By Steve M. Cohen bio
I’m sometimes amused by the constant flow of management tips, tricks and cure-alls that parade through media aimed at managers.
Most of these ideas are not bad and some are even excellent. But I’m frequently moved to suggest that the first thing most managers should try is simply talking and listening to their staff.
I realize that’s not easy and a big reason is that most precious of commodities: time. But by budgeting a few minutes a week to engage in conversation with a worker or two, most managers will reap benefits that more than equal the cost.
You’ll gain valuable insight
One benefit is that you can often gain valuable insight into some of the biggest challenges hurting your office efficiency.
Most staff members are more than familiar with the biggest problems around their workplace. Especially in their immediate area, they are almost certain to have more knowledge of workflow or process problems and ideas to fix them than you ever will.
If the manager doesn’t take time and extend a welcome to learn this information, it’s management’s loss and the business will almost certainly not be as efficient as it could be.
Sure, you will get some unusable or unhelpful suggestions, but the “good stuff” will make even this worthwhile.
You’ll increase engagement
There’s another benefit as well. By showing your staff you are willing to spend a little time listening and communicating, you are almost certain to see a growth in something every office needs more of: engagement. And engagement is a key ingredient of establishing and maintaining a high-functioning office.
This is not a small or peripheral issue. A national management consultant has noted that only some 25 percent of employees are engaged in most workplaces. The rest are disengaged and apathetic or even working against the organization.
However, when management is accessible and sharing its time and attention, more people can be encouraged to join the engaged group.
It’s a rare “two-fer:” by taking time to talk, you gain info about the office and you incentivize your staff at the same time.
This is not something new and actually relates to a core element of human nature. When people lack opportunities to have some kind of legitimate say in what happens in their work, they tend to become apathetic. They realize that no one at work cares about their opinion, so they stop caring about work. Though not as dramatic, it’s not unlike someone experiencing continuous, unrelenting stress. They retreat into cocoon of detachment simply to protect themselves. It’s not good for them, and it’s not good for the office! It’s much better if you spend a few minutes talking and listening.
Conclusion
Certainly you’ll need to develop a few tricks to help steer conversations to relevant topics or to minimize opinion as opposed to legitimate observation.
But with a little effort, taking time to communicate with your office staff is likely to become the best part of your week. It almost certainly will improve the office.
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