Effective Communication

Effective Communication:

For over 20 years, supervisors in DHHS have received training in two communication tools. These are the Key Principles and the Critical Steps. These are proven techniques to reduce employee turnover and decrease employee relations problems. The skills are covered in depth in Results-Based Interactions classroom sessions.

Key Principles cover an important part of your job as supervisor and include:

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  Maintain and Enhance Self-Esteem:

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Keep this principle in mind whenever you are communicating with your employees. Employees who get positive sincere feedback are generally motivated to do a good job.

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 Listen and Respond with Empathy:

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Focusing on employees’ concerns and checking for understanding shows employees that you are interested in them and their particular situation.

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 Involve the Employee in Solving the Problem:

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Whether it involves workload situations or when employees are trying to correct performance problems, letting employees provide suggestions on how to solve problems gives them ownership of both the problem and the solution. They are often closer to the problem and may have better ideas on how to correct any deficiencies.

Two additional key principles that have been added recently are:

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 Provide support without removing responsibility:

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Let employees know that you value their work and may be able to provide additional resources while also ensuring that they are accountable for their work.

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 Share thoughts, feelings and rationale:

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Focusing on employees’ concerns and checking for understanding shows employees that you are interested in them and their particular situation.

The Critical Steps provide a problem-solving format that also helps you prepare for an employee conversation. In the descriptions listed below, notice the key principles that are also woven into the discussion. While the steps may vary slightly depending on the situation, basically they cover:

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 Opening the conversation:

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Let employees know why they been called into your office and reinforce the value of the work they do in the first opening comments. This sets the stage for the conversation that will follow.

This step relates to the Key Principle: Enhance.

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 Clarifying details important to the discussion:

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Here is a good opportunity to share STARs, and review written documents such as the workplan to check performance expectations. This helps employees better understand your main areas of concern. Understanding their concerns demonstrates your commitment to help them.

This step relates to the Key Principle: Empathy.

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 Developing ideas that will resolve the issue:

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Review the ideas that both you and the employee have discussed to capture the best solution.

This step relates to the Key Principles: Involve, Support, and Share.

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 Coming to an agreement:

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Agree on what you and the employee will each do and define what and how the change will take place. This agreement reinforces how important the discussion is to the employee’s overall performance success. This also gives you an opportunity to check that the employee understands what needs to happen and any concerns he or she may have.

This step relates to the Key Principles: Support and Empathy.

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 Closing the discussion:

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Set up a follow-up date and reinforce your belief that the employee will be successful. This type of closure increases the employee’s chances for success.

This step relates to the Key Principle: Enhance.