A MONTHLY SUPPLEMENT OF RAKAN SARAWAK BULLETIN

(People, events, activities and programmes which make for a total quality-managed Sarawak Civil Service)

ISSN 1394-5726

 
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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 works are the key to bridging well with each other. So, from our wordsmith's toolbox, here are some tips on how we can made "works work for us"....

Upward Communication - Feedback for Your Boss
 
When you have to say something your boss would rather not hear you can have off a defensive reaction with these approaches:

  • Open with a statement that shows respect and reminds the boss about the value of honesty. Example: "I respect what you're trying to do, and I'm sure you want an honest assessment."
  • Link what you say to the impact the boss's behavior or policy will have on what the boss values. Example: "I feel that what you plan to do will affect your peers' opinion of you. May I explain why?"
  • Share an experience you've had that relates to the boss's situation. Example: "I understand what you're facing because I had an experience just like this. I even reacted in the same way."
  • Resort to bluntness if the boss's mind seems closed to a dissenting view. Example: "I have something to say that you may not want to hear, but this is way you need to let me say it." Follow this by listing potential negative consequences either for the boss or the organization.
Source: The Courageous  follower: Standing Up to and for Our Leaders by Ira Chaleff, San Francisco, CA 94111.
 

An ethics test for decisions
 
Check the "rightness" of your decisions with this adaptation of clergyman Harry Emerson Fosdick's "Six-Point Test":

  • "Based on the facts, does what you've decided to do seem logical and reasonable?"
  • "If another person decided the same thing, would you still see the actions as right?"
  • "How do you think others will view your decision?"
  • "What would the person you most admire do in this situation?"
  • "Will you still think you did the right thing 10 years from now?"


Source: Randy Pennington, President, Pennington Performance Group, Dallas, UT 84605  

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