third trait that CQ evaluators cite as natural is being outgoing, expressive, enthusiastic, and passionate. We have all met someone who has had a profound effect on our lives. They communicated not with just choice of words but with an outgoing expressiveness that made us feel that the person passionately believed what they were telling us. Passion and enthusiasm for a topic is often more important than the technical correctness. The most convincing speaker is not always the one with the best logic, nor is the best professor the one that has the best material; but they are always the people who make you feel they really are passionate about their views. The final natural trait is a genuine, humble honesty or expressed humility. The recent American Idol winner Ruben was chosen because of his appearance of humbleness and being a nice guy. Another exemplar in this area is Lady Caroline Cox. A member of Englands House of Lords, as Lady Cox spoke to my group of 25 American students you could feel her honesty and humility. Try thinking about the contrast between Mother Teresa and Princess Diana. But remember we really only know their public images, not the real person within. When someone prefaces their communication to you by stating, This is the honest truth, they are committing the liars paradox. Wouldnt a liar lie about lying? Ask yourself why someone must tell you they are honest or a Christian, for that matter; or if they are not spinning the facts. It is in all probability because you cannot figure it out from their actions or words, so they have to tell you, I dont spin things! Spin, honesty, enthusiasm, humor, and spirituality are among many things that must be obvious without a label or they are simply not as advertised. Your overall CQ shows and often tells others all they need to know! 6.2 Normal Natural WeaknessFigure 2 Quadrant 3 Many of the subjects in the CQ exercise reported a natural weakness in the area of communications when the leader exhibited a judgmental tone, lacking empathy, understanding, openness or directness. We all come short in so many ways that we must stop to ask, How can we be so judgmental of others? Clean up your own act so your communications style matches your followers needs in your environment. I was tempted to cite examples of public figures who seem judgmental. However, to do so would be to fall into my own trap, because then I would be judging. If I am judgmental about one thing it is judgmentalism! Tell associates, subordinates, and followers what they need to know, good and bad. Establish that you are open and direct and that youre not trying to manipulate them for your gain, you are trying to improve their contribution to the organization for their gain. A second natural trait reported is poor clarity of speech, often noted by accent, pitch, level, slang, or dialect. I constantly remind students as they go for their first real job interviews that they need to sound and appear more mature not less. Most Americans under age 30 need to reduce their use

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ROBERT W. SERVICE of the word like by about like 80% or more. Filler words are distracting and must be eliminated. I am struck by the number of FOX News Network reporters who continually say uhhh and ummm. If those outside America judge our intellect by what they hear on U.S. news networks, we are in trouble. One of my friends almost whispers when she speaks. When I asked about it, she responded, I find if I talk low, people listen more carefully. Well, I find if I say things that are interesting, people listen more carefully. There are many speaking errors; the key is to think about yours. A third trait that many of our respondents categorized as a natural negative is mannerisms. Recall what the Englishman Simon said about American Idol runner-up Clay. I have to close my eyes to listen to you. Where did you come up with those facial expressions? Clay listened and earned the runner-up position because he eliminated those extreme expressions. Get someone you really trust to watch you and tell you of any mannerisms that take away from your effectiveness. My students saw me alone on the street corner about 1:00 am in London and they said, Wow, you looked mean. Maybe I did, but no one has ever bothered me; guess it works! The last natural negative trait we have identified is poor timing. Sometimes it almost appears on purpose! I feel that criticism of this has gotten out of hand, but we are not the receivers: their perception counts the most. 6.3 Normal Nurtured CQ StrengthsFigure 2 Quadrant 2 This is an easy section for we all know people who have nurtured their communications abilities and communicate an air of leadership that touches others as they pass by in life. Remember the saying: What you do speaks so loudly I cant hear what you say. Make sure that your words are not overridden by your actions. It may take a thousand words to describe a picture, but there are not enough words to undo what someone sees us do! The first trait exemplified and nurtured is an ability to fit in socially. Social skills exemplified by ones understanding of appropriateness, balance, and fit are an important part of CQ. My universitys president looks and acts presidential even when he strides down the aisle to address the faculty. This however is not all good, because it does often result in stifling open and free sharing of ideas and information. Empowerment, not a picture of power, is the most appropriate form of social skills in todays world. British-born American Bob Hope was an icon of understanding what it took to get others to feel and see humor in any and every situation. Old films of him visiting troops in the hospitals showed how focused he was on each individual and how he touched them with his hands and heart. The second trait in this quadrant is writing and consequently reading. We can all understand the need to write, especially today when e-mail is such a dominant form of communication. The contribution of reading to CQ is less clear though not less strong. Reading is important because it is an important form of listening and the foundation for writing. If you truly want to listen to what others have to say for learning, you must read so you will have a basis for understanding. A third trait is one that many fear: public speaking, which is included under the title Making a Presentation. Management and leadership are disciplines that require you to make presentations. The ability to give clear and concise presentations to help others learn, motivate, or inform is one of the foundations of success as a leader. Everyone cannot be a presenter as effective as Churchill. However, being able to articulate your thoughts and persuade others is an invaluable skill that everyone can improve if they follow CQ principles. In all presentations, remember, it is about the audience not you. Secondly, watch nonverbal communications. Lastly, use visual aids effectively and sparingly. Too many people (especially techies) turn over their speeches to PowerPoint. IS/IT types too often depend on technology for presentations. PowerPoint cannot rescue a crummy presentation. The last trait that is clearly a nurtured strength is thinking and responding on your feet. We have all seen facilitators who can balance formality and informality and just cannot be rattled. These

