Copyright National Research Bureau Feb 1999| [Headnote] |
| A personal file of stimulating ideas, little-known facts and daily problem solvers |
The average manager spends at least 80 percent of his time communicating with employees and executives.
The trouble is a good many people, employees and managers alike, don't always speak the same language. Some talk too much, some too little. (And, let's face it, some occasionally don't know what they're talking about.) A great many more use vague, ambiguous words and phrases that don't really say anything. Yet, most people are convinced they are effective communicators. It's all the others who aren't. This is the attitude causing problems. People misunderstand and misinterpret. Ideas go unsold. New systems never work the way they should. People and departments flounder.
What can you do to make sure people understand you? First, realize everything you say or don't say affects your operations and the way people work. Then remember these suggestions:
1. Know your audience. You'll never get anywhere if people aren't on the same wave length as you. You must key your words and examples to the people you're talking to. You must consider their ages, positions, technical knowledge, education, interests, pet peeves and even their mood at the moment.
For instance, you can be a lot blunter when reprimanding a production line worker who's habitually late than you can be with a tardy young secretary. Another example: don't try to sell order clerks on the benefits of a new system with the same words you use to sell it to management. You'll never convince them with phrases about "inventory turnover," "gross profits" or "cost effectiveness." They're more interested in what they're supposed to do and how it will help them do a better job.
2. Know what you're talking about. If you don't under stand an idea, you'll never be able to explain it to someone else. Don't try to fake your way through to save face. Your best bet: get the details down pat.
3. Avoid ambiguity. Many words have vague meanings: area, several, data, business and the like. One of the worst offenders: they. "They want it done this way." "They won't like that." Be especially careful to stay away from gobbledygook phrases like "take appropriate action."
4. Say what you mean. It pays to be explicit. If you want your secretary to have a report typed in one hour, say so. Don't drop it on her desk with a casual, "Type this as soon as you can." She may think that means as soon as she's finished with the three dozen letters you gave her last night.
5. Take time to explain. We tend to assume everyone knows as much about a subject as we. Yet, this isn't always the case. Suit the facts and details you cite to the background of your audience.
6. Don't run off at the mouth. It's just as bad to say too much as too little. Experience indicates the effectiveness of a verbal communication varies inversely with its length. An oversimplification, perhaps, but true
7. Establish rapport. People communicate best when they are at ease with each other. Rapport isn't a one-shot goal in day-to-day office work. It's a continuing process you must work at and cultivate. No need to be a wild extrovert; just be honest, helpful and friendly.
8. Beware of double meanings. Some words sound alike even though they have different meanings: station and stationary; led and lead; base and bass; and so on. Other words, spelled the same, have different meanings, depending on whether you are using them as nouns or verbs. Nearly all words have more than one meaning (look up fix in any dictionary). Make sure you and your audience are on the same wave length. 9. Avoid extremes Peopleresent and ignore exaggerations such as, "This is the sloppiest work ever done.*
COMMON MANAGERIAL BLIND SPOTS
We all have certain blind spots. A doting husband may overlook his wife's habitual tardiness. A proud mother may not recognize the bratty side of her offspring. A loyal employee may disregard his boss' idiosyncrasies.
Perhaps it's just as well we can occasionally obliterate the negative things around us. Otherwise, there would be a great deal of rancor and unhappiness in our daily lives.
But blind spots on the job are another story because they can be costly
Some blind spots many managers have in common: Inability to take criticism because they attribute an honest difference of opinion to the desire of others to belittle them. The antidote: Recognize you are human and subject to error, others may know as much - or more - than you.
Suspicion of others:' motives. Out of a personal sense of insecurity, they view the actions of others as threats to their own positions. The antidote Learn the shocking truth most people are far too busy doing their own jobs to bother plotting against you. Bias against those in subor-Ed dinate positions, female employees, younger people. This "pipsqueak syndrome" usually manifests itself in an inability to take seriously suggestions from anyone not considered an equal. The antidote: Learn to judge people by performance and brain power only, not by externals. Emotionalism. Anger, fear and suspicion are only a few of the emotions that can distort thinking and fog perspective. The antidote: Be aware of any change in your temperament when on the verge of passing judgment or reaching a decision. If you have just experienced some unpleasantness, postpone any task requiring dispassionate action.
Resistance to change. Just because an idea is new or different is no reason to conclude it is wrong or bad. Yet, many managers are guilty of just this kind of thinking. The antidote: Remember everything, including the status quo, was once new and untried.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE "PRIMACY EFFECT"
Two groups of people were exposed to identical presentations on the benefits and drawbacks of a common household product - with one small difference. Group A was first informed of the advantages of owning the product, then told of the drawbacks. This order was reversed with Group B. Several weeks later, both groups were questioned. Group A had bought almost twice as much of the product as Group B.
Psychologists call this the "primacy effect." That is, what we hear first lingers with us longest. If you list the benefits of an idea before the drawbacks, you create a postive, "that's-for-me" state of mind. Start with the drawbacks and you create an attitude of resistance.
For example, if your plan to streamline office procedures is expensive, you might concede the fact this way: "My plan will free one secretary and two clerk-typists for more important work and save us over $17,000 a year by eliminating many duplicate records, even though it is a little expensive to set into action." The benefits "smother" the drawback.
Try it next time you want to sell an idea. HOLDING ON TO GOOD EMPLOYEES Good, ambitious employees aren't so plentiful you can afford to lose them. But how can you keep them on your team when you have no promotion spot for them at the moment? Advises one manager: "Give them special assignments whenever possible. Send them to metings and conventions. Give them speaking assignments.
Make them troubleshooters. In short, show them they've caught your eye and your are aware of 4 their special abilities.
"You can even tell ther in so many words that while there aren't any openings right now, you realize their potentiAl and will do everything possible to see they are not shortchanged. Of course, be sure to live up to your promises."
WHEN SPEAKING, STICKK TO YOUR SPEAKING VOCABULARY
One reason why so ne speeches sound so stiff and unreal is the speaker has used "wirter's words" instead of his or her own speaking vocabulary. The ear is used to one kind of vocabulary; the eye, to another. Don't mix them up. The main points to watch for in the spoken versus the written language are. 1. Since you have to speak the speech, stick to spoken words. 2. Try for the simplest words to help the audience to under stand. Don't use annually; use every year Don't use daily; use every day. 3. Remember you can't spell out long words. Your listners must understand it as you say it. 4.: Avoid adjectives parparticularly multisyllabic or hyphenated ones. 5. Avoid negatitive words. The brain plays strange tricks with them. Keep your statements positive.
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