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CHAPTER 9: LEADERSHIP COMMUNICATION 277
Consider a CEO trying to work out a press release with public relations peo-
ple about a plant explosion that injured 15 employees. If the press release must
be ready in three hours, the communication is truly non-routine and forces a rich
information exchange. The group will meet face-to-face, brainstorm ideas, and
provide rapid feedback to resolve disagreement and convey the correct informa-
tion. If the CEO has three days to prepare the release, less information capacity
is needed. The CEO and public relations people might begin developing the press
release with an exchange of telephone calls and e-mail messages.
The key is to select a channel to fi t the message. During a major acquisition,
one fi rm chose to send senior executives to all major work sites, where 75 percent

of the acquired workforce met the officials in person. The results were well worth
the time and expense of the personal appearances. Participating leaders claimed
that the workers saw them as understanding and willing to listen—people they
47
would not mind working for. On the other hand, consider the executive who
addressed a letter “Dear Team” to inform employees in his department that they
would be required to make signifi cant changes to achieve a new corporate quality
goal of zero defects. Although the letter indicated that the supervisor realized this
would “not be welcome news,” it directs employees to renew their commitment to
quality and pull together as a team. The letter concludes with a P.S.: “As of tomor-
row, I will be on vacation in Hawaii for the next four weeks and out of reach.” If
you were a member of this supervisor’s team, how would you feel about such a
communication? Most leader communication by its very nature is comprised of
non-routine messages. Although leaders maximize the use of all channels, they
don’t let anything substitute for the rich face-to-face channel when important
issues are at stake.

Effectively Using Electronic Communication Channels
Virtual communication through voice mail, e-mail, video conferencing, and text
messaging has become a fact of life in today’s organizations. The U.S. Army uses
electronic technology to rapidly transmit communications about weather con-
ditions, the latest intelligence on the enemy, and so forth to lieutenants on the
battlefield. Companies such as Celanese Chemicals use wireless text messaging

to keep in touch with salespeople in the fi eld and help them close deals faster. 48

These new tools provide highly efficient ways of communicating, and they can be
particularly useful for routine messages. Text messaging, which allows people to
share short-hand messages instantly, has rapidly grown in use and is becoming
49
more common than e-mail in some organizations. Many leaders fi nd that text
messaging helps them get responses faster and collaborate with people

more smoothly. “It’s just like having my office next to any of
[my employees] and being able to stick my head in and ask a Action Memo
question,” says Jim McCain, president of sales consulting fi rm As a leader, you can avoid letting electronic
McCain and Associates, which has employees scattered from communications become a complete
resist the urge to criticize or complain in
Tallahassee, Florida, to Hyderabad, India. 50 substitute for human interactions. You can
Electronic communication has many advantages, but there are
disadvantages as well. For one thing, electronic methods increase an electronic message, and never send an
the potential for communication errors. People often come across as e-mail when you are angry or upset.
sounding cold, arrogant, or insensitive when they attempt to discuss
delicate issues via e-mail, for example. Things that might be handled
smoothly in a face-to-face conversation or over the phone turn into
massive problems by fostering resentment, bitterness, and hard feelings. 51
Another equally disturbing concern, one psychiatrist argues, is that the grow-
ing use of technology for communicating has created hidden problems for both