THE FIVE RS OF PRIVATE COMMUNICATION
The purpose of this chapter is to dissipate your fears about private communication and demonstrate that you can and should use the technique frequently and comfortably. It requires no magic. You can start right away without fear or misgivings if you understand and use the following principles. They are known as the five Rs of private communication:
…the Right purpose, the Right time, the Right place, the Right approach, and the Right techniques.
Once you learn these principles, private communication will become one of your most important supervisory tools.
The Right Purpose
Private communication as presented in this chapter should be used only for the specific purposes presented in the following list. The supervisor must not exploit the techniques to pry into employees' lives or for other nonbusiness purposes.
To strengthen, maintain, or restore a working relationship between you and one of your employees. The primary job of the supervisor is to keep relationships healthy, and private communication is the best tool for this task. It should be used, however, only when the break in the relationship has caused a drop in productivity. Let's look at Mr. K as an example.
Supervisor Joe asked Mr. K to work overtime on Friday night. In the process, Mr. K was not given a chance to reply that he had promised to take his son to a scholarship banquet. Afterward, Mr. K said nothing, but his attitude changed and his productivity dropped. In talking privately with Mr. K, Joe was able to find out what was wrong, apologize, and restore the relationship.
To motivate employees to achieve greater productivity. Private communication can sometimes help a new employee bring productivity up to standard or help more experienced employees increase their productivity. In other words, employees can be motivated to improve through the counseling process. Supervisor Joe's communication with Ricardo shows how private communication can work to motivate.
Ricardo had done an excellent job for four months as a part-time employee. Then he started arriving late, making mistakes, and otherwise interrupting the smooth operation of the department. Supervisor Joe moved in with a fifteen-minute counseling session. He discovered that Ricardo had been so involved with a personal problem that he had lost sight of his goal, which was to earn enough money to finish college. As a result of the discussion with Supervisor Joe, Ricardo was able to focus on his goal and his part-time job became important again. His productivity was soon back up to its normal level.
To resolve personality conflicts. Working relationships between two employees in the same department can sometimes deteriorate, causing emotional conflicts and a drop in productivity. In order to protect both the department and other employees, it is sometimes wise for a supervisor to move in with counseling. The following incident is a case in point.
Mrs. R had made the mistake of badgering Mrs. Q about her productivity, and Mrs. Q had reacted by sulking and letting her productivity drop below standard. Supervisor Joe heard the rumble and invited Mrs. R to talk it over. The basis for the approach was that he was responsible for Mrs. Q's productivity and that Mrs. R (because of her maturity and ability) should take the initiative (with Joe's help) to restore the injured relationship. The repair work took time and required much outside support from Joe, but this approach worked.
To discipline or terminate an employee. Typically in an organization's disciplinary procedure, the first step is usually called a counseling session. Skillful counseling is the best possible tool to use in correcting employee violations of rules, procedures, or policies. It is a sensitive task to discipline others, but when it must be done, it requires a private setting to ensure that others do not overhear the discussion. Supervisor Joe used this technique effectively to correct one bad habit and enabled Mrs. Q to save face.
Mrs. Q was socializing too much with other employees, overstaying her coffee breaks, and discussing nonbusiness matters over the telephone with other employees. Supervisor Joe was inclined to be tolerant until he noticed that her activities were affecting the productivity of others. Then he invited Mrs. Q into what became a twenty-minute counseling session. Joe stated his concerns quickly but was careful not to show any hostility. He also gave Mrs. Q a chance to defend some of her actions. The period ended with a positive exchange by both parties. After two weeks, Joe was pleased with the way Mrs. Q had curtailed her socializing.
Counseling is also the best approach when the supervisor must terminate someone. Companies are subject to federal EEOC laws and should adopt a disciplinary procedure. In cases where the company is accused of wrongful discharge or discrimination, the disciplinary procedure is reviewed by the courts. The company not having one is flirting with a lawsuit. A counseling session involving termination is never easy, of course, but when handled properly, it can substantially help the employee, the supervisor, and the company.
Due to a cutback in staff, Joe was forced to terminate an employee some months ago. Rather than handle it on a cold, one-way basis, Joe took the time to discuss the situation at length with the employee in a counseling environment and then provided the individual with a good reference, as well as other assistance. The employee left the company in a better frame of mind, and, of course, Joe felt better too.
