Show Employees You Care By Eliminating These Common Communication Mistakes

Your communication style in the workplace sends a strong message to your employees and colleagues – one that can support your role or undercut it.  To maintain trust and show employees you care about them as people (both integral elements of motivation), avoid these mistakes when you communicate:

Fairlure to respond.  This can be as obvious as not answering an email or a phone message, or as subtle as avoiding eye contact and ignoring questions.  In either case, you’re telling the other person that he or she isn’t important enough to earn your attention.  Make a point of responding promptly to show people you value them.

Interruptions.  Like non-responsiveness, interrupting people tells them you think your time is more important than theirs.  Yes, in an emergency you may have to break in on what someone else is doing or saying, but in berneral, teach yourself to refrain or people will resent your interference.

Patronizing behavior.  Don’t assume that your knowledge or experience trumps somebody else’s.  Even if the other person is misinformed or sincerely ignorant of he facts, treat him or her with respect.  And remember that no one person knows everything, not even a high-level manager.

Evasiveness.  Ambiguous questions and statements can mislead people, with negative results.  “Yes, I know about that problem,” sound as if you’ll do something about it, but doesn’t explicitly promise any action.  Use direct language so employees and co-workers know where you stand.

One-upping people.  You’ll damage relationships by constantly presenting yourself as being above everyone else.  Restrain the desire to top someone else’s story or joke.  Listen attentively to show your respect, and you’ll develop better rapport with people whose support you need.

Four Steps for Dealing with a Problem Employee

Leaders know they can’t push problems under the table and hope they fade away. 

Problem employees won’t go away nor adjust their behavior on their own.  You must act promptly and follow these steps:

1. Define the problem.  Start by pinpointing the exact problem in concrete terms.  Review rules and expectations to be sure they’re clear and so the employee understands them.  Cite specific examples of problem behavior to illustrate your case.

2. Explain the problem’s impact.  You don’t want to sound as if your own annoyance is the issue.  When talking to the employee, emphasize how his or her behavior affects other employees and your organization as a whole.  A conscientious employee will agree that the problem exists and needs to be solved.

3. Explore solutions.  Ask the employee what he or she can do to fix the problem.  Listen attentively, and try to incorporate his or her ideas in your solution as much as you can.  People are more likely to accept solution they’ve helped create.  Ask for commitment to resolving the situation as quickly and efficiently as possible.

4. Follow up.  Agree on a deadline for progress and monitor the situation to see whether the employee is making a good faith effort to change.  Check in from time to time before the final deadline, and acknowledge in positive terms any improvement you see.

Keep an eye on the future by monitoring key issues

Are you planning for the future of your organization, or just putting out today’s fires?  If you’re not involved in mapping out long-term goals and tactics for achieving them, your organization won’t grow and prosper. 

For better strategic planning, zero in on these questions:

Markets.  What customers or users will your organization be serving five years from now?  How might they change?  Technology, demographics, and the economy may push your organization in unexpected directions, and you’ve got to be prepared.

Products.  Don’t count on selling the same products or services in a changing world.  Stay on top of what customers are asking for and maintain a healthy development process to serve their needs.

Competition.  Who are your major competitors in your marketplace?  Be alert for newcomers, and watch how your rivals are adapting to trends.

Strengths.  “Know thyself” is good advice.  Analyze your core competencies and competitive advantages, and don’t assume they’ll remain strong as your industry changes.  Stay on the lookout for weaknesses that may grow more entrenched if they’re not addressed promptly.

Revenue.  Money is the lifeblood of any organization, and understanding where it comes from is vital to your long-term health.  What revenue streams might dry up in the next few years?  What new sources of revenue might become dominant? What segments are strong, and which are questionable?  The answers will help you make better decisions in uncertain times.

Adopt an Image that Earns Respect

So you want people to take you seriously as a manager?  It starts with remembering that your authority comes not from your job title, but from your performance.  Concentrate on strengthening and demonstrating these crucial competencies:

Accountability.  Don’t worry about who gets the credit or the blame for what happens.  Focus on what achieves results.  Be clear on our organization’s objectives, and base your activities and decisions on what will bring them to life.

Customers focus.  Every organization has customers, or users, whose ongoing support is crucial.  Emphasize to your employees that serving their needs is your top priority, and set the example by paying attention to customers in everything you do.

Communication.  Good managers create an atmosphere in which everone can speak his or her mind and information is shared.  Include employees, customers, vendors, and the community in your communication efforts, and make a real effort to talk to and listen to your workforce.

Talent.  Don’t be intimidated by employees who know more that you about doing their jobs; focus on maximizing their strengths.  Don’t give up on employees who are underperforming; your job is to bring them up to their potential with training, challenging assignments, delegation and coaching.

Team building.  Your employees are individuals with unique skills and motivators, but they need to work together in order to accomplish more thatn the sum of their own efforts.  Reinforce team behavior – collaboration, sharing information, finishing big projects – with praise and recognition so employees understand why it’s necessary for them to support one another and the group as a whole. 

Adapted form the UX Matters Web Site.

 www.five-startraining.com. E-mail: contact-us@five-startraining.com.Toll-free: (800) 385-7827(STAR).

Copyright ©2005. Five Star Service and Products Inc. All rights reserved.