Imagine that an employee has been late to several team meetings in a row. To paint that picture clearly, a manager must juxtapose two pieces of information for an employee to visualize. Positioning those two pieces of information together, using specifics, enables an employee to see the difference between his performance and what is expected or what others are doing. Although you did not single out the employee, you made it clear at the last meeting that you expected everyone to be on time. First, he or she has to paint a mental picture for an employee that there is a difference between what is expected and what the employee is doing.

The audit is a systematic approach that forces an organization to look at what it is really doing as opposed to what it believes it is doing. You thought you said one thing but when you check you find that a totally different message was actually received. Every aspect of communication provides another piece of the jigsaw and, once this is complete, you have the basis for an evaluation. Is the message clear? Is the medium for transmitting it appropriate? Has the recipient actually received it? If so, has it been understood? Has it had the desired effect? Does the recipient have a channel for feedback? Can the recipient understand how to provide the feedback? The old metaphor of the Chinese whisper holds true. Communicating is a complex process with potential pitfalls at each stage.

Employees who worked productively before the organizational change may be unproductive after the change is implemented. Another way to handle resistant employees was colorfully stated when I delivered my Absolutely Fabulous Organizational Change? presentation at a company's management retreat. But, we will shoot the dissenters!". They recognized the wisdom of what they heard. Every manager in my workshop remained silent for a few moments.

To the productive and well-managed company, this is as important as its advertising. This article may be republished in ezines, newsletters, and on web sites provided attribution is provided to the author, and it appears with the included copyright, resource box and live web site link. Email notice of intent to publish is appreciated but not required. Now, wouldn't you rather have a well-oiled, highly motivated individual functioning at his (or her) maximum potential on your team. When you maximize your potential, everyone wins.

The problem Ziglar sees, and I concur, is that people will be led this way for a while, and it will surely be profitable and productive. A Family Library stocked with books and tapes that help them in their family life. Any kind of Development Seminar that will benefit the employee. However, personal growth opportunities, given with no strings attached, will be appreciated, and rewarded with ultra-motivated employees. I say both personal and professional growth very purposely.

One of the first things he did was convene meetings with environmental leaders just so he could listen. These meetings had nothing to do with any ongoing negotiations. Those meetings were significantly different from traditional antagonistic relationships between management and labor. By taking responsibility you are creating a shift in the relationship. Even if the other person does nothing different in that moment, your mea culpa has shaken up the status quo.

It makes the customer happy, it makes the boss happy and it makes the person more productive. The Gallup Organisation did some research by asking millions of employees from countries throughout the world to respond to this statement . At work, I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day. And it's extremely unlikely that the remaining 70% will achieve world-class performance. Sad to say it's not like that out in the world.

What could I do to make your work more productive. Most employees really want to do good work. I have always found that getting an employee to express their feelings first, not only lets them know that you really are interested in their feedback, it also often results in their letting you know what they think their weaknesses are - meaning you don't have to be the first to bring these things up. And if you think an employee isn't really there to do good work, you shouldn't be reviewing them, you should be letting them go. What equipment or training do you need to do your best work that you don't have.

This article may be republished in ezines, newsletters, and on web sites provided attribution is provided to the author, and it appears with the included copyright, resource box and live web site link. Email notice of intent to publish is appreciated but not required. He offers management, marketing, and parenting resources at Maximizing Your Potential blog. When you maximize your potential, everyone wins. Gibbs, MSW, Management Consultant and Trainer, conducts seminars, lectures, and writes articles on his theme.

Your meetings will be shorter and easier to manage because you won't have extra people coming just in case something comes up that they should know. Jeanne Sawyer is an author, consultant, trainer and coach who helps her clients solve expensive, chronic problems, such as those that cause operational disruptions and cause customers to take their business elsewhere. These tips are excerpted from her book, When Stuff Happens. A Practical Guide to Solving Problems Permanently. Find out about it, and get more free information on problem solving at her web site.

Communications tactics may range from media interviews, open houses, facility tours and plain, old meetings to promotional events and news releases. How much better to deal promptly and effectively with questionable perceptions and encourage behaviors that insure the success of your business. Please feel free to publish this article and resource box in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website. Net word count is 700 including guidelines and resource box. Remember, if you leave those problems unattended for very long, you may be trifling with your own survival.

When you embrace abundance--the idea that the universe provides enough to go around--all the energy you've put into chopping down competitors can be channeled into productive, growth-enhancing activities. Copywriter, marketing consultant, and speaker Shel Horowitz is the author of six books and publisher of five websites, five webzines and three ezines. By Shel Horowitz, founder of the Business Ethics Pledge (http. He's currently engaged in a campaign to get 25,000 people to sign--and spread--the Business Ethics Pledge. At least one third of your business should be repeat customers or people they've referred.

What people noted was the degree to which people felt valued, productive and listened to. You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made and the author's name and site URL are retained. You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site. Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London.

In general, four meetings per year work well. Even though it's too late to do anything that will make a difference, employees are somehow supposed to be motivated and enthusiastic to charge into the upcoming year, more focused and productive. This does not imply that ongoing feedback should not take place between meetings. Even though bosses often resist adding to the number of formal meetings per year, they soon learn that the increase in productivity and morale among their direct reports more than compensates for the extra time they commit to the process. Creating a coaching culture, one that is characterized by clear goals, ongoing feedback and mentoring, scheduled reviews, and focused action plans, is also likely to create a more productive culture.

Getting resistance up on the table makes dialogue on the real issues that block productive change possible. Doesn't seem fair, but that's life for you. And, as a manager, they may now distrust you. Sometimes it is necessary to go even deeper and explore the resistance. They need to be able to express these fears out loud without threat of reprisal.