When Richard L. Killion served as general manager of Babcock & Wilcox Beijing Co. Ltd. just more than a decade ago, some of his employees and his colleagues didn’t speak English.
He spoke through Chinese translators who had some knowledge of the English language. And he learned the meaning and methods of good communication.
“I learned techniques of communication should probably be scaled down rather than scaled up,” says Killion, now president and chief operating officer of the Barberton-based Babcock & Wilcox Power Generation Group Inc. “You look at some executives who are on their career path and they think that the way to impress people around them is to use longer words.
“You’ll find from most employees that’s not something that’s effective.”
Communication is the lifeblood of your organization. You can’t afford to use 10-letter words or buzzwords that make employees think you’re speaking a different language. Not only will you lose employee’s attention, but the message you’re trying to convey will get lost.
Since taking over at B&W PGG in late 2008, Killion, once again, has been methodical in his communication with employees as he works to instill a growth culture after years of conservative business practices.
Essentially, what it comes down to is planning what you’re going to say and how you’re going to say it, and then communicating your message in an engaging and concise way.
Here is how Killion gets his message across to 7,000 employees.
