Page 163 - How Great Leaders Build Abundant Organizations That Win

THE WHY OF WORK

Two-way communication helps employees both see where
the company is headed and contribute to its success. They
know they have the ear of those shaping that agenda, and
they are empowered to help. For example, Sony regularly
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encourages employees to offer suggestions for improvement
and seeks to implement over 90 percent of the ideas. Do
workers in your company have the opportunity for this kind
of impact? When employees have easy access to those who
enact policies and procedures and their ideas are routinely
implemented, they not only help the company succeed but
know too that they are making a difference to that success.
Affect implies that information has emotional appeal.
One way information becomes memorable and impactful
is for leaders to share personal feelings or stories about the
information. The leader described earlier who shared her
plan over and over also talked about how it would affect her
and others and shared her feelings about the intent and ben-
efits of the plan. She shared stories to help employees realize
that her commitment was not passive and that the plan had
real consequences in people’s lives.
Communication that is redundant, two-way, and affec-
tively rich helps shape a positive work environment in which
people know they matter and are motivated to contribute to
the whole.

9. Attitude Toward Conflict:
Run and Hide Versus Run Into

Wendy is affectionately known in our family as “conflict
averse.” She hates political talk shows, resists correcting
employees, and hopes that if she ignores a conflict it will

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