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You ain't learnin' nothin' when you're doin' all the talkin'. (Lyndon B. Johnson, US President)
The reason that most subordinates give for not satisfying their boss is that they don't know what the boss expects.
Specifics about the expectations of a staff are too often left behind in the conference room after a job interview or initiated only after someone has erred. Managers and staff need to be comfortable with one another's coutinuing expectations as soon as the position has been filled.
Communicating these expectations effectively will:
Enable workers to be self-directed.
Provide context for management to evaluate job performances and give feedback.
Promote confidence and trust throughout the workplace.
The following protocol will help management forge a productive
relationship with their staff members:
Information is of no use if it just stays with you. Share and explain information; the more information people have access to, the more they can do with that information. Create a mechanism for sharing and receiving ideas, formally and informally. It can be a bulletin board, ten minutes set aside at meetings, or a newsletter.
Some managers believe that they will get more done if they don't eat lunch, or just eat a snack at their desks. But lunch breaks are useful occasions for spending time with your associates, getting to know them, discussing mutual concerns, ideas, catching up on the latest news, and keeping your network alive, not to mention refreshing yourself and having a good time with your staff.
When you eat alone or skip lunch, you are giving a message to your team that you are aloof, and that will steadily erode your position on the team. Besides, you will miss opportunities to get valuable information from your staff.
Explain what you have learned to your staff. For example, if there is a cash flow problem, explain it and why you need their co-operation to deal with this problem. They will not only co-operate, they will come up with ways to solve the problem.
It is very important to keep well-informed. Know what is going on from accounting to public relations. For example, keep in touch with your financial manager to be sure you know where you stand with respect to revenues, expenditures, projections, cash flow, and so on. Knowledge will help you manage better.
"Bad press" or bad publicity about your programme can be very damaging. Take care of it immediately. If the bad news is correct, take care of the problem right away. If it is incorrect, explain so and demonstrate that you are on top of the problem. Take advantage of "good press," also. Funding and support can come from good press.
Communication is not only verbal. You may often catch a look exchanged between workers in your presence, or notice that someone is avoiding contact with you. You may observe that certain staff members are quarrelsome with other staff or that the mood of the office is unduly tense or lethargic. All these behaviours "speak" to you, that is, they convey a meaning to you not in words but in actions. Your staff may be saying that they are dissatisfied or uneasy about something, or that they disagree with an issue but are afraid to say so out loud.
A good listener observes as well as hears.
So, paying attention to what is not being said will get some valuable information about how your workers feel and interact, and could help you to identify potential trouble spots.
Does your mind wander sometimes when someone is speaking?
That isn't unusual. Most speakers can't speak as fast as you can
absorb information. While they may speak at a rate of 100-150 words a minute,
you can probably read from 300-500 words a minute. You have a lot of spare
mental capacity looking for something to do. To pay attention, try the
following:
Everyone communicates their feelings "non-verbally," through what is popularly called "body language." When people tap their feet, or drum their fingers on a table, this often means that they are impatient, want attention, or are angry. Learn to pay attention to body language, and be sensitive to what your staff and colleagues are trying to communicate to you non-verbally. It can help you identify problems and be sensitive to other people's needs.
Body language examples:
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Physical gesture |
Possible meaning |
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Touching face frequently |
Anxiety,, discomfort |
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Rubbing nose |
Anxiety,, wishes to hide |
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Foot tapping |
Impatience,, anger,, need for comfort |
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Tightness in upper body |
Suppressed anger,, sadness |
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Body leaning forward |
Concerned, interested,, or anxious |
|
Body leaning backward |
Detached, confident, playing games |
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Stroking face,, neck, hand |
Anxiety,, self-pity,, compassion |
|
Elbows on table, hands forming steeple |
Confident,, secure |
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Hand over mouth |
Playing,, wishes to hide,, anxiety |
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Arms or legs crossed |
Defensive,, vulnerable |
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Upper gaze,, head tilted |
Remembering |
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Downward gaze |
Remembering emotions |
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Crossed leg pointing in toward person |
Trusting |
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Crossed leg pointing away from person |
Distrusting |
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Avoiding eye contact |
Anxiety,, distrust,, discomfort,, hiding |
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Seeking eye contact |
Wants emotional contact,, anger,
sympathy |
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