Ed’s “K” Rules

Good communications are essential to effective management. Without getting stuck with clichés I put together a short “crib” sheet of reminders where they all begin with the word “keep,” therefore my K Rules.

• KOP [Keep on point]. Stay on point and do not digress from the matter at hand.
• KIR [Keep it relevant]. All comments you make should be relevant.
• KII [Keep it interesting]. What you do and say should be interesting.
• KF [Keep focused]. Do not wander, either with an agenda or running a meeting, with instructions, when supervising or when giving a presentation.
• KCE [Keep creating excitement]. As the boss or manager, you need to be the head cheerleader. Creating excitement is part of your job.
• K# [Keep eye on numbers]. Watch your daily key performance indicators, and weekly monthly reports and compare performance to your budgets.
• KOL [Keep on learning]. You should be learning something new every day. If not, then why not? Growth comes from your experiences and what you can garner from others through interactions and their speeches, podcasts, article and books.

Here are some K Rules when writing. This applies to everything you write whether a text, email, memo, letter, speech or book.

• KIT [Keep it tight]. Keep out extra words.
• KIS x 2 [Keep it short and Keep it simple]. The shorter the better. Also, write to communicate which means getting people to adopt what you want them to do or your ideas. Do not write to impress; write to move bodies and minds. Use language that people use when they talk, not when they write a college thesis.

There are likely many more, but this shortlist seems to cover the range of what managers do.

If you have any business or financial issues you want to discuss please do not hesitate to contact me at [email protected].