Office Communication Toolkit

Office
Communication
Toolkit
10 tips for managers on active listening skills,
motivating employees, workplace productivity,
employee retention strategies and change
management techniques

Special Report from
Business
Management
Daily
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1. The best managers are the best listeners: 4 steps
Managers spend a good part of their workday listening to other people. But bear in
mind, there’s a big difference between “passive” and “active” listening.

In many cases, managers are too busy thinking about their response rather than
listening to the employee’s full statement. In a business setting, this lack of
attention can result in costly mistakes, wasted time, poor service and management
failure.

By listening fully and in a way that shows understanding and respect for the
speaker, you develop a rapport and build trust. That’s the true foundation from
which you can manage and influence others.

Effective listeners use a four-step process to ensure understanding:

1. Listen to the total message

If you hear only bits of what is said, you may draw the wrong conclusions.

So, before you begin to frame your response, listen to everything the person has to
say and give 100% of your attention. Find the main thought the person is trying to
share and consider it from his or her perspective—not yours.

Prove that you care by suspending all other activities. Don’t flip through papers or
keep checking your watch.

2. Prove your understanding by using nonverbal signals

Let the person know that you’re paying attention through your nonverbal cues.
Doing so sets a comfortable level for the conversation and encourages the other
person to keep talking. It also demonstrates that you’re interested in the topic and
paying attention.

Some positive nonverbal signals:

• Moving from behind the desk
• Maintaining eye contact
• Leaning forward slightly
• Raising your eyebrows when the speaker makes a significant point
• Nodding to indicate agreement

© 2009 National Institute of Business Management www.BusinessManagementDaily.com 2


3. Use open-ended probes

These are questions that allow the other
person to respond at length, rather than 5 bad habits to guard against
with just a “yes” or “no.” Open-ended To be an effective listener, you must pay
questions begin with words like “why,” keen attention to the speaker. Seems
“how,” “explain” and “describe.” like common sense, but too often we
don’t walk the talk. As managers, it’s
By asking these types of questions, important to model this behavior for
you’ll encourage the other person to employees and teach by example.
share his or her opinions and feelings
To check your own effectiveness, take
and elicit additional information. the following listening quiz to make sure
you’re not guilty of these bad habits:
Be aware of how many open-ended
questions you ask. Then consciously try 1. Are you constantly trying to jump in,
to increase the number. finishing people’s sentences when they
pause too long?
You’ll find that the quality of your
2. Do you step on people’s sentences
communication improves dramatically.
by talking before they’ve finished
speaking?
4. Paraphrase what you hear
3. Do you fail to make eye contact with
To say “I understand” isn’t enough. people who talk to you, or give them
People typically need some sort of verbal cues that you’re listening (e.g.,
evidence of your understanding. head nod)?

4. Do you often say “Yeah” or “Uh-huh”
In addition to nonverbal cues and while others speak?
questions, prove your understanding by
briefly restating the information you’ve 5. Do you often make the same point
just heard or by asking a question that someone else just made, or ask a
proves you know the main idea. question that’s just been answered?

You don’t do this to prove that you were listening to the person, but to prove that
you understand them. There’s a big difference.

2. Setting deadlines for employees: 4 do’s and don’ts
Without deadlines, employees flounder. They can’t be aware of the urgency or
priorities of a project unless their supervisors tell them.



Following are four tips to help supervisors set realistic deadlines for their
employees:

1. Do be specific

Name the target day and time. And mean what you say. If you ask for completion
“next week,” don’t complain on Friday that you really needed it on Wednesday.

If you say, “By the end of the month,” be sure that 5 p.m. on the afternoon of the
31st is acceptable.

By contrast, if you wanted the project completed by 9 a.m. on the 31st so you
could present it to your boss that afternoon, say so. Otherwise, you won’t meet
your boss’s deadline.

