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Communicating Better at Work Employees often show concern about the quality and quantity of communication at work. Some claim that management gives only lip service to open communication but does little to really communicate with them. Others contend their organizations believe that posting notices on bulletin boards and sending out memos provide adequate communication. Communication isn’t over when you finish delivering your message Still others say they receive vague instructions that are difficult to follow. Ineffective communication often results in poor cooperation and coordination, lower productivity, undercurrents of tension, gossip, rumors, and increased staff turnover and absenteeism. Experience shows there are many ways managers can improve internal communication. Here are some things they should do: • Understand that communication is a two-way street. It involves giving information and getting feedback from employees. It isn’t finished when information is given. • Put more emphasis on face-to-face communication with employees. Don’t rely mainly on bulletin boards, memos and other written communication. • Employers need to ask themselves each time they give instructions if the message is clear. Most vagueness is caused by failing to be specific. Example: Don’t just tell an employee to “show more interest” in his or her work. If an employee spends too much time chatting with others, be specific about it. • View information as “service to” employees and not “power over” them. • Listen to employees; show respect for them when they speak. They’ll feel part of the team and will tend to be more dedicated and productive. One way: Ask questions to show interest and clarify points. • Don’t just talk open door policy, practice it by walking around and talking to employees. Allow people to disagree and to come up with new ideas. • Conduct one-on-one meetings. Ask each employee to tell managers how they can help the employee to do a better job. Then share those things employees can do to help the manager do a better job. • Prepare publications frequently. Emphasize current issues that employees care about; don’t substitute quarterly “prettier” publications for substantive, up-to-date ones. • Concentrate on building credibility with employees. Managers who lack credibility and fail to create a climate of trust and openness aren’t believed – no matter how hard they try to communicate. Reprinted with permission from the Briefing Publishing Group www.briefings.com (703) 518-2337 Help the Boss Remember You Your boss may be so busy that he or she doesn’t notice your accomplishments, and that can hurt you at review time. To help your boss remember: • Quiz the boss regularly about your performance. How often depends on your situation. It might be twice a day, weekly or every few weeks. Seek specifics. Example: “What did I do on this project that you’d like me to repeat next time?” “Do you think I should have done anything differently?” • Press for as much feedback as you can get if the boss tells you that you should have handled a situation differently. Use the opportunity to ask questions that relate to your overall development. Example: “What skills do you think I need to work on so I can handle more responsibility down the line?” “What’s the best approach for getting those skills?” • Offer to write a draft of your performance review. Make clear that you’ll list your successes, shortcomings, strengths and weaknesses. If the boss accepts your offer-and agrees with your review-it means you’ve been communicating well. If the boss doesn’t agree, it means you should ask for more feedback. And the boss may need more reminders of your successes. Reprinted with permission from the Briefing Publishung Group www.briefings.com (703) 518-2337 How to Deal With Conflict To handle conflict among your team members: • Ask those who disagree to paraphrase one another’s comments. This may help them learn if they really understand one another. • Work out a compromise. Agree on the underlying source of conflict, then engage in give-and-take and finally agree on a solution. • Ask each member to list what the other side should do. Exchange lists, select a compromise all are willing to accept and test the compromise to see if it meshes with team goals. • Have the sides each write 10 questions for their opponents. This will allow them to signal their major concerns about the other side’s position. These answers may lead to a compromise. • Convince team members they sometimes may have to admit they’re wrong. Help them save face by convincing them that changing a position may also show strength. • Respect the experts on the team. Give their opinions more weight when the conflict involves their areas of expertise, but don’t rule out conflicting opinions. Reprinted with permission from the Briefing Publishing Group www.briefings.com (703) 518-2337 Introduce Yourself with Pizzazz When you meet someone at a networking event, that person will invariably ask, “So, what do you do?” Most of us answer with our job title and company name. A title can mean many different things and the person may not be familiar with your organization. Instead, tell people how you bring