vPsychology for Business

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We are dedicated to bringing out the best in you and your employees
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Volume 4, Number 12                                                             June 13, 2003

http://www.psychologyforbusiness.com/

Psychology for Business is a free e-mail newsletter written by  Dr. John Weaver, Dr. Lynda Dahlke, and Dr. Paul Glass, business psychologists and independent consultants. It is published bi-weekly. You’ve received this newsletter because you’ve subscribed to it or it was forwarded to you by a friend or colleague. To subscribe sign up at our website, http://www.psychologyforbusiness.com/. If you wish to cancel your subscription, please see the end of this e-mail for easy instructions

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How to use the services of Psychology for Business: If you are looking for expert coaching, in-depth psychological assessments, facilitation of strategic planning or training to create a culture that is healthy and innovative, we can help. We can give direction on a specific problem or work with you to accomplish major projects that will enhance the effectiveness of your workforce. We can help you to develop your undiscovered talents. To contact us, give us a call at (262) 798-2728 or send an email to jweaver@psychologyforbusiness.com. We would love to discuss with you how professional psychological services can help you succeed.

Communicating Negatives to Management 

By Dr. John Weaver, Business Psychologist and Executive Coach 

I recently offered an interactive hour for my local (Waukesha) Chamber of Commerce on communication in the workplace. My co-presenter, Jerry Fons of the Leadership Development Group, and I gathered questions from the participants about the most challenging problems they encountered with communication on the job. We were able to address some of the questions during the session, but there were several that we did not have time to talk about. In today’s newsletter, I will respond to one of these questions. 

Question: How do I communicate negatives to management without fear of reprisal? 

This is certainly one of the most important issues that any successful business must learn to handle. It is naïve to believe that my business is running so well that there are no negatives. Yet some leaders in organizations appear to act in exactly this manner. There is little tolerance for any discussion that is not in agreement with the stated goals of the company. When negatives are raised, the employee who brings the issue to attention is labeled as “not a team player,” or even punished. Soon there is little discussion of problems. 

The results are disastrous for the organization. Decisions are made with poor understanding of the real implications for the long term. Employees lose motivation to put in the extra effort to achieve the company goals. An attitude of cynicism and negativity emerges when employees are out of earshot of management and there is a greater and greater gulf between management and employees. Processes that do not work well become entrenched. There is little flexibility to respond to the rapidly changing face of the marketplace. The business suffers financially as a result. 

Despite the problems that it creates for the company, it is still very difficult for both management and employees to address issues that are perceived as negative. 

Most of the time, the most important negatives in the workplace will be noticed by the employees first. They are the ones who are closest to the day-to-day work flow. They are the ones who see the impact of problems with customer service or with the supply chains.  

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To the employees: 
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It is difficult to bring up negatives in a constructive fashion in the workplace.  

Find the courage.  It is easier to talk ourselves out of being forthright about a problem that we see. After all, it might make waves. We have all heard horror stories about what happened to someone who tried to bring up a problem and we can imagine it happening to us. There are likely to be several co-workers who will remind us of these horror stories. 

Stay problem-focused not person-focused. Personalities are not changeable, but problems can be addressed. When we attack a person, the predictable response is defensiveness. When we raise a specific problem, there is an opportunity to discuss real changes that will make a difference.  

Example: It is not helpful to say, “My immediate supervisor is a self-centered jerk and nobody can work with him.” Even if we all agree (including the supervisor) personality traits are so ingrained that they are not realistic targets of change. 

Example: It is more helpful to say “My immediate supervisor has added two major projects to my workload in the past two days, so I don’t have time to get to my daily responsibilities.” This is a problem that may require some significant discussion and give and take by everyone involved. 

Offer constructive solutions. A negative is much easier to hear when potential solutions are also raised at the same time. In the same way that often employees are the first to notice a problem, the front line staff can provide valuable information about what would work better. This does not mean that the proposed solution will be always adopted as it is proposed. An effective executive team is charged with coordinating the efforts of the entire organization and with balancing the needs of competing aspects of the business. Still, the willingness to propose some ideas for a solution will improve the likelihood that the negative will be heard and addressed. 

Do the research. If I want to be heard, I must take the time to gather the information about how the problem really has an impact on the company. It is less likely that the management will respond to something because I am inconvenienced by the way things are done. (They are likely to justify the way things are done because they are paying you do get a job done.) It is much more likely that I will be taken seriously when I can demonstrate that the negative affects the organization. 

 
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To the management team:
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If it is difficult to bring up negatives, it is equally difficult to create a culture that fosters critical reflection. 

Actively solicit feedback. This is a difficult decision for many individuals in management. When I solicit feedback, I usually get it. There are negatives in every workplace but in the highest performing workplace there is an atmosphere of honesty and critical discussion that continually addresses the ever-changing needs of the business. It is up to the managers to establish a culture where everyone is committed to improving the work that is done. This is done by actively requesting information, even when it is difficult to hear. The damage it does to my ego is something I need to learn to deal with if I assume the role of a leader. 

Offer a self-critique. Some executives will say they want feedback but act offended or defensive when they receive it. Employees know this happens, so there will still be noticeable reluctance to be honest about the problems in the workplace until a leader demonstrates a willingness to change by offering his or her own self critique. When I voluntarily discuss a mistake I made, it allows others to have a higher level of trust in my intention to improve the company. In companies where there is a culture of blame rather than openness about efforts that fail, workers do not take many risks. The result is stagnation rather than innovation. The best companies make mistakes but there is a willingness to discuss the failures and learn from them. 