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CQ: The Communication Quotient for IS Professionals people seem always prepared in a large part because they are. Think about what Henry Kissinger, one of the greatest negotiators of all time, said: To win in negotiations, know more about the other persons side than they do. Former American President John F. Kennedy was a master at this and his debating skills won him the office. He could think, respond, and really connect with his audience. JFKs appearance, poise, confidence, knowledge, and experience in debates allowed him to shine, and he could respond so well in Q & A sessions [28]. Learn to speak and respond on your feet if you want to be a good leader: think preparation, preparation, preparation. 6.4 Normal Nurtured CQ weaknessesFigure 2 Quadrant 4 Nonverbal communications such as posture, expression, and movements are often more important than what is being said. How often have you watched someone talk and just could not hear them because of some facial expressions or other visual distraction? Nonverbal cues are much more important than we think. These nonverbal behaviors are more often negative, for when they are positive they really are just neutral factors that do little extra good. A second trait that many seem to perfect is a style that stifles communications. So much of life is lived in chaos that human history seems to have been an endless struggle for greater order and meaning. Expressiveness and language in general have imposed a framework on our mostly chaotic existence. If we could encourage, not stifle, those who communicate with us, we would be able to understand the world as others see it, not as we see it. It seems the desire of many to be heard is so strong that it overcomes all else. This is probably all right for entertainers, but certainly not for a Human Resources director, CEO, or managers at levels where there is so much to know that they cant know everything. The next cultivated communications problem should not be one exhibited by IS professionals, but sadly it often appears to be part of a techies total package. That trait is poor use of technology for communications. Communications technology can add or detract from CQ. Technology cannot replace other forms of communications, but properly used it can enhance the ability to communicate. Ed is one of the best professors anyone has ever heard and he loves to help students find themselves through new adventures. But his refusal to use e-mail or have even an answering machine makes him less effective than he could be. No one should depend fully on technology for communications, but likewise no one should avoid it altogether. To communicate to a variety of people you have to figure out their preferred way and communicate with them in that manner. The final trait we see in this area is poor writing skills. With the spread of e-mail and the continued importance of written proof, one can ill afford to be a poor writer. Here we do not mean the ability to impress with words, but the ability to put into writing what one wants another to understand. As a college freshman, I barely passed Freshman Composition with a D. I did not write at all until I was well into my 30s and then often had help. One reason for this is that I read very little, perhaps three books by the time I was 30. I completed an MBA and didnt even buy my school books: I wasnt going to read them! Well, that gradually changed as I moved up into the higher managerial ranks and became an avid reader and a relatively good writer. I really had to read and write as I pursued my PhD at the age of 45, when in my first semester I completed 580 pages of proofed output: what a way to learn to type! You will not see anyone in higher levels of management today that cannot write concisely, clearly, and convincingly. E-mail and the written word are a must for management progression. Now that we have finished describing the most common natural and nurtured CQ traits, it is time to look at the whole and assess yourself. 7. Using the CQ Matrix A key is to first understand clearly each of the traits and then honestly evaluate yourself in