2. Do clarify priorities

Let people know if this assignment takes precedence over any other projects
they’re working on now. Avoid the old, favorite deadline “ASAP,” which usually
translates in an employee’s mind as “whenever it gets done.”

What does ASAP mean? Drop everything and work overtime, or first finish up
what you’re already doing?

Even worse: Never tell employees to work on something “when you get a chance.”
If you do, don’t be surprised if it never happens.

3. Don’t set false deadlines

Setting a deadline earlier than necessary (because you don’t trust your employees
to meet the real deadline) creates more problems than it solves.

Your staff will soon learn that’s how you operate and will assume there’s always
air in the schedule. As a result, they’ll always miss that first deadline, just as you
knew they would.

Nor should you claim that a project is a rush job that just came up when, in fact,
you’ve sat on it for a few days. People have a way of finding out the truth.

Also, being dishonest about deadlines can hurt you later when a project truly is a
rush job. Your staff may not believe you and won’t make the extra effort to get it
done on time.



One caveat: If you have a new employee, you may want to allow extra time in the
schedule for revisions. Let the employee know that you’re building review time
into the schedule.

4. Do establish an update schedule

The best-laid plans can go astray, and so can deadlines. You’ll minimize the
chance of this occurring by setting up a progress report schedule when you assign
the project. This is especially important for long-term projects.

When you make the assignment, discuss how you and the employee will
communicate about his or her progress. Do you want the person to stop by your
office once a week and give you a quick status report? Send you a daily e-mail?
Update the status at the monthly staff meeting?

The schedule should be reasonable and convenient for both of you. It should make
sense in terms of the length and complexity of the job, as well as the employee’s
competence and experience. Whatever you decide, now’s the time to set the
schedule.

3. 6 ways to help employees do their best each day
A manager’s job is 100 times easier and more rewarding when his or her
employees are performing like a well-oiled machine. But when that machine runs
slowly or breaks down entirely, a manager’s job becomes exponentially harder.

Here are six tips for keeping employees on task and working together toward the
common goal, according to a report by OnPoint Consulting:

1. Clarify, clarify, clarify

It’s hard to get things done when people don’t understand their roles, their
responsibilities or exactly what’s expected of them.

Too often, supervisors assume their employees understand what needs to be done.
Or, they fear they’ll insult an employee’s intelligence by stating what seems
obvious to them.

Don’t underestimate the importance of making certain that everyone is on the
same page. Clearly communicating roles and duties is never a wasted effort.



2. Establish clear expectations

Goals are an important part of clarifying. They help employees focus on what’s
important and provide incentives to find more efficient ways to get work done.

The only way to improve the way you’re doing things is to set clear, measurable
goals and constantly monitor your success in those areas.

3. Don’t micromanage your entrepreneurial-minded employees. But do
monitor them

Entrepreneurial-minded employees—those who take initiative and do an effective
job without much direction from managers—are often great employees.

But just because you feel like you can let them loose with a project doesn’t mean
they don’t need management. In fact, when you empower employees in this way,
monitoring becomes even more important. You may be concerned they’ll think
you’re micromanaging them. Don’t be. When done right, monitoring doesn’t have
to feel like micromanaging. Use these check-ins as an opportunity to recognize
effective behavior and get their feedback.

4. Encourage employees to share bad news with you

How? Don’t shoot the messenger!

If there’s a problem, mistake or delay, employees may be hesitant to inform you.
They may fear your reaction or think they’ll look incompetent. That’s why it’s
important to react correctly to bad news. Strive to be constructive, not punishing.
Express appreciation for the accurate information, no matter how negative it may
be. Respond quickly to the problem with specific actions.

5. Solve problems quickly, but not too quickly

Don’t waste time when dealing with threats or problems. But be aware that
jumping to solutions too quickly can end up causing more headaches.

Smart managers know when additional information or analysis is essential—and
when it will only delay action without adding value. Before taking action,
managers should always use a systematic, logical analysis to identify the cause of
a problem.



