Tools for Sale

3-Step Communications Planning Tool

By Liz Guthridge, The LEAN Communicator™

Need to communicate a new plan, process, policy, initiative or whatever?
Know you should do the communications (and the planning) in a systematic way? But you’re not sure where to start–especially since you’re short on time, resources and budget? And by the way, you need something quick and easy?

Use this 3-step communications planning tool. In this template, The LEAN Communicator™ takes you through:
•    The three big questions you need to ask: What? So what?, and Now what?
•    The next level of questions to help you answer these big questions
•    The outcomes you need to specify and work toward
•    The nine “I”s to make sure you’ve defined the intent of your communications and you’ve balanced your tactics. This way your audiences/stakeholders will pay attention, participate, and take action. The “I”s range from informing to inquiring to influencing.

Price: $20

Questions for Interviewing Leaders about Communications

By Liz Guthridge, The LEAN Communicator™

Do you feel like you’re working in the dark when it comes to knowing what your leaders want and expect in terms of communications support? These questions will help you explore the type and level of communication help that your leaders need by focusing on key business issues. As a result, you can deliver value and become a trusted advisor.

Price: $20

Approval Process Form

By Liz Guthridge, The LEAN Communicator™

Is your current communications approval process broken?
Does it take longer to approve your communications than create them? And are your communications getting older, staler and filled with gobbledygook the longer they wait for approval?

Streamline your approval process with The LEAN Communicator’s approval process tool. This tool features:

•    A suggested process with project steps, assigned team members, and timing
•    Defined responsibilities, including a built-in RACI tool to help you clarify roles for approvals
•    Flexibility so you can custom the process to meet your specific needs.

With this tool, you can use the approval process to make your communications better, not worse.

Price: $20

The LEAN Communicator’s Candidate Criteria Grid

By Liz Guthridge, the LEAN Communicator

Got approval to add people—or at least one person—to your team? Congratulations! Make sure you go about the hiring in a methodical way by using this candidate criteria grid.

With this grid, The LEAN Communicator™ takes you through the key areas that are critical to hiring:

  • Targeted skills match
  • Competencies
  • Fit with department culture
  • Fit with organization culture
  • Any tests: writing, editing, and coaching/emotional intelligence case study

By using this grid, you and your other interviewees can assess candidates on agreed-upon, critical criteria. And you can speed up the decision process as well improve your decision making to find the right candidate.

Price: $20


Concrete Communications Ladder

By Liz Guthridge, The LEAN Communicator™

Do you need to explain a new service, product or program with messages that fully show the WIIFM (what’s in it for me)? Do you also need to make sure your messages are consistent for both employees and customers?

Adopt the Concrete Communications Ladder™ tool. With this tool, The LEAN Communicator™ helps you develop messages that address the features, functional benefits and the emotional value of your new thing.

To help you get maximize value, the tool includes:
•    Short background information about the tool’s advantages, origin and use
•    Three case studies from three different industries
•    Key questions to ask yourself so you can best determine the features, functional benefits and emotional value that will most resonate with your employees and customers.
•    Criteria to test your messages against
•    Easy-to-complete template

Price: $20

Manager Toolkit: Leading Employees in Turbulent Times

By Liz Guthridge, The LEAN Communicator™

Highlighted in Melcrum’s Essential Toolkits for Communicating Change

Scratch the itch! Relieve the pain! Fill the void!
Many people managers are asking for tools to help them communicate better with their employees during these turbulent times.

So help your managers with this easy-to-use manager toolkit that you can either post online or print. It’s ready to go once you insert your organization’s goals, which will make the toolkit even more relevant and valuable.

The toolkit is packed with easy-to-implement suggestions that require minimal time and low-to-no cost from managers.

The LEAN Communicator™ features these five topics:
1. Three key messages managers need to send and reinforce with their employees
2. Low-cost, simple-to-implement ideas for managers on how to communicate more personally with their team members
3. Inexpensive and quick yet effective ways to celebrate wins
4. Questions and answers
5. More resources.

Price: $60

Meeting Feedback Form

By Liz Guthridge, The LEAN Communicator™

Want a quick-and-easy way to gather feedback from meeting participants?
Use this one-page feedback form, which participants can complete in 5 minutes or less. The form features:
•    11 questions that measure the effectiveness of the meeting
•    2 open-ended questions to help you assess what improvements participants want for next time.
•    Flexibility so you can tailor the form to ask additional targeted questions.
By introducing this easy-to-complete feedback form for your meetings, you’ll be well on your way to improving the effectiveness of your meetings. Plus, you’ll be showing your meeting participants that you value their feedback and are acting on it.

This tool in tandem with the FREE meeting agenda and FREE meeting notes will give you meeting mojo.

Price: $20

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