A summary

• 1. Tech isn’t always the answer. : Totally agree… IT-ers tend to always go for a tech solution where a human solution might suffice!
• 2. Don’t neglect training. : I guess nobody will disagree here, but companies often don’t see the hidden cost of neglecting to do so.
• 3. Some things can’t be outsourced. : I’ll repeat it again; Outsourcing is good, but don’t do it on stategical areas!
• 4. Update your antivirus. : Personally I’d like to see this one renamed to “keep your organization up-to-date”
• 5. Democracy doesn’t always work. : A simple Project Management lesson; It’s a democracy until the scope is set, then it’s dictatorship!
• 6. Some problems can’t be killed. : Indeed, not all problems can be killed, just learn to cope with them.
• 7. Seek strategic alliances with competitors. : So true! Being a stategic game fan, I found that alliances either make or break any outcome of a game. The numerous time I’ve “won”, is always due to making (and breaking!) stategic alliances.
• 8. Don’t store all your backups in one place. : Better renamed to “don’t put all your eggs in one basket”.
• 9. The mission can change at any time. : A bit like 4., the world keeps evolving, incorporate that in your strategy.
• 10. Beware of visionaries. Zealots make bad leaders. – Awh, crap, that’d be against me…

• Barack Obama – As his star continues to rise, there’s just no contest for #1 Best Communicator.
• Tim Russert – He was one of the best, and we’ll miss him.
• Randy Pausch – An unknown, until he gave one speech about his mortality. (I personally loved his mortality speech and must admit a certain sadness when I discovered he lost the fight against cancer in July 2008.)
• Colin Powell – Always great, in 2008 he gave the interview of the year.
• Mike Huckabee – The one repeat from last year – he can’t be held down.
• John Chambers – A remarkable businessman who’s speaking ability drives his company.Chambers
• Sarah Palin – A remarkable woman in a remarkable rise to celebrity.
• Tina Fey – How could she not be on the Top Ten Best list?
• Anderson Cooper – He’s one of a kind – leading a new breed of journalists.

Source : Bert Deckers’s “The Top Ten Best (and Worst) Communicators of 2008″

Bad communicators only talk, Good communicators are able to listen & Great communicators adapt to context!

For more details, check the article “Communication and Strategy Design Process”.

• 10. Feign sincerity with eye contact and repetition.
• 9. End a conversation with body language.
• 8. Ask sensitive questions indirectly to skip awkwardness.
• 7. Use silence to win arguments and nail a negotiation.
• 6. Soften critiques with the sandwich method.
• 5. Say “no” gently—or say “yes, but….”
• 4. Ask questions well.
• 3. De-code office jargon.
• 2. “Pace and lead” an irate person.
• 1. Become a human lie detector.

Check out the original article for the more detailled descriptions.