Communication Tricks

By: TonyP

Life with a "small" manager.

Your boss is a splendid person, but cannot assign initiatives. He wants all the "serious" and "important" made by himself. In order to make him understand that with a little more freedom of movement you will become much more productive, you make the following:
- You begin with small things. Ask a small and relatively insignificant part of a project in which you can work alone. Choose something which you have the certainty that you can have it complete with success. Make sure also that in case where something goes wrong that wont place in danger the reputation of your boss.
- Establish detailed objectives. Make a list of objectives and draw a step by step plan for how you will complete them. Make sure that you will be the person in charge for the follow-up of the whole effort. Ask your manager when he wants to be informed and do it consequently. If he wants in between to check you, you refer in your program: "We agreed to give you a briefing every Friday, right now its not prepared, however i can assure you that we are moving according to the program". Reveal his real concerns: Before you take the project ask your boss: "What you worries the most? What precisely are you afraid that might go wrong?" This confrontation might force the "small" manager to admit that he does not fear something concrete, simply he has a more general perseverance that he would make the work better himself. Of course there is the chance to reveal to you a justified concern regarding the quality of your work. He may believe that you need to get more experienced before he begins assigning you big projects. If you discover what precisely causes his hesitation, only then you will also know how to face him.
How you face the "problematic" customer
Most customers are reasonable, normal people. Certain however can break your nerves, reach you to your limits. Many speak bad, ironically, with depreciatory tone of voice, or act as if you are to blaim for everything bad happens in their life. Angry customers get carried away sometimes so much that they forget that they have a living human being with feelings opposite them. You can very softly avoid the intense tone in the conversation saying the following: "Have i personally done something to upset you? I am willing to help you. Just give me the chance". This will make the attention of the customer be transported from you onto his problem. The phrase "give me the chance" works like magic. It is very rare to find a customer that you would not give you, even while complaining, the chance to help him. And often this usually is enough to calm down an angry customer.

Avoid the traps of competition

A lot of companies use the competition between the departments, between teams or even the workers so that they increase the productivity. In the enterprises prevails the opinion that the competitions are the most amusing way in order to achieve a goal. In sports for example, the teams "attack" each other and enjoy the competition. Why not this spirit of competition be transported in the work environment? The reason is simple. In sports, the rival teams are this precisely: opponents. No one expects them to collaborate or comport after the competition.
It is possible for in-business competitions to exist without harming the relations between the workers, only if someone anticipates the consequences from the negative side of competition. The method is the following:
- You limit the sizes. Do not rival for very big rewards. The competition will only be fun if the reward is fun. The workers will not destroy the relations they have built at work for a box of beers, they can however destroy them for a 1.000 Euro bonus!
- You rival in order to exceed the last sizes, eg. in order to to exceed the record of safety, an objective of sales or in order to improve the rates of satisfaction of the customer.
- You offer multiple rewards. If you put the workers in the game "the winner takes it all", many will automatically abandon the effort considering that they do not stand a chance of winining.

The wisdom of years

If 100 experienced managers are gathered and you ask them their advice, most likely they will not speak about complicated techniques or academic theories. On the contrary they will say some of the things below: "Do not fear the phrase "I dont know". If you do not know the answer, dont try to bluff. If you are to blaim, accept the responsibility. If you have made an error, apologize. A wise man once said: If you always say the truth, you never have to remember anything".
Dont gossip. If somebody wants to gossip with you, explain to him politely that you are not interested. It is right what they say in the enterprises that "when somebody gossip, two careers are hurt: the career of the person the gossip is about and the career of the person who started this".
None activity is inferior than you. Do not believe that you are above anything. Give the good example and give a helping hand, especially if it is something that no one wants to do.
Share the congratulations as often as you can. The managers that say "bravo" to everyone look stronger than those that keep them to themselves.
Aske for help. If you feel that you are drowning, then you are. So before the harm becomes not reversible, ask for help. Most people are glad when giving help.
Beside avoiding becoming ridicule, you gain a friend and an ally.
Keep your salary to yourself. Talking about your salary is a lost game. You will be distressed because someone else makes more than you or someone else will be distressed because of you.
When you do not like somebody, dont show him. Especially if you are in higher position. Never offend somebody as you go up in the hierarchy.
Forget it. Unfairnesses happen often. Things that should not have happened are happening. They do not give you the project you wanted, they pass you from the promotion you deserved. Be generous and diplomatic and move forward. Complaining wont help your career.

When you are right, dont brag. The only case you are allowed to use the phrase "I knew it" or "I told you so", is if somebody says to you "You were right, I could have manage this project!".