Become A Communications Czar

Learn all you can about the latest communications technologies, then take charge and guide your organization into the 21st century.

Do you want to be leading your parent organization's in-plant operation in the 21st century? Assuming that you do, you must begin immediately to accelerate your efforts to deal with the rapidly changing technology, employees and global influence.

You have to reengineer your career, as well as the in-plant operation.

Almost all organizations today are facing increased competition for their products and/or services—locally, nationally and globally. To meet these challenges, organizations are rapidly revising their goals and operations.

This means that you as, manager of the in-plant operation, must know and understand the revised goals of the parent organization. Then you must revise your personal goals, as well as those of the in-plant, to help meet the goals of the parent organization.

Concurrent with, and independent from, these changes in goals are the ways in which organizations communicate. Electronic networks, digital printing and copying, desktop printing, e-mail, interactive TV, the Internet, etc., are moving us rapidly away from a total paper-based society.

Since there are such fundamental goal and direction changes, you should personally be ready to assume new and expanded duties. You should aim at becoming the communications and information czar of your organization if you are to continue to advance as a manager/executive.

What can you do to become a czar? First you must determine how a support group like this would be organized and operated in your proposed organization.

Next, you should share this vision—and your view on how your parent organization needs to respond to this communications "revolution"—with your boss. Make sure that he or she understands that you wish to be a part of these changes as they happen. Then, with your boss' assistance, get additional training to help with this transition.

Radical changes in organizational goals happened three times when I was managing various in-house operations. These changed goals always required reorganization. And my personal continuing education program helped prepare me for added responsibilities.

With each reorganization, I was given leadership over several additional communications and information operations. This required, in varying degrees, rapid changes of our goals, operations, equipment and location.

But it was done, and we communicated these changes to the top management, customers and vendors.

Communication is Crucial

Extensive communication is, of course, what helps sustain any organization, operation or society. With an in-plant graphics operation it is essential, but must be coupled with quality service and products. You, as manager, should manage the communications facet of operational changes as they are made.

All top management, including your direct-report bosses, should be constantly told about activities of the in-plant shop. This reporting should stress how the group helped achieve some of the parent organization's goals (i.e. the four-page sales brochure for the new product was completed and in the hands of the sales staff two day early, and the cost was $157 less than estimated).

Annual reports, issued by the in-plant also help remind and summarize how the in-plant operation has helped the parent organization. These reports are especially helpful when money for capital equipment is required. They are also useful at budget time or when the inevitable review of service groups occurs.

Your bosses should also know details about your newest projects, any solved or unsolved problems, financial information, retraining efforts, awards received and/or any projected changes in provided services.

Keep Customers Informed

Customers also need to be contacted and reported to regularly. Much of this type of one-on-one customer communication needs to be done by you, the manager—personally. Listen to what the customer tells you that he or she needs to help achieve his or her goals.

You can also do that by having representative advisory groups, face-to-face meetings with customers, brown-bag luncheon question/answer meetings, telephone interviews and/or by responding quickly and completely to customer concerns and problems. More formal customer survey questionnaires are also used by some groups.

Vendors are an excellent source of information on procedures and equipment. You must initiate communication with vendors and respond timely when they open the discussions. Take advantage of all informational meetings, tours of equipment production facilities, demonstrations and trade shows, even if you don't envision the in-plant shop ever using that type of equipment.

Thorough knowledge about equipment or a product is most useful when top management queries you about it: "Why aren't we using ABC paper in our reports?" or "Why not use XYZ color copiers to produce our 10,000 annual reports?"

You should exchange information with several different vendors about proposed new operational directions, as well as concerns and problems. Some of their ideas may very well be the solution to a particular issue. If they don't have the answer, they probably know a publisher who has already found the key to the issue.

Quick-changing Technology

Everyone knows that communications equipment and procedures are rapidly changing. Not everyone knows what to do about this phenomenon. Here again is an area where discussions with vendors and other publishers will be very helpful. But you must manage the collection of the information about new technology.

You, personally and in an urgent manner, need to understand:

• The Internet and how you can use it to benefit the parent organization's goals.

• How to organize and use the Web pages.

• Cost effects and quality concerns of using digital presses/copiers.

• Possible uses of voice-activated and operated equipment.

• Operational details and usefulness of in-house networking.

• The utilization of all types of optical disks, including CD-ROM.

• Scanners and any other new technologies on which vendors are now working.

To help you to learn about future products, vendors will occasionally arrange for briefings about projected products. You usually have to sign non-disclosure contracts to participate in this type of summary.

Also some manufacturers have several "beta test" sites in publishing operations around the country where equipment and software are being used and evaluated. You might even be able to arrange a visit to one of them—or be selected as such a location.

To get in on the ground floor of some of these activities in your parent organization, you might want to suggest in writing that a committee be formed to investigate the possible integration of this newer electronic and digital publishing with the current communications efforts.

You, of course, would be part of that committee and might even suggest that you lead it. Becoming the leader will depend on your level of knowledge of all facets of the current and possible future publishing.

Another possible service your group might provide is the routine and emergency maintenance of all communications equipment—FAX machines, computers and other digital equipment, networks, printing presses, paper cutters, collators, in-house telecommunications, binders, pagers, cellular and digital phones, cable and satellite communications, etc.

As you know, you are a manager in the rapidly changing communications industry. You are the one who must manage the adaptation and use of many of these new procedures and technologies in your parent organization.

These changes probably mean that you will eventually have to drop services and the manufacturing of some products; provide services and products in a new way; or begin new services and offer new products.

You, the manager, are the key to managing these changes. Your vision of the direction the communications in the parent organization should take is vital. To do that you must have an extensive knowledge of the new technologies.

You must also guide the top management of the parent organization, as well as your in-house customers, to help them understand the benefits and drawbacks of these new methods of communicating.

Providing extensive information about this new communications revolution should help all employees achieve their goals in the most productive manner.

by RICHARD DURTSCHI