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ROBERT W. SERVICE each of the four quadrants as they are shown in Figure 2. Seek real feedback and use the principles noted in this section. Always use other people when you are evaluating the way you look and come across in communications. In evaluating yourself, put a +1 for each of the strengths and a -1 for each of the weaknesses you have determined are your communications traits and behaviors. If you can think of more appropriate strengths or weakness you have, list those and again score them +1 to -1, but be careful about just making up some traits. Try to be realistic about a replacement trait; it is preferable to use those developed from the CQ exercises and from the relevant extant literature. Calculate your score and realize that if you do not get at least 6 points you are not likely to be moved forward as a manager. 7.1 Doing Something About Your and Your Organizations CQ! The first part of this paper gave guidelines for developing and improving organizational communications and communications systems, automated and otherwise. In the last section, the personal side of communications excellence was shown. As you can see there are many similarities between personal and organizational communications. This should not surprise you because organizations are collections of individuals striving for common purposes: communications entities. Identifying which CQ characteristics you feel are under your control and which ones are not requires a lot of introspection and self-honesty. Many feel basically everything is under their control and others feel they control very little. Again, just be realistic, and if you are not likely to change a trait count it as not under your control. Be honest with yourself. Obtaining the skill of identifying, limiting distractions, studying, learning, relearning, and ultimately using newfound strengths for CQ development will serve you well. Practice improvement in your CQ by expressing outwardly your emotions about doing, getting, or being versus just saying you have communication intelligence. Experience has shown others often think that a lot more of your traits are on the controllable side than you do. Maybe this is because we have traits that we are not going to change simply because we dont want to or feel it is just too hard for the expected payback. Yes, most things of value require trade-offs and often trade-offs we are not willing to make. So youve identified your CQ. Now what? Check your evaluations with some trusted people because in this area what they believe is more important than what you believe. Then come up with a realistic strategy to address how you can work to improve those things identified as under your control in order to offset negative effects of factors over which you are relatively sure you have no control. Figure 3 is useful in planning strategy to improve your CQ. Its time to get started; if not now, when? 8. CQ Conclusions The stunning yet controversial success and fall of Martha Stewart could be a study in communication. It seems that by failing to communicate her caringif indeed there was anyMartha set herself up to be someone many wanted to see fall hard [29]. If people do not feel you care they will look for reasons to see you fail, but on the other hand if you communicate a caring and empathetic attitude people will overlook a lot. Perhaps this article needed to go into specific types of communications such as performance appraising, coaching, teams, conflicts, training, meetings, problem solving, establishing cultures, openness, and trust within organizations but there is simply not time or space. Regardless of shortcomings, all of the rules, descriptions, positives, and negatives identified in this article will help you in moving others to use more of their full potential just as they will help you reach more of yours. State everything about an organization from mission, related goals, objectives, and final evaluative reward criteria to customer centered messages in a way that is straightforward and understandable to those receiving the message. IS and IT professionals desiring advancement must listen to MBA recruiters: In short recruiters want more polish, more focus and less attitude. . . . You cant just know the right answer.