6. Encourage informal and spontaneous interaction

Your employees’ informal relationships are key to getting things done. The ability
to connect with a colleague “in the moment” when you have a problem or new
information is vital for effective execution.

But in today’s high-tech world, it can be difficult to make these connections.
Don’t let co-workers in departments go days just e-mailing back and forth.
Facilitate informal gatherings to brainstorm and hash out problems face to face.

4. Listen for subtle whispers of employee turnover
Most good employees don’t stand up one day and quit out of the blue. They send
off subtle hints that, if you’re listening, you can act on before the good employee
walks out the door. That’s why it’s important to listen to statements like these that
can act as an “advance warning system” for employee turnover:

• “This job isn’t what I thought it would be.” Rather than exploring what
the employee was originally told or trying to defend miscommunication,
focus on the present. Ask, “How do you want your job to be?”
• “I’m at a plateau. I can’t grow here.” Consider that a plea for job
stimulation. Provide the employee with new responsibilities, cross-training
opportunities or exposure to influential mentors.
• “I don’t get any feedback.” Most employees crave regular input from
their supervisors. Don’t leave them in the dark. Plan regular sessions to
discuss ongoing projects and performance.
• “This place has too much politics.” While you may not be able to
eliminate all dissension and politics in the organization, you can level with
the employee. If someone makes this complaint, address rumors head-on,
and don’t play favorites.

Plug holes in morale with three questions
To discover potentially serious threats to morale, periodically ask employees the
following three questions. Then, use their answers to assess whether they’re
disgruntled or dedicated.

1. “If you knew what you know now, would you have taken this job? Why or why not?”
2. “In an ideal world, how would your job change over the next year?”
3. “What is your favorite part of the job?”



5. 7 common employee gripes (and how to silence them)
A recent study says that 40% of managers in the United States are considered “bad
bosses” by their employees. Yet most managers assume that their relationships
with their employees are running smoothly.

Obviously, some of those bosses are wrong … and that can create major problems
for a business. A Gallup Poll says organizations are 50% less productive—and
44% less profitable—when serious boss-employee conflicts exist.

According to a recently published book, 30 Reasons Employees Hate Their
Managers, some common employee complaints about management, plus ways
managers can silence them, include:

1. “My boss doesn’t respect me.”

• Get to know your employees as people.
• Treat them as adults and respect their privacy.
• Recognize that employees have lives outside work and try to
accommodate those needs.

2. “Nobody appreciates my hard work.”

• Provide regular feedback and recognition.
• Mix an equal number of “thank-you’s” and “good job” with your
critiques. Ask employees for their ideas, and then use them.
• Thank and reward employees while they’re in the act of
performing well; don’t wait for their next review.

3. “There are different rules for different people.”
• Focus on being fair and consistent with the workload, pay, perks
and appreciation.
• Be aware of the legal risks of making work decisions based on
race, age, gender, religion or disability status.

4. “My performance reviews are useless.”

• Provide continuous feedback. Nothing in the review should come
as a surprise.
• Involve employees in setting goals, and adapt a development
mind-set.



• Focus on specific employee behaviors (and cite documented
examples). Don’t criticize the person’s character traits.
• Conduct reviews on time.

5. “My boss micromanages my work.”

• Realize that employees are not happy when they can’t make
decisions. Delegate when possible.
• Allow employees to have more say in how they do their work.

6. “We have too many meetings.”

• Institute a time limit on meetings.
• Use a meeting facilitator.

7. “I hate coming to work.”

• Ask employees what specifically would improve their outlook. Try
to at least meet them halfway.
• Consider how you can enrich jobs (or juggle tasks among
employees) to make them more motivated.

