Asking the Right Questions

I always felt like marketing was quite a fluff, but PR was something that I liked, the more i ventured in it. The more lessons I took in PR the more i enjoied it. On the contrary, the more marketing classes I took, the more I hated it. Well, when I first joined the organisation, my first task was a huge one. It was to design a communications strategy for the company so that there would be a clear direction as to how to build up brand name, ultimately, how to get more people do dance AND keep dancing.

I recalled what I had learnt in classes and decided to conduct a client brief, where I would question my manager and milk out as much information as I could. What was interesting was that, like many of the other client briefs I have conducted, it was never a one way communication. I feel like many a times, business owners almost never have a clear idea as to why they exist and what they do. Sure they had an idea, if not the company would not have started. But nothing of these sort was written down, carefully thought out and strategically considered. One really important skill to have, I felt, was the ability to ask the right questions.

There were two types of questions I found myself asking. One was the real question, the other would be the confirmation question. Here are some examples from the QnA session that would help us better understand what I mean:

Q: Why is it that the community in Singapore is plateauing?
A: Well, I think it's not as fun as it used to be anymore.
Q: What was it like last time?
A: It was more carefree and it was really all about the dance. We would go out for supper after dancing, and it would be really nice.
Q: Does that mean that if there were suppers, that the problem would be solved?
A: I don't think so. mmm... I think it's the people.
Q: What about the people that makes it no longer as fun?
A: Some people are really competitive and it affects the community a lot.
Q: Does that mean that if these people were isolated, that the problem would be solved?
A: Not necessarily. I think there needs to be lots of fun stuff to take away the focus off the competition. After all, we dance because it's fun. I think it's really all about the fun.
Q: Does that mean that if these people remain, and there are lots of fun events, that the problem will be solved?
A: mmm... I think competitive people will always be competitive. But maybe if we emphasize the fun factor, that it might dilute the effect their competitiveness has on the community?
Q: Does that mean that if we keep telling people that it's all about the fun and not about winning, that the problem will be solved?
A: I think that would help a lot.
Q: Okay so let's say the community has a lot of fun fill events, which can also be in the form of suppers, and there's a conscious effort to emphasize the fun, that the community will start to grow out of it's plateau?
A: Possibly.
Q: Imagine that you're a new person who comes into the community and there are lots of fun events and suppers. Would you stay?
A: Yea why not.
Q: Second scenario. There are lots awesome dancers that are really good (assuming that competitive dancers are good because they compete), would you stay?
A: Yea why not.
Q: Third scenario. There are lots of awesome fun events but not many good dancers. Would you stay?
A: Yea, I don't mind.
Q: Ok last one. There are lots of awesome dancers, but there's not fun events. Would you stay?
A: hmm... feels rather dull, but I might consider staying around for a bit more.
Q: So would I be right that the key factor that is chasing people away is the lack of fun within the community? Not necessarily whether or not people are competitive, but that there has to be a consistent element of fun within the community for it to grow?
A: Yea you're right. That's awesome, we just nailed down something important here.

What I did within this QnA session was to try to isolate the root of the problem by asking questions. I also realized that it was important to isolate oneself from the problem. When I first heard the background of the problem, a part of me assumed that the problem was the competitive dancers. But it was only after unbiased questioning and digging that I realized that it wasn't necessarily the case. This experience has taught me and reaffirmed the way I look at and solve problems. It's been a good time so far!

I hope this experience helps all of us! Thanks! Signing off!

Eugene Wong

Nearing the end...but not before a few last tasks

Hi Guys!

So I have come to the last week of my placement, and I am so sad to be finishing up with the public affairs team at INPEX a worldwide oil and gas exploration and production company.

The last two weeks have seen me become involved with organising director discussions with the companies CEO whereby a handful of staff members are chosen to engage in a group discussion with the CEO where the conversation is free flowing and any question goes. The idea of the director discussions was bought about a couple of weeks ago in a team meeting and I was given the task of organising the very first discussion, the aim is to keep the channels of communication open within the company and allow free flowing discussion in an environment which is typically formal.

Having the responsibility of organising the meeting involved coordinating with the CEO's diary which is always full, booking a venue for the meeting, organising catering and from there carefully selecting guests to attend and then inviting them. What I once thought would be an easy task ended up consuming most of my week, it really helped me understand the value placed on even the most mundane of meetings as I began to realise how important open discussions are within large companies. Without the free flow of information between employees and higher ranked directors things go amiss and there are communication breakdowns which can cause future issues which become much more difficult to resolve.

I have never had so many emails in my inbox at once, employees asking questions, what would be discussed? do I need to prepare questions? etc. It seemed that everyone was nervous about this opportunity so it was my job to put them at ease and explain to them that there was no need to be nervous about talking to the CEO in an informal setting and rather that it would hopefully change the way they interacted with higher levels of authority and that lunch would be provided ( I have learnt that catering is always a way to get employees to attend meetings)

The meeting is schedueled to happen a week after my placement finishes but I have made sure that everything is under control and fingers crossed it all goes well!

Until next time,

Hope you are enjoying your placements.

Hayley