The Communication Advantage Part 2

November 27, 2020

Have you ever heard the words, “Watch your tone!”?

Are you sending the right message?

Are people hearing what you mean to say or are they only hearing how you say it?

In our last blog we looked at how our facial expressions communicate. (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/working-improving-your-communication-watch-what-you-dont-ed-heinrichs/)

In this article we will look at Paralinguistics and how they can help or hinder our communication.

Pitch: Does your voice tend to go up if you are nervous or angry? You can develop the ability to control the pitch of your voice to maximize effective communication.

Each of us are able to speak within a vocal range, and vary the pitch. This ranges from the higher, nasal tones to the richer resonant tones that come from within the chest. Many studies indicate that speaking from the lower range instills greater confidence in the listener.

Pace: Are you speaking at a reasonable rate or does it sound rushed? Are you slowing down or
pausing at appropriate points in your presentation? Reserving the increased pace to bring additional
energy and suggest passion will enhance your speech.

Are you intentionally adding moments of silence? These pauses can be as powerful as the
words spoken. Think of the rests between the notes in a piece of music.

Volume: What do we do when someone whispers? We instinctively lean in to hear what is being
said. A whisper can be amazingly powerful since it connotes a secret or special knowledge.
How can you use this as a way to draw in the audience?

Timbre: Timbre refers to the quality of the sound as it is perceived by the listener. It is often
used to describe musical instruments and is distinct from pitch or volume. As an example, compare
Kermit the Frog’s voice to the voice of Morgan Freeman.

Are you using ‘upspeak’ and is it undermining your communication? Raising the voice at the end
of a sentence can transform a statement into a question.

The Power of Prosody! This is the application of all these elements into engaging and effective
communication. Dreary dull, unvaried or monotonous delivery of what could be great content is
going to effectively undermine the entire presentation. A varied, energetic tone can serve to effectively
help communicate ideas.

Remember when you were told to “Watch your tone!”? Those are words worth paying attention to.
What is the next right step in your ascent toward your communication advantage?

We are here to help you succeed.

NB: For a more in-depth consideration of this topic check out:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-paralinguistic-cues-can-help-you-to-persuade2/

You’re Invited – Supply Chain Canada, Ontario Institute to their Holiday Networking Event

We would like to invite you on behalf of Supply Chain Canada, Ontario Institute to their Holiday Networking Event on Nov. 26, 2020. The past few months have been like no other and it is time for some celebrating! Join us for an evening of fun, celebration, learnings from 2020 and some great conversations as we prepare for the new year.

Date & Time: November 26, 2020 | 5.00 pm – 9.00 pm EST

Price: Members – $10 | Non-members – $15

MuniSERV Members can get Supply Chain Canada, Ontario Institute member pricing with CODE MUNI10

CPD: 2 CPD Points

Highlights of the Holiday Event:

“Hindsight 2020 – Lessons Learned” – Panel Discussion with (Fellows) FSCMPs, and Board Chair – Ontario Institute: Insightful dialogues from our Fellow Designation Holders of 2019 & 2020 – Robert Wiebe, Chief Administrative Officer of Loblaw Companies Ltd. and John Salt, Senior Vice President – Supply Chain from Canadian Tire; Lani Lindsay – Board Chair, Ontario Institute and VP, Replenishment & Supply Chain from Walmart; Jim Peeples – President & COO of Challenger Motor Freight
Honouring and recognizing our long-standing members: A significant number of our members have achieved their milestones of completing 25 to 60+ years with us, this year. This is our chance to acknowledge their contribution to the association and to the profession.
A chance to give back to charity: Supply Chain Canada, Ontario Institute will match the amount raised from the registration fees to donate to a charity that will be revealed at the event.
Virtual networking: While this will be a virtual event, the facilitation of break-out rooms and one-on-one conversations will be made to encourage interesting conversations. Furthermore, to foster more one-on-one connections and participation, a draw for a free 1 or 2 Day workshop will be conducted during the networking sessions and you have to be online to claim your prize, if you are the winner selected.

Agenda for the evening (the time below is in EST):

5:00 pm – 6:00 pm – Welcome and Member Recognition Celebration

6:00 pm – 6:30 pm – Panel Discussion – “Hindsight 2020 – Lessons Learned”

Moderated by: Jim Peeples, President + COO Challenger Motor Freight

Panelist: John Salt, SVP Supply Chain Canadian Tire

Panelist: Robert Wiebe, Chief Administrative Officer, Loblaw Companies Limited

Panelist: Lani Lindsay, VP Replenishment and Supply Chain, Walmart Canada

6:30 pm – 6:50 pm – Q+A and Conclusion of Panel

6:50 pm – 7:00 pm – Break: Grab your favourite Holiday drinks and snacks

7:00 pm – 8:00 pm – Speed Networking via break-out rooms

8:00 pm – 8:10 pm – Closing comments

8:10 pm – 9:00 pm – Open Networking for those who wish to stay on and network

Please confirm with us here your intentions of staying for our online networking starting at 6.50 pm EST. For those who stay back, we will be conducting three draws for a free 1 or 2 Day workshop.

