Tag Archives: Confirm

How Do You Improve Communication and People Management Skills? Three Points

Situation: As his company grows and adds new employees, a CEO wants to improve his skills working with employees as well as managing time when employees come to him with suggestions or issues. Occasionally there is confusion between what is said and how his directions are interpreted. How do you improve communication and people management skills?

Advice from the CEOs:

  • How can one improve conversational skills when meeting others, breaking the ice and establishing a conversational relationship?
    • The easiest way is to ask benign questions. How was your weekend? How are you doing? Actively listen to what they say.
    • Remember their responses. Probe more deeply to prompt them to go into more detail. Show an interest in them. Most people love to talk about themselves and their experiences.
    • If they in return ask about you, give them a pleasant but brief response, and return with a question about them. This is like a tennis volley – keep on returning the ball.
    • The important point is to show an interest in others, and to improve the ability to recall what they have shared. Don’t cross personal boundary lines of what is “too personal.” Others will appreciate this attention and will warm to you.
  • If the concern is confirming understanding, start by repeating what you hear and confirm your understanding before responding.
  • Some individuals come into the office, plant themselves in a seat and just chat to waste time.
    • When one of these individuals comes into your office, stand to greet them with a smile and a friendly question of how you can help them. Do not sit down. Remain standing as long as they are in your office. This will naturally shorten the conversation and prevents them from “settling in.”
    • When you stand up, smile and greet them with a friendly question you are not putting them off. In fact, you are giving them more attention than they have received in the past. As a result, while preventing them from settling in, this is being done in a way that shows them respect.

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How Do You Improve Communication Skills? Four Strategies

Situation: A CEO wants advice on how to strengthen his communication skills. In particular, he is concerned that occasionally his direction of subordinates is misunderstood. What are the best techniques to communicate clearly and assure that the other party understands not only the direction given, but responds positively to the way that direction is given? How do you improve your communication skills?

Advice from the CEOs:

  • When Delegating equals Empowering, this immediately eases communications.
    • In part because the empowered employee will be more at ease talking and working with the person who delegates.
    • A quick read – The One Minute Manager by Kenneth Blanchard – provides excellent techniques for communicating effectively with subordinates.
  • Before concluding any conversation involving the delegation of a task or responsibility, make sure that both the delegator and the person delegated to repeat back their understanding of the task/responsibility and what is to be accomplished.
    • When a subordinate provides information, say “Let me be sure that I understand you. What I heard was _______. Did I understand you correctly?
    • This helps assure both parties that understanding is mutual.
  • When assigning a task or responsibility to another take one of three tacks:
    • “So that we are on the same page, please repeat for me your understanding of the (task/responsibility) and the deliverables.”
    • “Based on our discussion, what do you see as the next steps? When do you anticipate that you will be able to complete them?”
    • (After the individual has demonstrated that you both have the same understanding, or any discrepancies in understanding have been cleared up) “Thanks, would you please send me an email documenting this?”
  • If a documentation hand-off is involved, go back to the broad task or objective. Ask for their understanding of what is to be accomplished and when this will be done.

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How Do You Enhance Teamwork and Leadership? Six Suggestions

Situation: A CEO wants to enhance teamwork and improve leadership at all levels within the company. Occasionally there is an attitude of “not my job” in response to a request. Differences in direction from leadership within the company has led to confusion of priorities. A common issue is the need to assure that priorities are aligned and consistently communicated across teams and the organization. How do you keep everybody on the same page? How do you enhance teamwork and leadership?

Advice from the CEOs:

  • Conduct daily and/or weekly meetings to assure that everyone is aligned and on message. This has the additional advantage of bubbling up more ideas from deeper down in the organization.
  • Develop clear action items within these meetings. Confirm at least verbal understanding and agreement on each item.
  • Involve all team members in team meetings. Enforce participation.
  • As facilitator, take charge of the meetings.
    • Reduce long, drawn-out meetings to short, concise meetings.
    • Prep ahead of the meeting – let all participants know that they are expected to come prepared as well.
    • Stay on focus during the meetings.
    • At the end of important discussions, and again at the end of the meeting, summarize action items and responsibilities, and confirm understanding.
  • Other things that help:
    • Reduce the use of buss words during meetings. Speak in language that all understand.
    • Speak in terms of outcomes, not tasks. If the discussion is derailed, refocus on outcomes.
  • This works effectively in meetings with all levels of employees.

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