What makes a good boss?
Qualities that U.S. workers consider necessary for being a good boss (in order of importance),
according to a Yahoo! survey:

1. Communication/listening skills
2. Effective leadership skills
3. Trust in their employees to do their jobs well
4. Flexibility and understanding
5. Intelligence
6. Teamwork skills
7. Even temperament

6. 8 little things managers can do to retain the best
When good employees leave for greener pastures, it makes a manager’s job much
more difficult. Managers can prevent this syndrome by doing what they can to
make their own pasture the greenest.



While compensation helps, it’s not always cash that makes pastures greener. When
salaries are equal with the marketplace, other factors take priority.

Here are eight easy-to-plant “seeds” that help keep employees growing and
content, according to a KEYGroup report:

1. Keep them engaged. Bored employees are neither happy nor productive. To
keep your employees engaged and satisfied, present them with challenging
assignments and opportunities to grow and develop. Consider ways to provide
opportunities for employees to improve on their skills or learn new skills they can
use in their jobs.

2. Give praise where praise is due. If someone does a great job, let the person
know. It’s that simple. And then let his or her co-workers know. Then let the
customers know! Recognizing a job well done isn’t an expensive proposition, but
it will mean the world to your employee.

3. Be aware of employees’ changing needs. As your employees progress in life,
their needs change. After having a child, an employee may want to travel less. As
your baby boomer employees get older, so do their parents. They may need to take
time off to care for the health needs of their mom or dad.

By recognizing these changing needs, you show sensitivity to what’s going on in
their lives. This builds loyalty and helps bring stability to their personal lives,
which means they can focus better at work.

4. Realize that great employees thrive under great leaders. Employees won’t
leave for greener pastures unless you drive them. The buck starts and stops with
their leaders.

Employees of great leaders will go to the ends of the earth to do a good job for
them. The flip side is that employees with poor leadership will simply go.

5. Conduct regular “stay” interviews. Rather than exit interviews, use regular
“stay” interviews to provide an opportunity to compliment high performers on
their work and inspire them to do more.

Use these interviews to gauge how well you are meeting employees’ needs. Seek
out their suggestions on what you and the company can do to improve.

6. Create an environment where people can do their best work. By allowing
employees to develop and implement their own ideas, you’ll keep them passionate
about their work.



Make sure they have the right tools and equipment they need. Nothing frustrates
employees more than not having everything they need to get their jobs done.

7. Create an environment of trust. Employees are happier and work harder when
they trust their leaders. They decide which leaders they can trust based on how
their fellow employees, company vendors and customers are treated.

As a leader, it’s important to ask yourself: Do I treat people at work with respect?
Do I behave ethically and hold others accountable for their actions?

When an employee sees his or her manager treating someone poorly—whether it’s
a vendor or a fellow employee—the employee’s level of trust in the whole
company diminishes and he or she cares less about doing a good job.

In addition, remember that trust is a two-way street. Your employees need to feel
that you trust them as well.

8. Rid your pasture of weeds. The weeds are those poor performers and negative
employees who stifle the good attitudes and high performance of their co-workers.
If you’re not pulling out your weeds, they’ll choke out your best performers.
Obtain consistent feedback and keep good documentation so you can sort out
employees.

The bottom line: Striving to keep employees happy and engaged is not just a
“nice” thing to do. It’s the only way to create a successful business.

And it’s not just a matter of trying to retain people to avoid the high cost of
recruitment. Engaged employees are creative, productive, motivated and brimming
with good ideas. Not only will they stay, but they’ll be fully committed to their
jobs, to you and to the company’s success.

Top 10 aspects of employee satisfaction

1. Compensation
2. Benefits
3. Job security
4. Work/life flexibility
5. Communication with management
6. Feeling safe at work
7. Recognition from management
8. Relationship with supervisor
9. Autonomy, independence
10. Opportunities to use skills

Source: Society for Human Resource Management



7. Confronting poor performers: 6 tips for managers
No manager enjoys having “the talk” with employees. But ignoring an employee’s
poor performance won’t make the problem go away; it will only make things
worse.