REGISTER HERE

We look forward to seeing you on Nov. 26, 2020 as we celebrate each other and collaborate for a more resilient future.

COVID and Communication Challenges

November 16, 2020

Watch what you don’t say.

I have heard people talk about ‘finding their voice.” But, what do you do if you can’t use words?

It was 2 a.m. and we had just arrived at the Bangkok, Thailand airport. We needed to find a cab to our hotel. We discovered how dependent we were on words to communicate. At the same time, we realized the power of gestures and facial expressions. While words are an important part of communication, there is great value in understanding how rich our communication systems are.

We generally think of communication in two categories -verbal and nonverbal. We are very aware of verbal communication, but did you know that there are at least nine distinct categories of nonverbal communication? We try to choose our words carefully, but might be unaware of our nonverbal signals, and yet, these speak loudly to our listeners.

Each one plays a major role in your presentations, speeches, and general communication. This is an important part of Emotional Wisdom and becomes a powerful part of communication.

In a series of upcoming posts, we will look at these categories in more detail. Here is the first

category and some comments on how this might help or hinder your communication:

Facial Expressions

This is probably the most easily recognized of the nonverbal communication categories. Within this category are over twenty distinct expressions. It is also helpful to know that many facial expressions are universal in nature. This makes it possible to understand across linguistic boundaries. Facial expressions are responsible for a large part of nonverbal communication. The look on a person’s face is often the first thing we see, even before we hear what they have to say.

The challenge with wearing masks is that we lose about 50% of what is being communicated through facial expressions. Due to the design of the human eye, we can easily identify precisely where people are looking.

Watch an audience as you are being introduced. The eyes of the audience will shift. They are watching you before you arrive at the podium. Your facial expressions, body language, and general posture are already communicating to the audience before you speak a word.

Watch what you don’t say.

By the way, we did arrive at our hotel…eventually.

If you are interested in finding out more about how to increase your effectiveness as a communicator,

presenter or public speaker let us know. We are here to help you succeed.

Learn more about Enrich Services

COVID-19 Pandemic – What’s next.

November 10, 2020

The pandemic continues to rapidly expand in communities across Canada. At the time of this article over 267,000 Canadians have contracted the disease, 217,000 are recovered and 10,552 died. The number of cases each day is accelerating.

The effects of this highly contagious disease are catastrophic when left unchecked. Health systems are at risk of collapse affecting all other health issues. Covid 19 is not just affecting health care. Municipalities are being asked to address the surge in demand in every human service sector – education, justice, social and healthcare.

Primary care and wait times are measured with traditional outcomes in most communities. The wave we do not see coming as easily is just outside of the range of a 911 call. Mental health issues, loss of income, housing, food, education, relationships are all affected with Covid 19. The cold dark days of winter are coming. The risks associated with Covid 19 and issues associated with the disease are going to increase over the winter months.

While a vaccine may be available early 2021, it’s unlikely every Canadian will have access to the vaccine when it is approved.

Municipalities need to proactively seek strategies that wrap programming around individuals and families at risk. Traditional models of care that involve home visits or appointments are shifting to tele-health.

The federal government in co-operation with the provincial and territorial governments announced funding and extension to funding as the need requires.

It’s time to consider the short and long term requirements of your community during and after the pandemic and make use of the funding currently available to enable your municipality to not just survive but build its way out to a better future.

The Art of Strategic Planning for Rural Municipalities

Acquire the skills needed to develop a comprehensive Strategic Plan that will provide guidance and direction.

Overview

Strategic planning is the process of establishing and documenting a direction for your organization by assessing both where you are and where you want to go. It involves analyzing the organization, setting realistic goals and objectives, creating a plan of action, and establishing metrics to determine whether you have achieved your goals and objectives.

In this workshop you will learn a powerful but easy-to-apply methodology that will help you form a solid foundation for your strategic planning success.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this 2-day workshop you will be able to:

Conduct a Situational Analysis
Identify Key Priorities
Formulate Goals and Objectives
Create a Plan of Action
Set Key Performance Indicators
Execute and Monitor Strategic Plan

Date/Time

Monday, November 9, 2020 from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm EST

AND

Tuesday, November 10, 2020 from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm EST

Provided by: TRAICON

Learn more and Register Here

Hiring in the time of COVID-19. Part 1

October 15, 2020

I found myself in a very strange situation for the first time in 25-years of doing this thing we call, “search”. Suddenly I had candidates, and I had a search committee, but the two were separated by both distance and the mandate to stay home. The option to fly out to meet with my search committee and just have the candidates come to us was not the right option for these new and challenging COVID times – so what was the right option?

