Welcome to Merge's Monthly Mega Minute — a bite-sized, yet substantial and practical, nugget of information that you can use immediately to enhance your professional and personal success.

Nature abhors a vacuum ... as does communication in organizations

The ancient philosopher Aristotle said Horror vacui, or "Nature abhors a vacuum." His point was that if a vacuum exists in the physical world, it is only momentary, as it immediately fills with the material surrounding it, without any regard as to what the substance is. It doesn't matter if the neighbouring material is similar, or of the needed quality, or even if it is suitable for the purpose, it immediately moves to fill the vacuum. The same principle is at work in organizations, specifically to do with communication.

Just as nature abhors a vacuum, people in organizations also abhor vacuums ... in information. When there is a lack of knowledge – about people, about processes, about upcoming plans and changes – information, accurate or not, immediately moves in to fill the vacuum. And ironically, the larger the vacuum, the more incorrect and outlandish is what moves in to fill it.

Which leads me to the point of this article. The best way to combat rumours, misinformation, and the general distortions and fabrications that seem to take hold in just about every organization is to continually and deliberately offer correct, quality information to fill the void. Even if it is incomplete! The workplace reality is that truthful information that is partial is better than no information at all. And it is a leader's job to thoughtfully and frequently disseminate it.

Managers often have a bias towards withholding information until it is "finalized". With the best of intentions (to provide accurate complete information), they wait. But that is a very bad idea! Because once rumours and misinformation take root, they grow rapidly, and then it takes a mammoth effort to stem the tide. The focus has to shift to damage control (which is a lot more work) rather than disseminating factual data. Which is a pity, considering that there is a better way to manage the entire process. As a leader, it is far better to share what you know, frequently, each time explaining that it is subject to change, than to wait until all the i's are dotted and all the t's are crossed. Tell people what you know, even if it is preliminary or imperfect. Employees are far more capable of accepting "subject to revision" than most managers give them credit for.

Well, what have been your experiences? Are you in an organization where lack of information fuels a rumour mill that spirals downwards? Or are you fortunate to be part of a system where plans, updates, and results are regularly shared with all employees? I'd love to hear about what you're seeing and hearing. Please comment directly on the blog at www.turningmanagersintoleaders.com/blog

In The Globe & Mail: Nine easy ways to take charge of your professional development

In Merge's latest column for The Globe and Mail – she raises an issue faced by many professionals – that lack of time and resources means their continued learning often takes a back seat. Which is why she wrote Nine easy ways to take charge of your professional development. This link takes you to a pdf version archived on our site. The original article published behind The Globe's paywall, so if you're a subscriber, here is a link directly to their site: https://tgam.ca/2VhfJMb

How to develop and grow your people – our 2019 video series continues

Since our last issue of the Mega Minute, Merge has published three new short actionable videos in this series focusing on specific and pragmatic strategies you can use to help you harness your people power, build your employees leadership capabilities, and create visible results.

• Developing your employees – Strategy #3
• Developing your employees – Strategy #4
• Developing your employees – Strategy #5

Turning Managers into Leaders

• Blocking internal transfers and promotions is a bad idea!
  If your employees can't achieve their career goals within your company because you block an internal transfer, they'll just find a new position elsewhere!
• Acknowledge employees by holding "fake" retirement parties.
  Acknowledge employees – their worth, their value, and their lasting legacy – by giving them their retirement speeches while they're still working!

That Merge has a YouTube channel chock-full of useful leadership tips?

Motivating employees, leading change, leading virtual employees, and several other series on a variety of topics that are important to leaders, all in easy actionable tips, each about 2 minutes or less. Available to you 24-7, and at no charge! The easiest way to access this valuable collection of video strategies is directly from our site. Go to our Videos page in our Free Tool section and you'll see short descriptions and links to all Merge's video series. Or subscribe to Merge's YouTube channel and you'll get notified every time a new video is posted, which often happens even before they're even announced to the public!

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