Unless you have a love for canned meat, chances are you have a negative view of the word spam, especially when it shows up in your email inbox or ringing phone. And while we don’t want to be spammed, sometimes that is what our communication is – unwanted, disconnected, and ineffective. While that is never a good strategy, it happens far too often – especially when communicating up.

Spam?

According to Cisco, spam email is unsolicited and unwanted junk email sent out in bulk to an indiscriminate recipient list. Typically, spam is sent for commercial purposes.

The word unwanted is key here. But just because it is unwanted by us, that doesn’t mean it is unwanted by all. There is a reason these messages continue to be sent “in bulk to an indiscriminate recipient list” - because someone responds.

There is no doubt that many spam messages are sent with malicious intent. They are designed to trick people into clicking links that install malware or compromise their personal information. But not all spam messages are meant to do harm. While they may be unwanted by most, many spam messages are for legitimate offers of useful products and services. To the right person at the right time, these messages can be valuable. It is these messages I want you to focus on for a minute.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Spam isn’t spam if someone is influenced by the message. For these messages to work, the writers either need to communicate in a very broad way, appealing to a very general interest; or in a very specific way, addressing a specific need. In either case, the writer/sender is hoping the message works for at least a small percentage of the audience. They rely on large numbers of recipients to ensure at least some marketable interest.

Goal of Communicating Up

The overall goal of communication is for our messages to be welcomed, received, understood, and acted on by the recipients. Too often when we are communicating up (meaning to a manager, leader, or superior), we don’t fully understand our audience. Do you know what they need, what they want, and what their goals are? Do you know what cause them anxiety or concern?

If you don’t know these things, your chances of successfully communicating up are severely hampered. Understanding or knowing your leader is different than understanding or knowing those you lead. Time, access, discomfort, or just trepidation can keep us from understanding their needs well enough. If you don’t have these insights, your communications might, unintentionally, be seen by your boss as spam.

Making Sure We Don’t Spam

Until we know the specific wants, needs, and goals of our leaders, we run the risk of spamming. If our messaging is too general, it may not get their attention. If our message doesn’t match their thinking and goals, it may not be received with the same value with which it was sent.

And when we are unsuccessful, we often resort to repetition. Hitting the same points, hoping that this time they will “get it” like we do. If you have ever gotten the same spam email or robocall repeatedly, you know that is rarely a ticket to successful communication.

The right message that meets the needs and interests of the receiver, sent at the right time, will nearly always be welcomed.

If you want to avoid spamming your boss, make sure you understand their goals, priorities, and objectives. When you tie your messaging and ideas to those things, your chances of communicating up successfully will skyrocket.

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Kevin Eikenberry is a recognized world expert on leadership development and learning and is the Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group. He has spent over 30 years helping organizations across North America, and leaders from around the world, on leadership, learning, teams and teamwork, communication and more.

Twice he has been named by Inc.com as one of the Top 100 Leadership and Management Experts in the World and 100 Great Leadership Speakers for Your Next Conference. The American Management Association named him a “Leaders to Watch” and he has been twice named as one of the World's Top 30 Leadership Professionals by Global Gurus. Top Sales World has named him a Top Sales & Marketing Influencer several times, and his blog has been named on many “best of” lists. LeadersHum has named him one of the 200 Biggest Voices in Leadership in 2023.

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