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CQ: The Communication Quotient for IS Professionals You also must have the tool set to persuade those who do not have your same perspectives or level of education [30]. Dont talk too much or too little, dont challenge too much or too little, dont over or under use humor or empathy, know when to take charge of the communications and when to let it ride, but always know where you stand [31]. Do not try to be everything to everyone, and remember your cultural and functional orientations often lead your communications astray. Do you show your IS/IT techie excellence or your CQ excellence? The rules for CQ must always be followed except when there are exceptions: learn the basics and you will recognize the exceptions! Your CQ starts out unconsciously incompetent, moves to conscious incompetence, then to conscious competence; and finally your CQ arrives at the ideal unconsciously competent stagethen you are downsized or you retire! Become unconsciously competent with CQ before it is too late.

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ROBERT W. SERVICE Figure 1. MODEL OF TWO-WAY COMMUNICATIONS

Data + Meaning Information + Mutual Understanding Communications & Use Leadership Wisdom

Receiver Decoding
Sender Encoding

M E S S A G E S E N T

Knowledge & Abilities Status & Attitudes Roles & Rules Purpose & Emotions

Content As Used

Message Received

Sender Perception

Process
Receiver Perception & Skills

Actions

Rules & Norms

Culture

Climate

Effective Communications

Foundation for Management & Leadership

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CQ: The Communication Quotient for IS Professionals Figure 2. CQ MEASUREMENT AND IMPROVEMENT MATRIX [26] Evaluate yourself against these traits NATURE (uncontrollable) NURTURE (controllable)

Q1
__speaking-clarity & conviction __listening with inclusiveness __expressive-passion-enthusiasm __genuine-humble-honest

Q2
__appropriate social skills __good writing & reading skills __good presentation skills __ responding well on your feet

STRENGTHS
(enablersadvantages)

__ _________________ (self IDed trait)

__ __________________ (self IDed trait)

Q3
__judgmental tone __poor clarity of speech __distracting mannerisms __ poor timing

Q4
__ bad non-verbal expression __stifle others __poor use of tech. for com. __ poor writing skills

WEAKNESSES
(derailers disadvantages)

__ __________________ (self IDed trait)

__ __________________ (self IDed trait)

Tailor for yourself!

NATURE(uncontrollable-born) NURTURE(controllable-made)

Q1
Maximize

Q2
Hone

Strengths

_________________ _________________ _________________ _________________

__________________ __________________ __________________ __________________

Q3
Make irrelevant or deflect

Q4
Minimize or change

Weaknesses

_________________ _________________ _________________

___________________

__________________ __________________ __________________

____________________

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ROBERT W. SERVICE Figure 3: USING THE CQ MATRIX AND SELF-IMPROVEMENT PLANNING DOCUMENT As you develop a strategy for your own overall CQ improvement strategy, follow the ten steps below for creating a strategy for becoming all the leader you can be [32, 33]: 1) Clearly and honestly assess yourself for each of the identified traits. 2) Clearly express your goals in terms of specifics about events and behaviors. Be truthful and honest and dont establish goals you do not intend to accomplish. 3) Set doable goals that you will measure. 4) Define your objectives for each goal as SMART objectives. S=Specific M=Measurable A=Attainable R=Relevant and Realistic T=Time Bounded 5) Make sure your goals are about things that are truly under your control or figure out how to get someone else to help youmay require professional help! 6) Develop a program and strategy that will insure you accomplish each objective. 7) Establish whom you are going to work with to support your development. 8) Network to learn specifics about your followers and your environments. 9) Create a sense of accountability for progress toward goal accomplishment; provide rewards and punishments as appropriate to help yourself complete improvements. Be careful about identifying what you feel is under your control and what you feel is not. The skills of identifying, limiting distractions, studying, learning, relearning, and ultimately using newfound skills for CQ development will serve you well in all areas of your life. We do not deal much in facts when we are contemplating ourselves. Never lie to yourself!

