WORDSMITH'S TOOLBOX
Being
able to use the right words for the right occasion, writing or saying them correctly
in the proper context...it's a skill that anyone
aspiring to be a "better communicator" must learn to acquire and constantly,
improve on. As the line in that popular song, "Words", by the
Bee Gees says: "It's only words, and words are all I have to take your
heart away....", the right words are the key to bridging that
communication gap and bringing people closer and working well with each other.
So, from our wordsmith's toolbox, here are some tips on
how we can make "words work for us".....
Questions to Aid Delegating.
Answering these questions will help
you separate the jobs you should keep for yourself from those you can hand off
to employees:
"What do I do?" List
all the tasks and duties that are your responsibility. You can do this by the
day, week or month.
"Does everything I've listed require my personal attention?" To answer
this, ask these questions about each item: "What skills are needed?" "Is
this a confidential matter that only I should deal with?" "Am I the only
one with the information needed to do the job?" "Is this a task top management
would prefer that I take care of?"
"Which of the responsibilities on my list can my employees handle?"
"Would it be worth the time it would take to trains employees to tackle
some of the items on my list?"
Note: Scan your list
for repetitive tasks that you find yourself doing every week or every month.
In most cases, the time it takes to train employees to do such tasks will pay
off many times over.
Source: Egos & Eggshells:
Managing for success in Today's Workplace, by Margot Robinson, Greensboro,
NC 27420
Signals That Say "I Hear You'
You'll understand others better if
you remember and use these active listening skills:
Send two kinds of signals: "welcoming" - a smile, direct eye contact
- and "attention" - nods and "hmms."
Avoid barriers, such as looking away, shifting objects or answering a
phone.
Use occasional probing questions. Examples: "What else should
I know about this?" "Why is this so important?" "How did that happen?"
Offer encouraging statements. Examples: "That's a powerful
idea." "I can tell you've thought about this a lot." "I'd like to
know more."
Confirm by paraphrasing what you've heard. Examples: "So
you're saying the situation is...", "So what happened was that..."
"If I understand you right, you're saying..."
Source: Secrets of Breakthrough
Leadership, by Peter Capezio and Debra Morehouse, Franklin Lakes, NJ07417.
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