Orientation. Orienting new employees is an excellent time to engage in private communication. Many supervisors set up a formal orientation period with new employees during the first day on the job, at the end of the first week, and at the end of the first month to help them adjust more fully and make it through the probationary period successfully. It is imperative that the supervisor orient a new employee. Turnover rates, job-related accidents, and satisfaction are strongly correlated to orientation. The better the orientation, the higher the satisfaction and the lower the turnover and accidents will be. The supervisor should not delegate orientation to another employee nor assume that the company's human resources department has done the job. The supervisor is accountable for introducing new employees to co-workers, for showing them around, for covering things such as where to eat, where the restrooms are located, when breaks are taken, starting and quitting times, when payday comes around, and so on. Company policies and procedures that affect the new employee's work should also be thoroughly covered during orientation. The supervisor should prepare an orientation manual containing pertinent information, frequently asked questions, and important phone numbers to call. The new employee can then refer to it as needed. The orientation process is discussed thoroughly in Chapter 12.
The Right Time
Because private communication is always a sensitive process, the timing (usually under the control of the supervisor) is vitally important to a successful outcome. If the timing is right, the results can be excellent. If the timing is wrong, little may be accomplished. Here are four suggestions that should help you choose the right time.
Do not intervene until you are sure it is necessary. Every employee has a few bad days or a temporary struggle with his or her attitude. Use private communication only after an employee's productivity has shown a downward trend over a period of time. You do not want to jump too early nor allow too long a time to elapse before confronting the situation. Premature intervention can do more harm than good.
Remember that certain times of the day are not conducive to counseling. Peak activity periods, just before lunch, and just before the end of the day (when employees may be anxious to get home or meet appointments) are not the most suitable. Also, try to avoid periods when the employee may be upset emotionally, unless the cause of the upset is the reason for the counseling.
Do not set up a private communication session too far in advance. If you invite an employee to meet you in your office at 2:00 P.M. when it is only 10:00 A.M., he or she has four hours to worry and get upset and probably will produce at a lower rate. In almost all cases, it is better to set a time with either a short gap or none at all.
The Right Place
Having the right place for private communication can be more important than you think. It is almost impossible to do successful stand-up counseling or to accomplish much in a noisy place with frequent distractions. The ideal situation, of course, is a private office. Some supervisors, however, must settle for less. One solution is coffee-break counseling, provided that outsiders do not interfere. Another alternative is to make arrangements to use somebody else's office or a vacant room.
The Right Approach
The major reason supervisors back away from problem counseling is that they are afraid of the first hurdle, the approach. They think about it and plan it, but not knowing how to take the first step prevents them from executing their plans. At least four primary fears cause this hesitation:
Fear of saying the wrong thing at the beginning, thereby causing an unpleasant confrontation.
Fear of invading the employee's privacy.
Fear of opening up a hornet's nest of other problems.
Fear of being disliked by the employee.
Most of these fears are not substantiated by fact. Employees like to talk to their supervisors, even about unpleasant matters. Employees do not always resent being disciplined, if it is done in the right way, and often admit that help was needed, even though they would not ask for it.
To get past these fears, supervisors need a formula or procedure to follow. The following procedure is suggested if you have a difficult employee problem to face:
1. |
Invite the person into your office or other designated place without advance notice, eliminating time to build fears and create a threatening climate. |
2. |
Start the conversation quickly, and do not beat around the bush. Try saying something like this: “We have something important to talk about; we will both benefit if we get at it.” |
3. |
State facts only. Do not make accusations. Try to keep a calm, pleasant, subdued voice. Encourage the employee to talk. Do not rush. |
As you develop your own formula, one that fits your personality, you will find that it is not difficult to launch even a potentially unpleasant session.
The Right Technique
The two basic types of private communication are directive and nondirective. Using the directive technique, the supervisor does most of the talking and draws a rather firm line on the direction the interview will take. Although the supervisor should use this approach in a gentle and quiet manner (constructive private communication ends when an argument begins), the employee should sense that advice or direction is being given. Communication in these sessions is mostly from the supervisor to the employee. This technique is usually considered best for the following situations:
When a violation of company rules or policies has occurred.
When mistakes need to be corrected.
When employee hostility (toward you, others, or the company) has reached a stage where it can no longer be tolerated.
Nondirective private communication is almost the opposite. The supervisor does less talking and encourages the employee to communicate more. It is a soft approach designed to bring hidden problems out into the open or to set a climate for free and constructive discussion on any matter important to the employee. The permissive, unstructured, or open type of counseling is often therapeutic and provides motivation for the employee. It is the only technique to use for positive communication when no problem exists; it is considered the best approach for the following situations:
When an employee appears to have lost her or his touch or positive attitude over a sustained period of time, resulting in lower productivity.
When you want to strengthen or restore a relationship.
When you feel you can motivate an employee to achieve greater productivity.