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I have a love/hate relationship with email. It is great for sending
out objective information and coordinating activity, but for dialogue,
email stinks. I remember a management training seminar I attended many
years ago. This was in the days before email when memos were the all
the rage. The speaker asked rhetorically "Have you ever tried to
sigh at a memo?" Wellhave you? Or sigh at an email? Doesn't do
much good does it?
Staying connected to your direct reports is crucial in this age of electronic
communication. We are all so busy (don't get me started on "multi-tasking!")
that it seems we no longer have time for face-to-face meetings. And when
we do we tend to prioritize the meetings over the one-on-one conversations.
It is just too easy to blow off an individual versus a whole room full
of folks.
But any manager/leader worth her salt will tell you that face time with
your direct reports is always time well spent. So before you start nuking
those one-on-ones from your calendar, consider these four reasons to
make these meetings a very high priority.
- Meeting with your direct reports is time invested,
not time wasted. You may gain back 30 - 45 minutes by blowing off the meeting, but the
problem or situation your direct report wants to talk about, if left
untended, will probably end up costing you more time later on. In addition,
your direct report can get all of his questions answered at one time
rather than dripping questions on you all week like some form of Chinese
water torture. A quick word of advice - don't schedule all your direct
reports back to back. It's too easy to get tired of it and blow off
someone. Instead, scatter them throughout the week either early or
late in the day so you are less likely to be interrupted.
- It builds
trust. Everything you do that involves getting work done with and through
other people is grounded in trust. If you blow off your staff week
after week, what message are you sending them? Don't rationalize that
it is a left-handed compliment to their ability to get the job done
without you. It most likely is interpreted as: almost anything else
is more important than your meeting with them. Can you feel the trust
they have in you oozing away? Regular meetings reinforce the notion
that you are a team, a partnership, and that your time together is
important and a priority for you.
- The eyes-on diagnostic tool. Nothing
beats laying eyes on someone else, especially the people you most depend
upon to get the job (and your plans) done. So speak with clarity and
listen very carefullya much richer discussion ensues when you do. And
no email can convey the information contained in one's tone of voice
or body language. You can ask those follow up questions or get off
on that tangent you sense is important, but which you could not do
on a conference call or via email. Many problems can get short circuited
right then and there, but only if you take the time to meet.
- You
really get to know your people. Trust is built in part by being vulnerable
with others. That includes getting to know them personally. You don't
need (nor should you become) best buddies, but you will get more from
them if you get to know them and they you. What is going on in their
personal lives? What are their long term goals? How do they handle
that crabby employee we have all been tolerating for ten years? There
is much to learn here. And the more you know about your people the
better able you will be to deploy them in a manner that will help assure
the best results. And they will connect to you (we are talking about
developing loyalty). Lacking that trust and loyalty, why shouldn't
they leave when a better offer comes along?
Provided Courtesy of:
Maxwell & Associates
1012 Embassy Row Way • Seabrook Island, SC 29455-6005 • Voice 843-768-2227 • Fax 843-768-2170 • Rich@MaxwellCoaching.com
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