Image by Adam Zubek-Nizol
Poor communication results in managerial dysfunction and vice versa. That often happens because a significant number of workers is mistakenly promoted into management.
You’ve heard of The Peter Principle, right? That’s when people rise to their level of incompetence.
The late University of Southern California professor and author Laurence J. Peter also theorized about what he called “percussive sublimation.”
He said people are promoted to get them out of the way of high-performing workers.
When, actually, they should be demoted to their level of competence.
Two basic shortcomings of unsuccessful managers:
- They simply don’t understand human nature and how to communicate with employees.
- So many people don’t receive adequate professional management training or they don’t receive any at all.
Four ways new managers typically misfire in communication:
1. They don’t correctly address attitude problems among their employees. For instance, there are common traits among employees who are likely to quit — even those who are secretive about their plans. Managers often don’t know when they’re losing employees.
2. They don’t adequately follow organization policies or direction from their supervisors. That’s one reason why they don’t or can’t market HR-policy changes to employees.
3. Because of a lack of authority with peer managers, many fail to use persuasive tactics to resolve problems. Savvy employers know poor communication skills hamper efficiency so they continually strive to improve communication.
4. Open communication is not used to issue directives to their staff – employees perform better when directives are explained well and they feel empowered. Companies succeed when they power their brand with employee empowerment.
Solutions for management communication:
1. Managers must effectively deal with know-it-all workers.
2. They need to motivate shy people who aren’t assertive even if they have good ideas.
3. They need to motivate employees, especially those who only view their tasks at the end of their nose and simply follow orders – no matter what the consequences are.
4. Managers need good listening and communication skills, especially with employees who are competent with good ideas and performance.
5. They need to hold productive meetings to improve team performance.
6. The best managers create a positive environment with values, morals and ethics. That includes encouraging the expression of ideas from their workers. They also need to be assertive in managing disagreements.
So how to achieve these goals? The prescription: Adequate professional training, the manager finding a good mentor and in self study. New managers will be successful if they master these tips.
From the Coach’s Corner, related management content:
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21 Tips to Avoid the Dark Side of Management — News headlines from Seattle to New York are cause for some serious head slapping when it comes to managing employees. Here’s how to avoid HR troubles.
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Sales Management: Motivate Your Staff in 10 Seconds — All too-often when sales managers are busy, they’re task-oriented. Not to be critical, but they’re focused only on what’s at the end of their noses.
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“So much of what we call management consists in making it difficult for people to work.”
-Peter Drucker
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