I have always been keen to find creative ways to achieve success for the clients and candidates I have served and supported over the years, and this new reality would be no different. It was simply about meeting the goals of the client by finding them a new CAO in a timely manner, and meeting the needs of the candidate by finding them a new and challenging role, but keeping them both safe in the process. Like many, I turned to the use of technology to create a virtual option for the personable aspects of the executive search process.

Here a few lessons learned that might help those who are looking to do the same:

1. Maximize the use of online tools that are available. With the use of video conferencing apps and platforms like FaceTime or Zoom, you can host a ‘face to face’ meeting with your search committee, and conduct interviews, right from the comfort of your home office. Choose a platform that will provide you with a variety of options to enhance your interview process such as dial-in audio to help maximize internet bandwidth, multiple video participants, a chat feature, and the ability to send quick links so others can easily join your online meeting.

2. Be flexible and adaptable. While technology can be incredibly useful, it can also be incredibly unpredictable. Remember to be flexible and adaptable when links to the video conference platform don’t work for candidates, or when the internet connection becomes unstable and someone freezes. Such issues may even mean re-scheduling an interview at the last minutes to allow time to troubleshoot issues. Try to remain patient in these moments and put everyone in the interview at ease.

3. Remember to smile. Remember to be personable during an online interview by using engaging in body language that encourages discussion and puts people at ease. While the virtual environment feels a little less formal, realize that the stakes are high for both the client and the candidate and both parties may be nervous. Offer a smile to re

4. Ease people into the online environment. Provide an opportunity for your candidates to familiarize themselves with using the online platform or app to participate in an interview process. Set up a time to test the technology and their equipment so they can get used to the environment. Ask them a few prep questions while you’re online together and assess how they might answer a question. Coach candidates with tips about looking at the camera when they talk and how to best use a microphone and headphones. This will also help you become comfortable with the online setting as well.

5. Minimize distractions. I tend to forget that my taste in art isn’t necessarily the same as everyone. There is one canvas in particular that hangs behind me on the wall in my home office that might easily distract someone during an interview Knowing this, I will take it down before I login to FaceTime or Zoom to ensure that it does not distract others during an interview, nor become the point of focus. Be aware of what others may be seeing in your background and minimize distractions as much as possible.

These five elements, when combined with the use of technology, maintained the personable aspects of the interview process even though we were engaging in a virtual environment. In Part 2, I’ll elaborate more on how technology can be effectively used in other aspects of an executive search to ensure a timely and successful hire of leadership talent.

Philip JW Smith is President of Smith Search.

Municipal Procurement Goes International!

October 6, 2020

In 2017, the introduction of the Canada EU Trade Agreement (CETA) suddenly shined a new spotlight on municipal procurement, thrusting it onto the international stage. For the first time ever, municipalities were forced to open up procurement opportunities to international suppliers. Almost concurrently, Canada updated its domestic trade agreement, the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA), modeled on the CETA. Together, these agreements represent a major paradigm shift for municipal procurement, with some notable impacts as discussed below.

Trade Agreements Regulate Municipal Procurement. Before 2017, Canadian municipalities were generally expected to adopt procurement rules ensuring openness, fairness and value for money. The impact of the new 2017 trade agreements was that, for the first time, municipalities were now required to comply with detailed procurement processes and procedures. The trade agreements cover a full range of new requirements including:
• posting tender notices online
• specific information to include in tender notices
• permitted types of procurements (e.g. open, direct)
• how to handle receipt of bids
• the do’s and don’ts of drafting solicitation documents
• the award of contracts
• posting notices of contract awards and
• bidder barring rules.

Increased Liability Exposure – New supplier rights and remedies. Before 2017, it was almost impossible for disgruntled suppliers to complain about trade agreement violations under Canada’s national trade agreement. The 2017 agreements have introduced new rights and remedies for suppliers, including the rights to:
• a debriefing when they are unsuccessful in a procurement process;
• file a complaint that now must be addressed by the procuring entity – can’t be ignored;
• to submit legal challenges to a federal/provincial/territorial bid dispute panel.

Single Portal Access to all Canadian procurement opportunities. Currently municipalities use all sorts of online portals to publish their opportunities, making access to contract opportunities challenging for suppliers. In the 2017 agreements, the federal government committed to establishing a single online portal by 2022 so that suppliers have one point of entry for all Canadian contract opportunities. Once implemented, this portal will undoubtedly expose municipal procurements to an exponentially greater number of suppliers, further shining the light on municipal procurement practices.

