The Communication Problem Solver 4

The Communication Problem Solver 4. Managers need top-flight communication skills to keep their staffs productive and collaborative. But often, those who manage lack the ability to get things back on track once miscommunication occurs. This book helps readers analyze their communication skills and challenges and explains how they can use simple problem-solving techniques to resolve the people issues that derail productivity at work. Easily accessible and filled with real world management examples. This no-nonsense guide is packed with practical tools to help any manager be immediately effective, as well as a handy list of common communication problems and corresponding solutions....
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The Communication Problem Solver 4 T HE S ECRETS TO C REATING AND S USTAINING E NERGIZED R ELATIONSHIPSplimented Fred on his process and organization skills and urged him notto give up. Throughout the interactive training, the different departments dis-closed their challenges and why they worked the way they did. Theylearned to listen to each other and they developed relationships andtrust. They understood and committed to common corporate goals in-stead of turf objectives. Fred became a cheerleader for the training. Heleapt to the whiteboard to articulate ideas of benefit to everyone andexplain how the process would assist everyone. Other leaders learned ofhis frustrations and what manufacturing needed in order to constructand ship products on time. They began to appreciate his strengths inprocess and scheduling and now viewed him as an asset. Communica-tion and getting to know each other triggered enhanced cross-functionalteamwork. They built relationships. What dependencies do the departments share? In Fred’s case, hedepended upon engineering’s final say in order to build the products.Within his own team, there were many dependencies. Painting could notbe done until quality control had checked the constructed items. Fred’sown department scheduling was meticulous and even built in flexibilityfor delays. But the unintended blindsiding from other departments had,in the past, thrown his schedule into a tailspin and caused stress on hisstaff. This impacted his relationships with other managers and their di-rect reports. When all groups were cognizant of each other’s constraintsand needs, surprises could be kept to a minimum and communicationto a maximum. Managers proficient in communication will drive relationship build-ing with other groups or departments. They will initiate meetings withpeer managers to discuss how each unit’s work interrelates and how tobest work together toward common goals. Taking the initiative to under-stand peer managers’ goals and needs can contribute significantly toforming healthy work relationships. And relationships can help getthings done.12— T HE P OWER OF R ELATIONSHIPBuilding and Preserving RelationshipsThe first step in developing and sustaining relationships at work is todecide that relationships are important in creating a productive and mo-tivational environment. Once that value is in place, acknowledge thatbuilding relationships takes time and effort. What are some tips for forg-ing work relationships? Let’s look at three ways that managers communi-cate their intent about working with people: (1) communicating withwords, silence, availability, and absence; (2) spending quality time withdirect reports; and (3) creating laughing moments to lighten the environ-ment and let people save face.Communicating with Words and Silence, Availability and AbsenceManagers communicate continually, whether or not they intend to.Everyone knows we communicate with words. But what do we commu-nicate with silence? It might be perceived as good listening and trust orcaring about the person. Or, if a trusting relationship does not exist, staffmight interpret silence as a lack of knowledge or concern, arrogance,anger, or even indifference toward the work or the person. It dependsupon the context, but silence communicates something. It may not bethe intended message, but employees will interpret the manager’s si-lence through their own points of view, based on their backgrounds,experiences, and the types of relationships they have with their manager. If managers make themselves available, they communicate that thework is important and so is the person. Availability lends credibility tomanagerial statements that they want to help employees succeed andaccomplish their goals. Many managers have told me, ‘‘I have an open-door policy, but nobody comes.’’ Showing availability might mean put-ting yourself physically in neutral territory, such as walking around,hanging around the coffeepot a few extra minutes, or eating in the em-ployee lunchroom. An employee who is hesitant to breach the proverbialopen door might feel more comfortable approaching you in a casual way‘‘out in the open’’ rather than behind the ‘‘open door.’’ —13 T HE S ECRETS TO C REATING AND S USTAINING E NERGIZED R ELATIONSHIPS If the manager is not available, again the employees interpret theabsence through their own viewpoints. Such unavailability might conveytrust that employees can handle the work on their own or, alternatively,be perceived as lack of involvement in the work, or it might spark otherreactions similar to the responses to silence.Spending Quality Time with EveryoneSome managers wonder how to be perceived as treating all staff fairly.One way is to spend quality ti ...