2013-01-29 09:25
One of my clients told me of a time where he had a problem employee. He increased his feedback to his employee, telling him if he didn't shape up, he'd be let go. The employee never improved.
So one day, this manager called the employee into the room to tell him he was fired. The employee was shocked.
Maybe the employee thought I'd be let go to another department or I'd be let go to another position, or finally - I'll be let go and away from this manager I can't stand!
Whether it was denial, ignorance, hearing what we want to hear - we all have 
been on the employee side of this. I know I have - with peers, friends and family. Especially family!
And as managers our best attempts to be clear can still lead to different conclusions then what we were communicating. Are there any guarantees to get the communication right?
But there are steps you can take to minimize miscommunication. They can include making sure you understand what you are comfortable saying and not saying, getting your employees (or the person you're communicating to) to repeat back what they heard, and following up if this is something which will go over a period of time.
When I accept my best and obvious communications can still be designer bags received in a way I didn't attend:
I try to be more specific in precarious situationsI listen and observe more after the conversation to see if anything has changedI stop before I talk to think (and even write) things throughThe brilliance of communications is its up to so much interpretation and creativity. And therein lays the challenge as well.
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Howard Miller teaches management skills to new managers, seasoned managers, entrepreneurs and executives. He is on the faculty of AMA (American Management Association) and teaches courses including Skills for New Managers, Increasing Managerial Effectiveness, and Successfully Managing People). Topics include delegation and motivation methodologies, conflict, how to deal with difficult people, understanding values and behavior, feedback and listening skills.
Clients include mid-range to large companies such as the IRS, Blue Cross Blue Shield, IBM, state government, public school districts, and non profit organizations.