If you’re apt to take the head-in-the-sand approach to employees’ job failings,
you’re not alone: Only 31% of U.S. workers agree with the statement “My
manager confronts poor performance,” according to a recent KEYGroup survey.

And companies that tolerate poor performance will drive away top performers
who are unhappy working in such an environment.

The solution: Approach workers about their performance problems in a fair,
problem-solving manner. When you confront such people in a tactful way, you’ll
find that one of two things happens: They improve or they move. According to the
KEYGroup, here are the six rules of engagement:

1. Be specific

If an employee has been consistently late, specify the number of times or amount
of time. Avoid exaggerations, such as “You are totally unreliable.” Instead, say,
“This is the third time in one week that you have been at least 10 minutes late.”

If this issue has been a problem in the past, remind the employee when you have
pointed out the offense previously. Say, “I indicated to you last Tuesday that
coming in late is not acceptable.”

2. Focus on business reasons

Always refocus the employee on the stated business reason for your comments.
Example: “It’s important for you to be here at the designated time since customers
rely on our immediate responsiveness when they have questions about their
order.”

If you need to correct something like inappropriate casual dress, reiterate the
company guidelines. Don’t comment on the employee’s personal taste.

Straying into areas that have nothing to do with workplace performance will result
in a loss of credibility with that person. Stay focused on the employee’s job
performance and how it affects the company.



Giving employee feedback: It’s as easy as A, B, C
Accurate. Offer objective, concrete descriptions of the problem, not vague
statements. Provide specific examples and dates, backed by documentation. Avoid
words like “always” and “never”; they’re exaggerations and don’t usually reflect
realistic frequency.

Business-oriented. Focus on the business reason for the corrective comments. Stay
away from personality critiques. Be able to point to written employee goals and
company guidelines that aren’t being met.

Consistent. Provide regular feedback throughout the year; don’t dump it all on the
employee at performance review time. Include what was done, the impact and how it
will be eliminated (negative) or repeated (positive) in the future.

3. Give timely feedback

A common management mistake is to bombard employees with feedback at their
appraisal, but remain mostly quiet during the rest of the year. The appraisal should
be a review of the discussions held during the year. Nothing mentioned at that time
should come as a surprise to the employee.

That’s why it’s vital to provide all employees with both positive and negative
feedback on a consistent basis.

Poor performers require more feedback, not less. Make them aware of what they
did wrong immediately.

One caveat: Don’t try to give corrective feedback when the person is upset or
emotional. Wait until the employee has calmed down.

4. Consider employee’s personality

Everyone handles feedback differently. Some people want it straight while others
are more sensitive. With an employee who wants straightforward feedback, you
can get away with saying, “You gave the customer the wrong information because
you didn’t have the updated manual. How do you think we should handle it?”

To get through to a more sensitive employee, take a different approach. For
instance, “I understand why you provided the customer with this information. Are
you aware that the guidelines have changed? What do you suggest we do in this
situation?”



Regardless of the person’s personality, be clear and straightforward in your
communication.

5. Check for understanding

Avoid asking close-ended questions during the discussion or when summarizing.
At the end of a confrontation, don’t ask, “Do you understand?” The employee
could simply say “Yes.”

Instead, ask the employee to summarize his or her understanding of the situation.
Have the person lay out actions, steps or accountabilities that were discussed.

6. Keep a paper trail of discussions

Good documentation, such as a performance log for each employee, allows you to
easily identify and prove recurring problems. (This could also help if the employee
decides to sue.)

After each meeting with the poor performer, take notes that summarize the
discussions. Include the problem, the action taken to correct or eliminate it, the
dates, the result that occurred, and any comments that will help you recall
feedback sessions when you complete the performance appraisal.

Don’t let the performance log become a little black book of mistakes and errors.
Also include examples of acceptable and/or outstanding performance.