1. I acknowledge the following CQ shortcomings:

2. This is how I will improve on the shortcomings:

3. This is how I will measure progress:

4. These are the people in my support group for the changes I will make:

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CQ: The Communication Quotient for IS Professionals Bibliography [1] [2] [3] [4] B. Barber, Jihad vs. McWorld (Ballantine, New York, 1996). R. W. Giuliani, Leadership (Miramax Books, New York, 2002). D. Goleman, Working With Emotional Intelligence (Bantam, New York, 2000). D. Goleman, R. Boyatzis and A. McKee, Primal Leadership: The hidden driver of great performance, Harvard Business Review (December 2001) 42-51. D. Goleman, R. Boyatzis and A. McKee, Primal Leadership: Realizing the Power of Emotional Intelligence (Harvard Business School, Boston, 2002). J. Welch, Jack: Straight from the Gut (Warner Books, New York, 2001). T. H. Davenport and J. C. Beck, The Attention Economy: Understanding the New Currency of Business (Harvard Business School, Watertown, MA, 2001). P. Z. Jackson and M. McKergow, The Solutions Focus: The Simple Way to Change (Nicholas Brealey, London, 2002). G. Melloan, Yes, America has a `New Economy': Technology, The Wall Street Journal (September 21, 1999) A27.

[5]

[6] [7]

[8]

[9]

[10] B. Kunstler, The Hothouse Effect (AMACOM, New York, 2004). [11] Why organizations still aren't learning, An interview with Peter Senge, Training, (September 1999) 40-49. [12] G. M. Campbell, Bulletproof Presentations (Career Press, Franklin Lakes, NJ, 2002). [13] D. H. Andrews and K. R. Johnson, Revolutionizing IT (John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, NJ, 2002). [14] J. Baschab and J. Piot, The Executives Guide to Information Technology (John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, NJ, 2003). [15] A. P. Brache, How Organizations Work (John Wiley & Sons, New York, 2002). [16] R. Grant-Williams, Voice Power: Using Your Voice to Captivate, Persuade, and Command Attention (AMACOM, New York, 2002). [17] R. I. Benjamin, J. F. Rockart, M. S. S. Morton and J. Wyman, Information technology: A strategic opportunity, Sloan Management Review (Spring 1984) 3-10. [18] J. Collins, Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap . . . and Others Dont (HarperCollins, New York, 2001).

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ROBERT W. SERVICE [19] F. R. Jacobs and D. C. Whybark, Why ERP? (McGraw-Hill Higher Education, New York, 2000). [20] T. Flanagan and E. Safdie, Delivering warehouse ROI through business intelligence (1999). Available at: www.techquide.com (Accessed 29 September 1999). [21] D. Hackney, What is a data mart? (1997). Available at: www.entergroupltd.com (Accessed 29 September 1997). [22] W. H. Inmon, Building the data warehouse (1998). Available at www.d2k.com (Accessed 30 December 1998). [23] K. Maney, Megamedia Shakeout (John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1995). [24] R. W. Service and H. S. Maddux, Building competitive advantage through IS: The organizational Information Quotient, Journal of Information Science 25(1) (1999) 51-65. [25] R. W. Service, J. Whitman, D. Ammons and L. Harper, Communications now and in the future (The material in this section was based in part on work documented in an unpublished jointly developed IS/IT Communications training course: R. W. Service maintains copies of his working papers in this area). (August 2000). [26] B. Service and D. Arnott, LQ The Leadership Quotient 12 Dimensions for Measuring and Improving Leadership (pending publication 2004This is R. W. ServiceI used my nickname Bill for this popular press book). [27] S. Pinker, The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature (Viking, New York, 2002). [28] J. F. Kennedy, Profiles in Courage (Memorial Edition) (Harper & Roe, New York, 1965). [29] C. Byron, Martha Inc (Wiley, New York, 2002). [30] R. Alsop, How to get hired, The Wall Street Journal (September 22, 2004) R8. [31] J. M. Strock, Reagan On Leadership: Executive Lessons from The Great Communicator (Strock Enterprises, Rocklin, CA, 1998). [32] P. C. McGraw, Life Strategies: Doing What Works: Doing What Matters (Hyperion, New York, 1999). [33] P. C. McGraw, Life Strategies Workbook (Hyperion, New York, 2000). [34] J. W. Cortada and T. S. Hargraves, Into the Networked Age (Oxford University Press, New York, 1999).

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