Conversations Can Be the Key
to a Manager's Success

by Gayle Lantz

Retaining top talent is one of the greatest challenges in today's corporate world. And managers play a critical role in influencing an employee's decision to stay with, or leave, a company.

So what can managers do to help? Listen up! That's right. They should listen.

Managerial responsibilities can be overwhelming - they will include handling projects, conducting meetings, hiring staff, meeting department goals, leading a team, developing others, evaluating performance. And the art of listening is an important part of any successful manager's skill set.

As the frenzy of work escalates, people don't often have the opportunity to be heard because others don't have the time to listen. Smart managers realize they have to make listening a priority. If they don't, team members may become disgruntled and use other channels to communicate their messages which can send ripples throughout an organization.

In no time, the work environment becomes filled with tension and skepticism. Some employees may also subject their family or friends to constant stories about their woes at work. Another possibility is that these individuals may simply leave the organization, especially in the current strong job market.

Managers who lack opportunities to listen, really listen, to the issues expressed by team members, can create opportunities through regular conversations. The occasional ''How's it going?'' is not enough. A fresh approach is needed to engage the individual.

Manager styles vary widely. Some take a hands-off approach expecting teams to get their act together on their own. Others are overly involved, claiming they feel like babysitters, as they deal with every little mishap or squabble.

Regardless of your style, here are some thoughts about how managers can use the power of simple comversation to effect profound changes in the workplace environment:

Frequent conversations

Have frequent conversations. Depending on the size of your team, have at least one or two uninterrupted conversations a month with each team member. Having regular conversations will go a long way to establish trust and build healthy relationships between you and your team members.

These informal meetings typically last half an hour or so. They allows you to stay on top of important issues, to be more attuned to the individual's needs and goals and to offer ongoing support. Frequent one-on-one meetings can also help to eliminate any surprises to you or the other person.

Focused

Keep the conversation focused. With so much going on in the workplace, it may be challenging to concentrate on the issue that needs the most attention. Avoid tangential issues. As a manager, your time is limited, so make the most of it.

Being clear about the objective of the conversation will help to keep the discussion on track. Remember what may be an important issue to a team member may be less so to you; however, the individual may need your support working through that issue to focus on more important goals.

Future oriented

Keep the discussion focused on the future -- what needs to happen and what is likely to happen. This is not the time to get bogged down in what has happened in the past or to review performance history. Instead the conversation should be designed to help the team member move forward and take action on specific issues that are most relevant. Take a collaborative approach to explore possibilities.

Other pointers

While there are a number of ways a conversation between a manager and team member can be structured, here is one suggested approach:

Learn what's important to the person you're meeting with. Allow the team member to bring forward any work related issues that need to be discussed. Some individuals expect the manager to take the lead and may need to be encouraged to present whatever would be most helpful to discuss. Do not voice any judgment about whatever issue the individual expresses. Simply listen, clarify and respond.

Agree on the focus of the conversation. Think about what you and the other person want from the discussion. Discuss challenges and opportunities related to a specific issue.

Collaborate. Often managers feel compelled to present a solution quickly. After all, if you don't tell them what to do, they may never figure it out, right? Allow the individual to discover his or her own solution. Encourage creativity and responsibility.

Help the individual identify and overcome potential obstacles. Challenge the person you're working with to think through a number of alternatives. What might prevent him from doing what needs to be done? Unreasonable deadlines, limited resources, lack of skills, information, etc.

Make a "NOT to do" list. Sometimes it takes deciding what you won't do to reach your goals. Some examples include: ''I will not work more than x hours a day on a regular basis,'' or ''I will not do what I can delegate,'' or ''I will not dwell on mistakes. That way you can focus on the more important goals.

Recap the conversation. Agree on appropriate action that the individual will take to move forward. This is one of the most important and most overlooked steps in the process. Too often a manager may assume the other person understands what needs to be done. Recapping helps both parties be clear about expectations.

This approach fosters partnership, development, accountability and results. These conversations may take place in person or by phone if you manage people in other locations.

Effecting change

It sounds simple on paper, but can be a real challenge to many managers who have not developed the necessary attitude or skills to be effective. When mastered, this process has the potential to change the culture of an organization.

Unlike the dread that both parties often experience with traditional annual performance appraisals, managers and team members report they actually look forward to having structured conversations. They appreciate the mutual benefit of being able to work together through regularly scheduled short informal meetings.

That way they achieve the goals of the organization as well as the professional goals of the individual -- a win-win for both.

Copyright strictly reserved, Gayle Lantz. Reprinted with permission.

Gayle Lantz,CBC runs an executive and corporate coaching company and speaking service. She specializes in leadership and career issues as well as work/life planning. Gayle is a professional speaker and co-author of Irresistible Leadership. Visit her site at http:www.gaylelantz.com

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