8. Helping employees accept change in the workplace:
It’s all about the 4 C’s
New project. New boss. New goals. New office. Employees are constantly facing
changes to their work environment.

Supervisors who are able to understand the impact of those changes on their
employees—and are able to help them through those unsteady times—will earn
their employees’ trust and loyalty.

To start, you must first understand why people are so quick to resist change. By
knowing this, you can make intelligent decisions about how to introduce changes.



Initial response is often negative. People seem to instantly scan any new changes
for any factors that aren’t to their benefit. Then they complain about it. This
negative focus often blocks their awareness of positive aspects.

Also, when employees do welcome changes, that initial optimism is sometimes
followed by a period of regret (the “buyer remorse” phenomenon). The bottom
line: Expect negative reactions and plan accordingly.

Change equals loss. One main reason for the negativity: When things change, you
lose something. You may gain something as well, but a loss is usually involved.

For example, employees may win promotions but also lose the comfort of their
previous jobs.

Acceptance requires planning

If you want employees to accept change, invest some time in planning and
communication. Too often, managers throw a change out there and expect others
to say, “Well, that’s just fine.” That’s not likely.

To get people to accept change, the first step is to understand what, from their
perspective, they feel that they’re losing. If you can empathize with their
feelings—and possibly compensate for the loss—you’ve taken a giant first step
toward acceptance.

Here are four more factors—the four C’s—to promoting acceptance of change:

1. Caring. Listening and responding to people’s reactions is just as important as
explaining the reasons for change.

2. Control. People want input into how change will be implemented. But never
ask for input unless you plan to consider it.

3. Choice. Employees feel better if they are given options as part of the change
process. The more choices they have, the more they feel in control.

4. Competence. Workers are happier about change if they feel they have the skills
and abilities to succeed after the change. The faster you can help someone move
through the learning curve, the faster they will accept the change.

So, before you begin to implement any important change with employees, take
time to develop a plan that incorporates those four features.



9. 15 questions to ask employees in their first 60 days
Recruiting, hiring and training new employees can eat up a manager’s time. The
last thing a manager wants to do is restart the process all over again because that
new hire just stood up and walked out the door after three months.

To avoid repeating that time-consuming process, it’s important to talk with new
employees soon after they arrive to uncover potential problems that can cause
turnover.

Many managers make the common mistake of waiting until an employee’s
performance or behavior shows problems before talking with the employee. By
then, however, it can be too late. The employee is halfway out the door.

Make it a point to meet with new hires within the first 60 days. Your goal:
Discover their likes/dislikes about the job and environment, see if the job meets
their expectations and nip potential problems in the bud.

View these one-on-one chats as a continuation of new-employee orientation and a
way to gain fresh insight into your department and the organization. Start the
meeting by reminding new employees that you’re glad they’re part of the
organization, and that you value their input and observations.

Then, ask some of the following questions, adapting them to your own needs:

1. Why do you think we selected you as an employee?

2. What do you like about the job and the organization?

3. What’s been going well? What are the highlights of your experiences so far?
Why?

4. Do you have enough, too much or too little time to do your work?

5. How do you see your job relating to the organization’s mission?

6. What do you need to learn to improve? What can the organization do to help
you become more successful in your job? (Don’t ask these two questions unless
you are prepared to follow up with action. Otherwise, you can build false
expectations, and that can cause disappointment.)

7. Tell me what you don’t understand about your job and about our organization.



8. Compare the organization to what we explained it would be like.

9. Which co-workers have been helpful since you arrived? (Goal: Pinpoint which
employees can be influential in retaining the new hire.)

10. Whom do you talk to when you have questions about work? Do you feel
comfortable asking?

11. Does your supervisor clearly explain what the organization expects of you?

12. How does it go when your supervisor offers constructive criticism or corrects
your work?

13. Do you believe your ideas are valued? Give examples.

14. How well do you get along with co-workers?

15. Have you had any uncomfortable situations or conflicts with supervisors, co-
workers or customers?

Finish the discussion by asking the employee if he or she has any questions for
you or suggestions on how the job can be managed better.