value to your company, by outlining your contributions and touting your special talents. Example: Instead of saying “I’m a marketing rep with ABC,” say, “I help people get the word out about their products and services. Last week one of my clients was featured in the Washington Post.” Reprinted with permission from the Briefing Publishing Group www.briefings.com (703) 518-2337 Three Degrees of Delegation Delegation is the key to productivity – yours and your employees’. But not every employee is ready to take on new responsibilities. Classify your people into these three categories and delegate accordingly: 1. Beginners. New or untried people in your organization don’t want too much responsibility too quickly. Ask these employees to be partners with you in a task, participating in the decisions and checking in with you along the way. But remember that the purpose of the partnership is to train employees to carry the ball on their own eventually. 2. Journeymen. When employees gain a little more expertise and confidence, let them go off on their own. Stay available but remain outside the project, responding only when called upon. That gives your people the feeling of being supported without cramping their style. 3. Old pros. With employees whom you really trust to do the job right, delegate the total project and step aside. This is your chance to get back to more creative work. Reprinted with permission from the Briefing Publishing Group www.briefings.com (703) 518-2337 You Can Be a Star at Work The difference between average and star performers, says author Robert E. Kelley in How to be a star at Work! lies in how they use these nine key strategies: • Initiative. Average performers come up with ideas that will get them noticed by management. Stars offer ideas that will also benefit co-workers and the organization. • Networking. Average employees thrive on gossip and limit contacts to those in their field. Stars build relationships within and outside their field and gladly share their knowledge. • Self-management. Most people limit this to managing time. Stars also use it to develop talents that will increase their value to the organization. • Perspective. Average performers see the world only from their viewpoint and expect that viewpoint to prevail. Stars look at problems or projects through the eyes of customers, competitors, co-workers and bosses. • Follower-ship. Average employees think this means sticking to a job description and not questioning authority. Stars don’t hesitate to offer opinions on goals, tasks and methods. But despite any differences, they cooperate with authority to reach organizational goals. • Teamwork. Average team members see this as just doing their part on a project or problem. Stars see it as helping to set and commit to goals, activities and schedules; making others feel part of the team; dealing with conflict and assisting others with problems. • Leadership. Average employees see this as a chance to stroke their egos. Stars view it as knowing how to influence and direct a group to work together to complete a task. • Organizational savvy. Average performers view this as knowing how to play office politics. Stars see it as knowing when to cooperate and when to compete, when to avoid conflict and when to meet it head on. • Show and tell. Average employees focus on their message, not on audience needs. They write long memos, offer slick presentations and praise their work – all to get noticed by management. Stars focus on message receivers. They pick the right information for the audience and the best format deliver it. Reprinted with permission from the Briefing Publishing Group www.briefings.com (703) 518-2337 How to Impress your Boss Would you like to get along better with your manager? You don’t have to try to be the boss’s best friend. All you have to do is to avoid things that drive managers crazy. Follow these rules and your boss will think that you’re a real star: • Don’t ask questions you can answer yourself. Before you go to your boss with a question, ask yourself, “Will my boss be able to answer this any better than I can?” In most cases, the answer is no. You know your job better than anyone else, so think issues through and you may not need to seek help. • Don’t lose your temper. Bosses don’t want to manage hotheads. So avoid lashing out in a moment of anger or frustration. Example: It’s tempting to reply immediately after reading an e-mail that upsets you. Better: write your response immediately, but don’t send it. Wait at least half an hour, then re-read the original e-mail and your response. Nine times out of ten, you will have calmed down and send a much more constructive and considered response. Your boss will admire your diplomacy. • Never say “It’s not my job.” Managers appreciate employees who are willing to go beyond the strict limits of their job descriptions. So, take on new challenges. Sometimes, the best way to find your calling is by trying new things. • Don’t whine. We all need to let off steam every now and then, but don’t get a reputation for being the instigator. Your boss will respect you more if you choose your battles. Reprinted with permission from the Briefing Publishing Group www.briefings.com (703) 518-2337 