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Article #154: Effective Communication Tips For Today's Manager

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Express your thoughts clearly: Avoid becoming hostile when another
To be effective in interpersonal person's views differ from your own:
communication, organize your thoughts. Employees learn a great deal about their
Think through what you plan to say before manager on the basis of how the manager
you say it. Choose the appropriate words responds to opposing views. (And body
that will best communicate these language speaks louder than words.) If
thoughts, and speak in the language of the manager appears threatened or
the listener. Strive for utmost clarity. distressed whenever an employee offers an
Be willing to express your feelings: opposing view, the employees in all
Those people who are able to express likelihood will be reluctant to challenge
their feelings are more likely to be the manager in the future. As a
effective communicators than those who consequence, the manager's ideas may go
are not. This does not mean an untested, and some potentially good ideas
irresponsible venting of emotions; may never be considered. Avoid becoming
rather, it means expression of feelings hostile to opposing views. Try to
tempered with responsibility. If you are understand the other person's views: what
unable or unwilling to express your they mean, how they came about, and why
feelings, others may view you as bland. the person supports these particular
Your people want to know where you are views. Then, when appropriate, try to
coming from. Tell them! Move beyond incorporate these views into your own
merely exchanging data and information. thinking, while at the same time giving
Enrich your communication with a clear due credit to the person who generated
expression of your feelings about the the ideas.
issues at hand. Be willing to change your convictions as
Put yourself in the place of the other new truths are uncovered:
person: Too many people believe that they have a
The effective communicator has empathy: "lock" on truth. There is only one way to
the capacity to participate in another's the top of the mountain, and that is
thoughts or feelings. Empathy is the their way. Their own views are obviously
ability to see the world through the correct, which means that any opposing
other person's eyes. It is an attitude, a views are obviously incorrect. One of the
frame of mind, which has a profound greatest challenges for you as a manager
effect on the quality of the is to keep an open mind. This does not
communication. Empathy is what helps set mean a wishy-washy approach in which you
up the exchange as a living mutual agree with every opposing view, but it
relation. does mean that you will hear others out
Be "truly present" When engaging in and try to understand their views, even
interpersonal communication, many when the views are contrary to your own.
managers appear to be preoccupied with Perhaps it will turn out to be a
other thoughts. Their body language significant learning experience; you may
conveys the impression that their glean some insights that will help you
thoughts are paying attention on strengthen your own views.
something other than the matter at hand. Be willing to confront:
Don't be guilty of this type of behavior. Conflict is an integral part of life. If
Whenever talking with another person, we are encouraging people to be authentic
give that person your undivided in expressing their thoughts and
attention. Even if you have only 10 feelings, conflict is inevitable; if we
minutes to give, give the person 10 are calling for people to be creative in
minutes of your undivided attention. expressing their own views, conflict is
Be a good listener: inevitable; and if we are requiring
It has been estimated that no more than people to work in complex and
about 10 percent of the general ever-changing organizations that have
population might be considered really competing demands, conflict is
good listeners. That means that about 90 inevitable. Conflict is not something to
percent of us have room for improvement. be avoided; rather, it is something to be
It will be to your credit if you develop guided and channeled for productive ends.
a reputation for being a good listener. Whenever your views differ from those of
Be an active listener and listen with others, be willing to confront. This is
understanding. Ask good questions. essential for authentic dialogue.
Paraphrase the key points that the other Think win-win:
person has made. Check your perception of When confronting others, there are those
the person's feelings. Link the elements. who think only in terms of win lose.
Achieve unity. These are things that you There obviously will be a winner and a
can learn to do. Great effort is loser. This is a basic attitude that has
required, but making the effort will been ingrained over the years. Don't get
surely enhance your effectiveness in trapped in the win-lose mentality.
interpersonal communication. Transcend it! Focus on ends rather than
Postpone evaluation: means. Ask yourself: In this particular
Whenever a new idea is being presented confrontation, what might be done to
for consideration, many managers are too assure that both my adversary and I
quick on the draw in evaluating the idea. achieve our objectives? How can we both
Before they have really understood the emerge as winners?
idea, they judge it to be either good or Summary:
bad. Such behavior tends to inhibit The manager is responsible for creating
communication and may cause the manager the work environment. Have you ever
to miss out on some promising ideas. wondered what exactly is up with your
Whenever a new idea is being presented to employees? This informative article can
you, discipline yourself to postpone give you an insight into everything about
evaluation until after you have how you can communicate properly with
demonstrated that you fully understand your employees.
the idea.






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