The Communication Problem Solver 6 ppt

Looking at your managerial role from the points of view of your boss, staff, peers, and upper management will help you feel confident about the breadth of your scope and the extent of you

everyone because the tasks most likely will be stable Assignments that change frequently create stress and distrust and therefore undermine a

manager’s personal power Stable tasks enable employees to believe that

the manager knows the direction and is there to support the employees achieve the goals

In short, to set clear expectations for others, you must first know

clearly what is expected of you Looking at your managerial role from the

points of view of your boss, staff, peers, and upper management will help you feel confident about the breadth of your scope and the extent

of your authority This 360-degree look at your responsibilities illumi-nates what others need from you Used well, this knowledge can prevent misunderstandings and translate into achieving results through positive working relationships Transparent understanding of your entire suite of responsibilities—written and unwritten—can result in gaining support from all directions and levels of the organization It also points you to a bigger picture of where to contribute to others in supporting corporate goals

Using a recommended worksheet will help you to communicate in a logical manner with your boss It is critical for your success that you comprehend your roles as your boss and others see them To effectively lead and manage your group, you and your manager must agree on your responsibilities and depth of authority Once you solidify what your manager expects and what level of authority you have for each project

or task, you can confidently delegate to and follow up with your staff If you live in the dark, your staff will too, and they will not see you as their leader

Expectations are frequently unwritten and often unspoken or unde-fined Yet you will be evaluated on these unwritten expectations It is your job to take the initiative to clarify your manager’s expectations so you can succeed

Many managers ask, ‘‘Shouldn’t this conversation be initiated by my boss?’’

‘‘Has it?’’ I ask

‘‘No,’’ they reply.

‘‘Well then?’’ I ask

‘‘Point taken,’’ they say

Request a meeting with your boss in upper management and thor-oughly prepare for it This is a chance to show your strengths in organi-zation and planning as well as your desire to partner with your manager

Clarifying Your Manager’s Expectations of You

Communicating with your manager about what he expects of you is an ongoing process First you analyze what you think he expects Then you meet with him to discuss these responsibilities and levels of authority It may take more than one meeting for you to both agree After meeting, you must continually dialogue with your manager to be sure you are on target and to include changes as they occur Let’s look at each of these three activities Figure 2-1, ‘‘Clarifying Expectations Worksheet,’’ is a worksheet to help you analyze and clarify your boss’s expectations of you

Use this worksheet to define your understanding of your responsibil-ities and what level of authority you have for each responsibility Use the ideas in the worksheet to jump-start your list of responsibilities Add other responsibilities and delete those that are not applicable

1 Responsibilities List all your responsibilities and goals, as you

know them Besides those from your job description, include unwritten responsibilities that you think you have so you can get confirmation from your manager

2 Performance Expectations Record performance expectations

you have of yourself and those you think your boss has for you Define what you think the expectations mean for this particular assignment For example, instead of writing ‘‘team player with sales department,’’ specify

what you would do to demonstrate that you are a team player, such as

‘‘Provide information on customer complaints on same day received.’’

3 Level of Authority Next to each responsibility, goal, and

perfor-mance expectation, write what you perceive to be your level of authority:

H (High), M (Medium), or L (Low) High might mean complete

decision-making and implementation ability—let your boss know what you have

already done Medium might indicate you can make recommendations but need your boss’s approval before taking action Low could mean

check with your manager before starting a task or project for clear defi-nition of what your manager wants You and your boss need to define exactly what H, M, and L mean in your work situation Expect that your level of authority may differ for each responsibility, goal, or expectation

4 Who expects this of me? Check off the responsibilities you expect

of yourself in the ‘‘I Do’’ column Then put checkmarks in other appro-priate columns based on who you think expects that responsibility: your boss, your staff, peers, or senior management There can be multiple checkmarks for each responsibility

Explain to your manager that to ensure you meet her expectations, you have prepared an analysis of what you think your responsibilities and levels of authority for each duty are Tell your manager the work-sheet is a ‘‘talking document’’ so you can get her ideas and collaborate Ask for a meeting—in person, or if not possible, by videoconference or phone

Depending upon how collaborative your relationship with your boss

is and how he deals with written information, you might decide to e-mail your completed worksheet ahead of the meeting This gives your boss an opportunity to think about his expectations, whether he agrees with what you’ve written, and what to add, delete, or modify With both peo-ple prepared for the meeting, you might have better results in a shorter period of time However, if you think your boss will e-mail it right back

to you with a pithy note to avoid a face-to-face meeting, you may not want to e-mail it For the ideal communication, you should persuade him to review it ahead of time and meet in person to discuss his expecta-tions

(Text continued on page 40)

Figure 2-1 Clarifying Expectations Worksheet

Who Expects This of Me?

