None of these managers had made an effort to be understood or checked to be sure that they were heard. If they had been addressing their entire department about a serious matter or making a request of their manager, they might have taken the time to plan what they said. But they saw no reason to treat as equally important these instructions or queries. They needed to learn to communicate clearly and with impact at all times, regardless of when, why, or with whom they were speaking.
All managers should know certain basics.
- Be direct when the situation demands it. Say what you mean clearly. Do not garble your message behind phrases that obscure or soften its impact.
- When making a request or giving a directive, be polite but decisive. You can thank your employees for doing extra work without being apologetic. (See Chapter 11 for examples of passive communication.)
- Take a moment to think before speaking. What do you really want to say? What emotions do you want to express? Which ones do you not want to express? How can you communicate through your use of language?
- Be certain the time is appropriate for communicating. Praise is usually welcome at any time, but avoid criticizing the work of an employee who has one foot out the door, leaving for a three-day weekend. Better to save your observations for when the employee will be less distracted.
- Make sure you have all the information before making a statement. You can either delay the discussion or ask questions first to help you collect the necessary information.
How do these rules apply to the situations earlier in this chapter? Let’s look at what happened with John. Remember, he complained that he had repeatedly asked his staff not to take lunch at the same time, yet at 12:30, once again, he had found the office empty.
John’s mistake was that he hadn’t been clear about his instructions. Because, he hadn’t explained his directive, the staff didn’t understood why it was so important that someone always be available during lunch. He should have met with his staff and asked them to make a schedule that ensured the office was covered at all times. If some employees wanted to lunch together, he could have suggested that times be rotated, so that all could share the responsibility for answering the phone and also have opportunities to join their coworkers for lunch periodically.
By stating exactly what had to be done, giving a reasonable explanation, and working out a solution, John would have made his instructions clear. His previous directive was not clear, so the problem continued. When I explained what he had done wrong, John was able to eliminate the problem. He only had to go two steps further: explain the reason for his request, and suggest a way for the employees to comply.
The problem was solved. Had it not been, John might have acted more authoritatively, imposing a schedule on the staff.
Now let’s look at what happened to Marge.