THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Life

“When I hear somebody sigh, "Life is hard," I am always tempted to ask, "Compared to what?"”

- Sydney J. Harris

TOPIC OF THE DAY

Communication

Consider this. Maria, head of her department, has a concern about the dedication of one or two of her staff members. Maria learned somewhere that it's not good to embarrass anybody in public, so at the next staff meeting, she says: "I have some concerns about some people in our department who seem uncommitted and unwilling to go the extra mile. I want it clear that we need maximum effort from everyone." And, she leaves it at that. Is this a good way to approach the issue?

Well, it certainly doesn't single out anyone, hence avoiding public embarrassment. But how do you think staff will react? First, each and every person in the room will wonder if they've somehow offended the boss. That's ALWAYS the first reaction to what we call "insinuation". The next reaction is: "Oh, right, Maria must be talking about Jethro (or some other coworker." Perhaps more serious is the effect this type of communication has on trust. Because of the lack of clarity and ambiguity, it wouldn't be surprising if staff began to doubt the boss's honesty or straightforwardness.

Read on.....

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