The Municipal Procurement Experience Under CFTA/CETA After 3 Years
It’s hard to conclude the trade agreements had a major impact on municipalities. While anecdotal evidence suggests municipalities have shored up procurement bylaws, policies and procedures, we’ve seen few challenges to municipal procurements under the new trade agreements. This could suggest the supplier community is not paying close attention to the changed landscape and that perhaps it hasn’t caught on to new supplier rights and remedies. And what about Canada’s promised single access portal by 2022? It appears the federal government is working on it. A 2018 Ernst & Young LLP/SAP press release announcing a contract award to develop the portal stated: Provincial and municipal organizations will… be offered an option to use this new platform to streamline their procurement processes … while engaging with more than 183,000 government suppliers. (That’s a lot of suppliers!)

What does the future hold?
The future is now for municipal procurement. We suggest it won’t be long before the seismic shift of the trade agreements is felt. It’s just a matter of time before suppliers gain a better understanding of their rights and remedies under the trade agreements and hold municipalities accountable for compliance. Once the federal portal is implemented, we expect a slew of new suppliers (national and international) will foray onto the municipal procurement stage. There’s still time. If the seismic shift is coming as we suggest, there’s no better time than now for municipalities to get their procurement house in order.

Lise Patry co-founded LXM LAW LLP in 2020 to help municipalities with their procurement needs. LXM LAW’s team includes both experienced municipal procurement consultants and lawyers. Lise can be reached at [email protected] or by phone at 613-601-6333.

Readers are cautioned not to rely upon this article as legal advice nor as an exhaustive discussion of the topic or case. For any particular legal problem, seek advice directly from your lawyer or in-house counsel. All dates, contact information and website addresses were current at the time of original publication.

Check please!

September 24, 2020

Is your security risk management, business continuity and any other resilience program you have simply to prove you have one? Check the box, so to speak? It’s perhaps stable, reliable, unchanging?

Then you have a problem. You’re doing it wrong.

You’re doing it wrong.

You’re programs should be designed to generate improvements. There should be a built-in restart, of the assessment process. The cycle should ensure improvements re-align to the overall business objectives. Your improvements should replace those areas of the program that don’t work, are unnecessary, and need revitalization.

We can help. We can help get your program from simply sustaining itself to regenerating, restarting, re-aligning, replacing, and revitalizing itself so that it works when needed; so that it works for you. We can help get your program working for you.

It starts with a conversation.

Plan the Work. Work the Plan.

Should your Municipality need assistance, contact Michael White Group today, and we will be happy to answer your questions or provide quotations.

Free Webinar – Systemic Racism in Supply Chain: What Are You Doing to Bring A Change?

Live Chat Series – Systemic Racism in Supply Chain: What Are You Doing to Bring A Change?

Date: September 29, 2020

Time: 4:30 – 6:30 pm EDT

Zoom Virtual Platform – Complimentary Webinar

Join our Panel discussion about Systemic Racism and learn how to proactively participate in supporting the movement towards equality in your workplace.

Opening Remarks:
Hugh Lawson
Director, Business Development, Canada
Staples

Moderator:
Wael Safwat
Director of Procurement, North America
Black & McDonald

Panelists:
Jason Murray
President and Managing Partner
BIPOC Executive Search

Theresa Harrison
Director, Environmental Social Governance Services, Procurement, Business Enablement
Ernst & Young LLP

Hugh Amiel
Director of Procurement
University Health Network (UHN)

Complimentary for members and non-members

Earn 2 CPD Points

Immunity

August 28, 2020

No individual, no organization, no place is completely immune from some form of a disruptive event. Pandemics, epidemics, financial and government unrest, terrorism, on top of the myriad of natural disasters and the consequences of those events that countries, states, provinces, cities, large enterprise, and small/medium business all could experience.

With these disruptive events, all of the aforementioned entities have difficult decisions to make with regards to their investment into response (and to what level of response), what level of security, what level of operational capability do they need during and immediately after these type of events and others.

How do we reduce the impact of disruptive events?

Invest in enhancing resilience. Organizations require the ability to prepare and plan, absorb and recover for and from disruptive events.

Building resilience, maintaining resilience, staying resilient.

Being resilient, allows organizations to be better equipped to anticipate disruptive events with the expectation that losses are reduced.

Disruptive events will continue. A proactive approach to enhancing your organization’s resiliency will reduce the economic, reputational, and operational affects that disruptive events can cause.

It all starts with a conversation.

We can Help. We’ve helped organizations enhance their resiliency, and will continue to do so with a collaborative approach and transparent communication.

Plan the Work. Work the Plan.

Should your Municipality need assistance, contact Michael White Group today, and we will be happy to answer your questions or provide quotations.

We connect municipalities and the businesses that serve them.

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