Responsibilities Authority I Do Boss Staff Peer Mgmt

Set Clear Expectations

Define goals for my work situation

Carry out department goals

Prioritize tasks and projects

Provide leadership

Create/implement business plans that will

succeed

Share the same goal as other groups

Specifically:

Support joint tasks effectively

Drive change initiatives

Meet compliance issues

Get team member buy-in

Develop Work Relationships

Foster a good work environment for my

peers and coworkers

Support different departments

Advocate for my employees

Be fair, honest, and trustworthy

Maintain peace/harmony

Set an example of following ‘‘rules’’

Set example of good customer service

Boost morale of group

Support my staff/management

Trust staff/management

Figure 2-1 (Continued)

Who Expects This of Me?

Responsibilities Authority I Do Boss Staff Peer Mgmt

Show respect for everyone

Build a strong team to support the company

Be a positive role model

Communicate Expectations

Communicate department goals

Communicate high-level goals/expectations

to my team

Get the work done on time and within budget

Consistently enforce rules/expectations

Ensure staff understands expectations

Use Process Skills & Technical

Knowledge to Meet Corporate Goals

Produce quality products/services

Provide organization

Complete tasks that will help company obtain

goals

Ensure staff is trained and able to perform job

Eliminate quality issues

Ensure bills are paid on time without

exception and without error

Figure 2-1 (Continued)

Who Expects This of Me?

Responsibilities Authority I Do Boss Staff Peer Mgmt

Identify more efficient processes/workflow

Ensure safety of staff members

Provide tools and resources to do the job

Plan

Prevent & Solve People Problems

Make employees/company/teams successful

Resolve and manage HR issues

Maintain smooth operation of department/

group

Create teamwork

Delegate

Set deadlines & progress check-in dates

Provide employees with the tools to do jobs

Provide guidance and support

Tell ‘‘big picture’’ about ‘‘why’’ and ‘‘what’’

they need to do

Mentor staff

Trust staff

Figure 2-1 (Continued)

Who Expects This of Me?

Responsibilities Authority I Do Boss Staff Peer Mgmt

Monitor progress on regular basis

Give Feedback

Meet deadlines

Make sure job/task is done effectively

Provide regular feedback

Hold people accountable

Coach

Guide individuals

Help get staff involved in problem solving

Ensure department goals are met and

obstacles are overcome

Effectively train

Figure 2-1 (Continued)

Who Expects This of Me?

Responsibilities Authority I Do Boss Staff Peer Mgmt

Hire Talent

Recruit, interview, and hire

Listen

Listen to staff point of view

Assist staff with their issues

Support others’ ideas

Be a sounding board

Accept feedback

Motivate Talented Staff

Motivate employees

Set positive, comfortable environment

Ensure I am a positive role model

Keep turnover low

Boost morale

Create good days for staff

Figure 2-1 (Continued)

Who Expects This of Me?

Responsibilities Authority I Do Boss Staff Peer Mgmt

Other

Fulfill boss’s duties when he or she is not

available

Meet sales and/or revenue goals

Ensure safety

Evaluate performance

Plan career development

Plan succession

Increase profit

Educate self on current trends

Lead the Meeting(s) with Your Boss

Open the meeting with a recap of the purpose of this communication on expectations and responsibilities The purpose is to ensure that you meet your manager’s expectations so that you can better lead your team and meet all goals Explain why it benefits him, you, and your staff

Review each responsibility and get agreement on what authority (H,

M, or L) you have for each of the responsibilities If this seems too time consuming, think about how long it takes when you and your team have

to change directions because of not meeting what your boss expected Add, delete, or modify items on your list according to your manager’s comments Make sure you ask targeted open-ended questions to elicit any unwritten expectations your manager has that are not yet on your list Discuss any disagreements as you go, so that you both concur with the final list Set up additional meetings as necessary until you and your manager complete and agree upon the final list Finalize the worksheet and e-mail or give your boss a copy of the finalized ‘‘Clarifying Expecta-tions Worksheet.’’

Keep an open mind during the meetings and recognize that it may take more than one meeting to come to a final agreement This is espe-cially true if your manager has trouble specifying expectations This con-versation will be of enormous benefit to both of you in working in partnership It should also prevent situations in which your boss might

go directly to your staff or undermine your decisions with your direct reports

Follow Up Continually to Ensure You Are in Agreement

Ask for and schedule a weekly meeting to review your progress and plans The weekly meeting is one of the best communication tools you can use to ensure you and your boss continually see eye to eye If your manager does not see the necessity of a weekly meeting, do not give up Persuade him that it will help you be better able to meet his expectations and to communicate You can save your boss time by saving up the little matters and handling them all at once You can be sure you and your team are always aligned with the organizational goals You can discuss anything that has changed, including priorities, and stay in alignment with your manager’s expectations When you work cohesively with your manager, you demonstrate how you want your staff to work with you