Page 108 - Becoming a Successful Manager

Listening—Really Listen and You Will Hear More than Words 99

For example, Zack could best be described as a star employee.

He typically is the fi rst person in the office and usually stays after
normal hours. It’s not just a matter of putting in time that makes
him valuable to the department but also his attitude toward his
responsibilities, which is, in essence, “Good enough is not good

enough for me; I want my work to reflect my own high standards
and best efforts.” Furthermore, he readily volunteers to help co-
workers when they have a problem. In all, he is an outstanding
asset to the department.
Should those conscientious efforts be taken for granted? Of
course not! If you do so, you risk losing a valuable employee. An
appropriate acknowledgment of your employee’s conscientious
contributions to your department would be a simple and effective
means of building employee loyalty. An additional acknowledg-
ment might be to take the employee out to lunch or a similar act
to show him your appreciation for his contributions above and
beyond the call of duty. Saying thank you and expressing your
appreciation of employees’ efforts will go a long way in building a
satisfied and productive workforce.

Principle 3: Be Genuine

Whether you are acknowledging negative or positive nonverbal
behavior, the primary attitude that must come through is, “I gen-
uinely care about you as a person as well as in your role as a pro-
ductive member of our department.”
All of us like to feel that we are appreciated for who we are as
well as for what we do. We communicate who we are by our physi-
cal expressions, physical demeanor, and written communications.
But it is not always clear to others what is going on inside. If you
sense negative nonverbal behavior, a simple comment such as,
“I sense that something is bothering you” or “Seems as if you’re