Before I Pen My Letter to The Graduate...

Before I Pen My Letter to The Graduate...

I Want to Discuss This Pre-Post About Leadership Management & Effective Communication

Here's my response and review to the article/conversation of managing without effective communication. It is hurtful to good employees. Here's the link to the article and see my response below. Graduates, seasoned employees and those just entering in the workforce want to develop effective communication skills and create a toolbox for doing so. Communication is so essential these days but being able to communicate about the priorities and challenges of your job is crucial. https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/signs-youre-on-thin-ice-at-work/

This is a great article for HR and SHRM to discuss with regard to talent management. It is also a great article to discuss with employees or task groups in the organization when discussing what professional growth looks like. I guarantee every professional development meeting and conference at the job-site or away from the job has an agenda about effective communication.

 I'm always concerned when being a "professional" 9a-5p is a matter of discord. You have to be careful that the priorities of good management and effective communication have not become a personal benefit and replaced the professional benefit on the job. Meaning, when I like you I’m a good manager but when there is a challenge I’m off the clock as a boss.

When employees assume positions their first priority is what they were hired to do.  KSA’s and actual work completed are the priorities that you go over with your boss or superior. The communication tools of a boss is essential because it can be detrimental to workplace growth and morale if managers are not good communicators when it matters most. It matters most on the job not after the work day is over. It is passive aggressive when the boss is said to be only engaging with you during work but not after work because there is a problem. That means their lack of communication is personal and if you add bad communicator to the mix that is even worse. It does create complexity on the job but a skilled worker still should be able to discuss their work and their priorities. It is unfair if the employee is an effective communicator with a professional tool box to address challenges. 

“If your boss doesn’t engage in conversation with you outside of strictly business, it could be a sign they are getting ready to get rid of you." That sounds like a violation against the employee. The on the job communication is most important. Happy Hour and First Fridays might be nice for work bonding but camaraderie should also be a goal "on the job". If a manager is not equipped to talk about goals and tasks met and what may need to be done differently and the outcomes of efforts while pleased or not, then a performance review is not legitimate. They are grading performance strictly on personal relationship and not professional outcomes, growth and job functions met and skillset utilized etc... It sort of says good performance review if I like as a friend and bad performance review if we are not friends. Excuse me. Friendship but we might not be able to work with our best buds on the job. Great if it happens but professionals can be amicable and disagree in with relationships in tact as well. If it's too personal all you have is "I like you and things are good" and when that is absent then what? Ummm where is management leadership?

Management Leadership is important but in absence thereof a good employee can be harmed because you want something more than 9a-5p when you have not even perfected or made good on the 9a-5p agreement. This article does provide food for thought! Good employees can be harmed by managers who are not effective communicators and make their shortcomings an obstacle for the employee to overcome. It does create an opportunity for the employee to have lots of teachable moments and the ability to develop leadership skills from the bottom up. Those skillsets come at a cost to a good employee because you are unfairly faced with your job being threatened. However, the leadership gained can be exactly was is needed and beneficial in the next career opportunity.

I typed this quite fast and may have some typos. I will proof read again in a few days. But I think it is a worthy conversation to be hard. The above is my review and discussion. What is yours? Share and post a link so I can read.

Make it a great day and summer!!!
https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/signs-youre-on-thin-ice-at-work/