Preparing for Appraisals Before you begin an employee’s performance review session, check to see if you can say “Yes” to these statements: • “I’ve spent enough time reviewing and thinking about this person’s performance to ensure a fair and objective appraisal.” • “I’ll be able to cite specific examples of both strengths and weaknesses. And I’m sure I’ve selected the best examples to back up what I’ll say.” • “I know whether earlier appraisal sessions with this person have produced any behavioral changes that we agreed to and that I expected to see by the time we met for this session.” • “I’ve thought about how this person might respond to any criticism I’ll offer and I know exactly how I’ll handle it.” • “I’ve considered basic changes in the organization or in department activities that might have affected the employee’s work performance.” Reprinted with permission from the Briefing Publishing Group www.briefings.com (703) 518-2337 The Certified Business Manager (CBM) The CBM is a master-level certification based on an MBA curriculum and can be earned within one year. A CBM is to a business manager what the CPA is to an accountant, the CFA is to an investment analyst and the SPHR/PHR is to a human resources specialist. It is a master’s level certification designed for all business specialists (i.e. accountants, engineers, marketers, HR practitioners, IT professionals, etc.). CBM - Certification Requirements To be able to take the exam, one must have fulfilled the following requirements prior to registration: • Three years of professional work experience in a career-based, business area such as accounting, engineering, marketing or human resources, with either a graduate degree or specialty area certification. • Four years of professional work experience in a career-based, business area such as accounting, engineering, marketing or human resources, with an undergraduate degree from an accredited college, university or international equivalent. What is covered in the CBM Exam? The CBM exam consists of the following three parts: Part 1: Core Areas General Management and Organization Operations Management Marketing Management Quality and Process Management Human Resources Management Part 2: Functional Areas Accounting Finance Information and Technology Corporate Control and Governance International Business Part 3: Integrated Areas The cross-module application of parts 1 and 2, based on mini case studies, short scenarios and situations. Improving Performance When your team is on a tight deadline, recommend adopting a “two-minute rule” to speed things up. Agree that when someone gets stuck on a problem, he/she shouldn’t spend more than two minutes trying to solve it before asking for help. Customize the rules to fit the kind of work you do. A 10-minute or a one-hour rule might be more realistic for your team. Reprinted with permission from the Briefing Publishing Group www.briefings.com (703) 518-2337 Reach Customers by E-Mail If you’re considering e-mail marketing, keep these pointers in mind: • Make it easy for people to read your messages by limiting their size to fit a single screen. • Customize messages whenever possible by using the names of people and organizations. • Use the subject line to give receivers a compelling reason to read your message. Compose it as you would the headline on an ad or the teaser on an envelope. Example: “5 Steps to Enhance Your Creativity.” • Embed hotlinks in your e-mail message to make it easy for receivers to visit your website. • Limit messages to text and embedded hotlinks. Reason: Only about 30% of e-mail recipients can read HTML mail. • Offer several options for action and hotlinks. Reason: the electronic audience expects and enjoys interactivity. Also, multiple offers boost sales results and provide lots of valuable information for your customer and prospect database. Reprinted with permission from the Briefing Publishing Group www.briefings.com (703) 518-2337 Rewards and Recognition 21 ways to say 'Well Done' Sometimes, offering praise is harder than it should be. In a busy office, it’s easy to forget to compliment others and voice your appreciation. But praise can really make a team member’s day. Here are some reminders of how easy it really is to say, “Thanks, well done”: 1. I’m proud you’re on my team. 2. Congratulations on a terrific job. 3. You’re so helpful. Thank you. 4. You keep improving. Well done. 5. Thanks so much for your consistent effort. 6. I really admire your perseverance. 7. Your mood always lifts the team’s spirit. 8. You’re a champion. 9. Wow, what an incredible accomplishment! 10. Great effort. You make us all look good. 11. I have great confidence in you. 12. You’ve grasped the concept well. 13. Your customer service skills are sensational. 14. Your sales results are outstanding. 15. You’re a valuable part of this team. 16. Your efforts are really making a difference. 17. You are a bonus. 18. You continue to delight our customers 19. You make the team’s vision come true. 20. Your accomplishments inspire the team. 21. Customers are noticing the efforts you’re putting in. Reprinted with permission from the Briefing Publishing Group www.briefings.com (703) 518-2337 |
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