Encourage diversity. In a previous newsletter (How Mistakes Can Help Your Team, December 15, 2000. You can read this article at http://www.psychologyforbusiness.comMistakes.htm) I discussed the dangers of “groupthink.” This concept was introduced by Irving Janis (1982) to describe the false harmony that is often observed in the workplace. The executives of the company are so committed to their way of seeing the circumstances of the business that alternative ideas are squelched. The way to combat this tendency in the organization is to encourage diverse points of view, skills, and approaches within the decision-making teams. Harmony in commitment to the outcome and to the rules and values of the organizational culture will enhance the value of the diversity in the workforce. 

Reward honest communication. When an atmosphere of open and honest communication has been established and employees find the courage to speak about problems, it is very important to acknowledge this effort. When a positive event occurs but is meant with silence, it is likely that the employee will make an attempt to interpret what this means. He or she might believe the effort to bring up a negative and address it to improve the company was not noticed (and therefore not heard). Alternately, he or she could assume that the silence represents a passive resentment on the part of management. Raising the negative issue is being punished by the “silent treatment.” A third interpretation might revolve around an interpretation that the negative that was communicated is too bad to repair and so will not ever be addressed. For a variety of reasons, human beings tend to gravitate toward unfavorable beliefs in the absence of information. If we truly want to encourage communication that will lead to critical discussions and better decisions, we need to make a point of supporting the actions when they occur.

A culture of honesty and trust will increase communication. This type of organization tolerates open confrontation, constructive criticism, critical analysis and productive debate. It is not conflict itself that causes problems, the central question is how such conflicts are dealt with. In a global marketplace, the ability to offer and discuss the negatives in the workplace is a true competitive edge.

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On Executive Coaching:  "If ever stressed-out corporate America could use a little couch-time, it’s now. Trust in big companies is at an all-time low. Baby-boomers have been burned; Gen Xers aren’t expecting the Corporation to take care of them. Under the circumstances, employees are much likelier to go outside and get independent advice to help them be better managers" Karen Cates, Assistant Professor of Organizational Behavior, Northwestern’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management.

Did you know that executive coaching is not geographically limited?  Coaching by telephone is effective.  It is also an efficient use of time and resources.  You never need to leave your office to travel, nor do you need to pay travel expenses for your coach. We offer coaching either onsite or by telephone. To find out if coaching is right for you, contact us to schedule a FREE 1/2 hour consultation.  Or request a price sheet to determine the best value for your organization.  Call us at: (262) 789-2728 or email us at mailto:jweaver@psychologyforbusiness.com. ================================================================================================================================

About the Author

John Weaver, Psy.D. is a licensed psychologist with 22 years’ professional experience working with organizations, groups, and individuals. He has experience leading groups and creating teamwork in organizations. His areas of expertise include executive coaching, conflict resolution, coaching teams and individuals to improve performance under stress, assessing employees and potential employees to ensure the right person for the right job, and training in stress management and "The Vitamin C’s for an Emotionally Healthy Workplace."  He is an experienced professional speaker and published author.

Based in Waukesha, WI, Dr. John Weaver is available for consultation or executive coaching by phone, e-mail or in person. He may be reached at (262) 789-2728 (office) or (414) 491-8719 (cell), by e-mail: mailto:jweaver@psychologyforbusiness.com or: 

John Weaver, Psy.D. 
Psychology for Business
2717 North Grandview Boulevard, Suite 303
Waukesha, Wisconsin, 53188

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10 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Coach is now available for download only to readers of PSYCHOLOGY FOR BUSINESS by visiting http://www.psychologyforbusiness.com/questions.htm.

Also receive your copy of 9 Ways to Motivate Your Workforce by visiting http://www.psychologyforbusiness.com/motivate.htm. 

If you are interested in having Dr. Weaver speak for your organization, contact him at mailto:jweaver@psychologyforbusiness.com?subject=SPEAK .
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To order your copy of the book, MANAGING DIFFICULT PERSONALITIES IN THE WORKPLACE: A Manager’s Practical Guide, by Dr. Paul Kenneth Glass, send your name, address, number of copies desired and a check made out to Dr. Paul Kenneth Glass for $12 per book (plus $2 shipping per book).  Or order 10 or more copies for $10 per book and $6.95 for shipping (up to 50 copies).  No fluff, this book gets right to the point. Send orders to:

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If you would like to learn more about Dr. John Weaver (mailto:jweaver@psychologyforbusiness.com), Dr. Lynda Dahlke (mailto:ldahlke@psychologyforbusiness.com), and Dr. Paul Glass (mailto:pglass@psychologyforbusiness.com) please visit us at our website: http://www.psychologyforbusiness.com/.

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© Copyright 2003. All rights reserved. John Weaver. Distribution rights: The above material is copyrighted, but you may retransmit or distribute it to whomever you wish as long as not a single word is changed, added or deleted, including the contact information. If you would like to reprint part of this newsletter please contact me at mailto:jweaver@psychologyforbusiness.com to make arrangements.

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If you have a question or topic you would like to see covered, send your request to mailto:jweaver@psychologyforbusiness.com.

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Dr. John Weaver publishes another newsletter, co-authored by Darlene Weaver, THE CENTERED PENDULUM.  It is our firm belief that lifelong patterns of “being” (personality, attitudes, emotions) and “doing” (lifestyle, adaptability, coping skills) interact with our genes and environment to create conditions of a healthy or a diseased brain.  If you would like to read previous issues of the Centered Pendulum newsletter or to subscribe, please visit the archives at http://www.centeredpendulum.org/newsletters.htm.

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