Page 100 - Becoming a Successful Manager

Listening—Really Listen and You Will Hear More than Words 91

what turns them off and what turns them on, and by identifying
the interpersonal dynamics of the members of your staff, you will
become keenly aware of the most positive and productive ways to
promote communication. Because communication is a two-way

street, you need to be sure the “traffi c” flows both ways.

Building a Communication Bridge

As a manager, you must create a communication bridge between
you and the people who report to you. The purpose of this bridge
is for you to connect with each of your employees and for them to
connect with you. If you convey the attitude that you care enough
about your employees to really listen to them, you can solidify a
two-way connection that is mutually rewarding.
Unfortunately, building such a bridge is easier said than done.
The problem is that people communicate all the time on three lev-
els: by what they say, by how they say it, and by what they do when
they say it. Obviously, in a virtual environment, since you can’t see
what they do, you need to focus even more on the fi rst two levels.
Let’s be clear about what is meant by communication. Com-
munication is anything, verbal or nonverbal, that imparts infor-
mation, thoughts, or feelings. Effective communication between
you and your employees occurs when your intended messages and
their received messages are essentially the same.
For example, suppose you call an employee’s attention to a
weakness and then suggest how it can be corrected. If the person
receives your message (your constructive criticism) as a gift, your
communication is effective. If instead the employee reacts defen-
sively and reads your comment as an attack, your communication
is not effective and, therefore, must be modifi ed.