6 Keys To Improve Communication Between Bosses And Employees

What steps must be taken to properly correct a worker’s behavior?

“It’s one thing to be right and another to be right.” You may be right, but you won’t be right if you put it the wrong way. And therefore you will achieve the opposite of what you intend.

This statement is just as valid for an employee as it is for a manager.

In fact, it is a basic communication principle that must be taken into account when making a criticism or requesting a change in behavior.

The importance of communication and, more specifically, responding efficiently is fundamental both in private life and in work.

It depends on whether the person understands and can improve a behavior . Also, do not understand and get angry, even if you are not right.

Responding and doing it well is more of a science than an art.

As Benjamin Franklin said: “ Remember that it is not enough to say the right thing in the right place; it is still better to think about not saying the wrong thing at a tempting moment ”.

For both employees and bosses, knowing how to say things properly will save us from many problems and misunderstandings.

In fact, by following a series of small steps, we can greatly improve the efficiency of our communication. It is a communicative process that should be taken care of. Remember:

“He who knows how to think, but does not know how to express what he thinks, is on the same level as one who does not know how to think.”

Let’s see the steps to follow:

1. The place

If we are going to talk to a person, we need to find a suitable place for it. You should never recriminate anyone in front of other colleagues, and much less clients.

This directly damages the relationship between people, in addition to humiliating the partner, employee or boss. It is important to find a place that does not bother anyone, being convenient to silence the phone and reserve that time to be with the person with whom you want to have efficient communication.

Preparing what you want to say and the approach to follow is decisive. Abraham Lincoln said:

“Give me six hours to cut down a tree and I’ll spend the first four sharpening the ax.”

2. Rule: d I positive and negative messages

Rather than directly censoring the attitude, behavior, or results of a job, it is worth starting by highlighting positive aspects of the person.

For example: “Pablo, you’ve been working with us for 10 years and the company is delighted with you. You have led several projects with success and recognition, both from clients and from the company itself. However, in this last project the company has not been happy ”.

After giving positive feedback on their performance, we would focus on the attitude or behavior we want to change.

3. Facts, not judgments of intent

The attitude, the behavior that we want to change must be limited. In many discussions, generalizations are made, it is stereotyped: “you are always late”, “you do everything wrong”, “I don’t like how you work”, etc.

Limiting the behavior implies referring to concrete facts. Instead of saying “you are always late”, it should be indicated “on Monday you were 10 minutes late, on Tuesday the 15th and Thursday the 20th. Is that correct?”.

This way of approaching the problem, on concrete facts, avoids addressing the person in a global way. “You’re always late” is wrong and leads to discussion and deterioration of conversation and personal relationships.

However, exactly indicating the wrong behavior is not a matter of discussion.

4. Do you have a problem we can help you with?

We know the behavior, but we do not know the causes. Before venturing out, ask: “Have you had any problems?”, “Can we help you with something?

If it is conduct that has not occurred previously, there is likely reasonable cause.

The employee must be given the opportunity to explain himself. One answer we can get is: “Yes, the person who takes the children to the nursery has failed us and I have had to take them those three days. Already solved”.

It is important to listen to those who have developed the behavior we want to correct before making any decision. It is better to wait and prevent than to anticipate and have to apologize.

5. Correct the problem

Once the problem has been clarified, a change in behavior must be requested. And get him to commit to it.

“If it’s already solved, perfect. In any case, I would appreciate it if, if a situation like this occurs again, please let me know right away. Do you agree?”.

If the answer is yes, we have the problem solved. If the problem is more serious, there are different options:

A health problem for you or a close family member. You may be advised to apply for discharge until you recover.

A separation or divorce. Take him away from the project he’s on until he feels better If you need it, request the withdrawal. If the company offers advisory services, they must be made available to them.

6. Close the meeting

After agreeing on the solution, it is a good idea to close the meeting by making yourself available for any matter you need help with.

And your dedication and willingness to solve the problem is appreciated.

Many times we do not follow these simple steps, which are the key to success in interpersonal communication.

Following these guidelines will help resolve the situation that concerns us, save us further trouble, and help us improve the quality of our communication.

As Paul J. Meyer used to say: “Human communication is the key to personal and professional success.”