10. Becoming a better boss: 13 steps to success
Managers aren’t only responsible for an organization’s fiscal assets; they’re also
responsible for its human assets.
According to a recent Adecco report, here are 13 simple ideas you can implement
today to become a more effective manager:

1. Recognize a job well-done

Everyone likes to know when they’ve done something well. Make your employees
feel important every day. Show enthusiasm for their work.

2. Encourage staff to take risks

Give them enough freedom to take prudent risks. You will find employees at all
levels come up with good ideas.



3. Always be honest

Let employees know you trust them, and be honest and open in return. Just one
deception can destroy your credibility for good. A recent Gallup Poll found that
one in five workers say their bosses don’t treat their employees fairly.

4. Offer a challenge

Productivity and enthusiasm significantly decrease with boredom.

A survey by the American Productivity & Quality Center found that the best
motivator for employees is challenging work. Your challenge is to keep them
challenged.

5. Realize that money isn’t everything

Studies show that money isn’t the only motivator for employees. In fact, most
studies show that employees choose factors like recognition for a good job,
personal development and challenging work as being more important than salary.

So if you want to keep employees, a pat on the back can be just as effective as
additional pay.

6. Be a straight shooter

Don’t set foggy goals for your employees. People want to know what you expect
of them. Give directions to employees in simple language. Tell them precisely
what is involved and why you think they’re best for the job.

7. Know when, where to criticize

Inform employees when they perform well and when they don’t. Tell them
immediately. Don’t lump all your complaints in one session.

Don’t criticize employees in front of others. Highlighting failures in public will
discourage innovation by everyone involved, and you will quickly turn colleagues
into enemies.

8. Keep communication lines open

Employees crave clear, ongoing, understandable and unambiguous
communication. Don’t communicate just in times of trouble. Relay positive news
as well. Give employees information before, not after, important events.



9. Make employees feel important

The need to feel needed—everyone has it. One study found that more than half of
the employees surveyed felt their managers failed to make them feel important as
individuals. And 77% of
those employees also said
they were thinking of Learning how to listen
looking for another job.
More than 20% of American workers feel that their
Allow employees to bosses hardly ever listen to their problems, said a recent
contribute. Ask for their Gallup Poll. And that can cause resentment.
opinions and advice. Reduce
To improve your listening skills, focus on these key
the number of autocratic points:
decisions.
►Ignore distractions. When an employee talks to you,
10. Be consistent give the person your undivided attention. If you allow
distractions to interfere, you may miss critical information
and/or make the employee feel like a low priority.
Workers can learn to live
with any boss if they know ►Repeat the message. If an employee makes a request
what to expect. If you keep or provides you with information, clarify what he or she
them guessing, you will keep said. That way, everyone is sure they got the right
message.
them looking … for another
job. Inconsistent behavior ►Be objective. If you assume information is trivial, you
breeds anger, frustration, won’t remember it. Don’t pay more attention to some
dismay and disappointment. employees than others. Listen to employees as if you
were listening to the CEO.

11. Be impartial

Don’t play favorites. Discrimination destroys morale, hurts productivity and opens
the door to lawsuits. Bosses who promote unfairly will quickly lose employees’
confidence in them. Treat everyone the same, politely.

12. Take an interest in employees’ careers

Coach or counsel employees on how they can climb the corporate ladder. Become
a mentor to employees with real potential and fire.

13. Know how to say “no”

There will be plenty of times that you can’t be Mr./Ms. Nice Guy. You have to say
no. How? Just do it. Explain the reason for your refusal. Avoid making a snap
decision unless time constraints force your hand. If possible, tell the employee you
will consider the request and decide in a day or two. Take enough time to let the
employee know that the request has had a fair hearing.


Office Communication Toolkit

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