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3 Tips For Improving Your Communications
by Kathleen O’Connor
More Self Improvement
Articles
Published on this site: January 2004 - See
more articles from this month
As
a manager, you have so much to do and so little time to do it.
You know
communicating with your staff is critically important, but how can you make it
easier? Here are 3 techniques you can use:
- Because I said so isn’t
always enough
A leader’s power comes from his/her followers. If
your staff rejects your directives, you’re toast. Here’s how you can
work out your differences with a staffer who fails to follow your instructions.
-
Confront the issue. Meet with the employee to discuss what’s going on. Don’t
be afraid to ask for his/her perspective. Example:
“Joan, this report
isn’t what I asked you to do. Can you tell me what happened?”
-
Be quiet. Once you’ve asked the question, resist the urge to put words in
her mouth. Remain silent until she answers the question completely.
-
Give in for now. If you have the luxury of time, let the employee prove you wrong.
Example: “If I let you do it your way and it doesn’t work, will
you agree to rerun the numbers?”
- Share power. Encourage the
employee to suggest solutions to the impasse. Example: “How are we going
to keep this kind of misunderstanding from occurring in the future?”
- Use templates to speed writing
Save time by creating written
templates for everyday correspondence. Even if you end up customizing
these standardized letters and e-mail messages, you’ll still
save time over creating something from scratch.
First, find an example of your
(or someone else’s) best
letters, reports, contracts and proposals. Use them as a guide, then customize
as necessary.
One of my clients uses templates
for some 40 basic letters. One letter is a response to a request
for donations, another is a rejection letter, one is a quarterly
scheduling letter distributed to district managers and one is a
welcome letter for new clients.
Note: Don’t use templates
for sympathy notes, individual thank you messages and congratulatory messages.
These kinds of occasions require highly personal – sometimes
handwritten
– notes.
- Avoid harsh military metaphors.
Be
careful about using military metaphors such as “shoot to kill,”
“take
no prisoners,” “attack,” “firepower,” or “war zone.”
While they can help inspire employees facing a crisis or intense competition,
they can also be inflammatory and divisive. When you need to motivate without
creating controversy, try these:
- Nature metaphors
such as “cycle” and “evolution.”
- Music metaphors
such as “rehearse,” “harmonize” and “orchestrate.”
-
Dance metaphors like “lead and follow,” “synchronize movements”
and “choreograph.”
These metaphors are just right
for everyday collaboration.
Kathleen O’Connor is the owner of the O’Connor
Success System which provides professional growth programs
for managers and entrepreneurs. To access our free resources,
visit our website at www.OconnorSuccessSystem.com
You can sign up there for your free 4-part mini-course on
communication skills and a free subscription to our monthly
e-zine, “The Edge.”
O’Connor Success System
511 Avenue of the Americas, #276
New York NY 10011-8436
Phone: (212) 924-9339
Fax: (212) 924-3222
E-mail: [email protected]
www.OconnorSuccessSystem.com
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