Communication with Managers
When you think of a Managers, you probably think of your immediate boss. However, in the workplace, most people have several supervisors. Your workplace might be divided into teams, departments or divisions. Within each level, there is a supervisor to whom you are accountable, even if you do not deal with that person on a day-to-day basis. Company executives, board members and supervisors can also be considered Managers
because they might have the power to make decisions regarding your employment, salary, promotions, and work assignments.
It is important to communicate effectively with all of your Managers and your colleagues to maintain an efficient workplace and to be able to promote your own ideas for improvements.
Qualities of an effective Managers
Effective Managers share an important quality—the desire to serve their employees. Competent Managers realize that it is their job to keep things operating smoothly in the workplace. To ensure this occurs, they listen to suggestions and follow through when possible. Communicating with this type of Manager is usually easy because such supervisors maintain an open-door policy.
Types of ineffective Managers
Unfortunately, many Managers allow some particular aspect of their personalities to affect their interactions with employees, which hinders effective communication. The following are five types of ineffective Managers:
- Bully
- Guilt tripper
- Blamer
- Dreamer
- Emotional volcano
Bully
Bullies bask in their own authority. They will most likely use body language to suggest superiority, such as crossed arms and peering over eyeglasses.
Threats are a key component of the bully’s communication style. A bully often uses phrases such as, “You’d better get that done” or “I need this done right now.”
To communicate with the bully boss or your colleagues, it is important to remind yourself that this person is human and should not be regarded fearfully. Also, find a way to compliment the bully.
By complimenting your Managers, you’ll feel more powerful and less intimidated when the supervisor tries to bully you
Guilt tripper
Managers who use guilt trips to motivate employees are using a passive-aggressive style of supervising. For example, they might say that they do not mind staying late while everyone else goes home, but their body language tells a different story. Rather than asking directly for help, the guilt tripper will attempt to earn pity to get a specific response, such as getting an employee to stay late to work on a special project.
When dealing with guilt trippers, first establish what they are asking you to do. Determine if the task is as pressing as the guilt tripper would like you to believe. If she is being unreasonable, and you have a legitimate excuse for not immediately working on the guilt tripper’s task, use it. However, the best way to communicate with a guilt tripper is to make definite plans to help your supervisor at a time that is convenient for both of you.
By doing so, both you and the guilt tripper will feel satisfied that the job is going to get done in a timely fashion, and you’ll have responded in a way that demonstrates a team effort.
Blamer
Some Managers respond with blame when errors are discovered. Should you encounter a blamer, it is important to focus on the facts of the situation. Your goal is not to establish fault, but to understand what can be done to remedy the situation. Be willing to accept responsibility for the situation. However, accepting responsibility is not the same thing as accepting blame. Accepting responsibility conveys an attitude of
Willingness to resolve the situation without focusing on who is at fault. Above all, remain calm. Do not feed into the anger or anxiety of the blamer.
Dreamer
At some point in your career, you might encounter a Manager who is a dreamer. This supervisor not only has many ideas, but also has complete confidence in himself. The dreamer is likely to come up with a new idea every week and expects full support from his employees. Communicating with a dreamer can be tricky because you do not want
to neglect an idea that might be profitable for your company; however, it would be too time consuming and inefficient to act on each of the dreamer’s suggestions. When the dreamer presents a new idea to you, first determine the logistics of the situation. Determine what priority your supervisor wants to give this project. Then, give yourself some time to review it in private. Make a list of questions to ask your supervisor about the idea’s feasibility.
For example, you might ask your supervisor to explain cost projections, marketability, or industry impact. While it should not be your intention to shoot down new ideas, you need to make sure that each idea is workable before it becomes your project and your potential failure.
Emotional volcano
The emotional volcano reacts to fear and frustration through yelling, ranting, and fist pounding. This Manager thinks that she can motivate employees through fear.
Unfortunately, this behavior often motivates employees to look for a new job. If you find yourself dealing with an emotional volcano, try to identify what is motivating your supervisor to react in an emotional way. For example, an emotional volcano who is worried about your supervisor own upcoming performance review might get angry during your performance review.
Understanding the cause of the supervisor’s emotions will help you communicate with your supervisor because you’ll realize that you are not the true target of your supervisor emotions.
Another important point to keep in mind when communicating with an emotional volcano is to avoid telling your Manager to calm down. Nobody likes to be told what emotions to feel, so telling someone to calm
down is more likely to increase your Managers rage than not. You should set an example by remaining calm. Use language that promotes a team effort to work through the situation. Above all, never let yourself get involved in a shouting match.
Handling feedback
If you find yourself on the receiving end of positive feedback, begin your acceptance with a simple “thank you.” Express your regard for your Manager and explain why the compliment is important to you.
If anybody should share in the positive feedback, be sure to tell your Manager so that your colleagues can be recognized.
Unfortunately, not all feedback from your supervisor will necessarily be positive. If you are the recipient of constructive feedback, take the opportunity to learn from the situation. Ask your supervisor which areas you can work on to improve your performance. Listen to everything your supervisor has to say rather than acting defensively or trying to shift the blame to others. If you feel that the criticism is unjust, try to understand how your supervisor has perceived the situation. Keep in mind that
perception varies from person to person. Perhaps your performance has been outstanding but your supervisor has not been made aware of your achievements. If you cannot find anything to change about your performance, make an effort to open the lines of communication with your supervisor and be your own cheerleader.
Your supervisor cannot reward you for a superior effort if he or she is unaware of your accomplishments
dealing your managers styles will increase the chances to feel self esteem and self confidence at workplace and handling any critical situation nevertheless your productivity will skyrocket.
Check these articles:
Dealing with Your Collages at Workplace
Are You Emotionally Intelligent! Easy Steps to Cultivate Your Emotional Intelligence, Read to Know.
5 Easy Powerful Steps to Acquire Skills!
How to Stay Motivated: 6 Steps to Be Self-Motivated
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