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8. Encourage upward feedback of accurate information.
9. If you are a senior person in the organization, take full
responsibility for the problem.
Don t forget until too late that the business
of life is not business, but living.
B.C. FORBES
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CHALLENGE #75: Sending Consistent
Top-Down Messages
One of the most significant issues that affects organizational
productivity is the lack of consistency between top-down
messages, communication, expectations, corporate culture,
and bottom-up reality. Often employees hear different mes-
sages, depending on who is the source of the message. The
message could, for example, be emanating from the presi-
dent, their managers, or some department head. Although
this is a considerable problem on an internal basis, it
becomes increasingly important when communicating with
customers, vendors, and prospective customers.
Let me give you a recent example. A manager told an
employee that a new product was to be presented to a new
customer in a meeting the following week. When the sales-
person called production and shipping to determine when she
would receive a sample of the product for her presentation, a
manufacturing manager (in the department that produced
that product) told her that he didn t know where she got the
information that this new product would be available by the
following week. In fact, it wasn t going to be available for thir-
ty to sixty days. After calling her manager back to get clarifi-
cation, her manager said: That manager in manufacturing
doesn t know what he is talking about. The product is avail-
able now. I could go on and on with the ripple effect of this
situation, but I am sure you see the root of the problem here.
This salesperson is getting mixed messages from two sen-
ior managers. One of them has to be wrong. What is she to
do regarding the appointment with this customer?
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Mixed and conflicting messages like this occur on a regu-
lar basis in your organization, I will guarantee it. There is a
tremendous cost both direct and indirect as a result of
these miscommunications.
" What is the cause of these mixed messages?
" Who is responsible for them?
" Why do they persist?
Yes, these are difficult questions. But the real question is:
how can you avoid these often simple misinterpretations of
policy, procedure, philosophy, or strategy? Here are some
questions you can ask yourself:
1. Are there certain people or departments where this
problem is more prevalent?
2. Is there a history of these types of problems in your
organization?
3. Are there certain times of the year, month, or week
when these occur more frequently?
4. Is the problem getting worse?
5. As a manager, are you aware that these problems are
even happening?
6. Do you know the cost of these problems in terms of
customer satisfaction, profits, sales, or morale?
Act decidedly and take the consequences. No
good is ever done by hesitation.
THOMAS HUXLEY
Communication Challenges 231
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CHALLENGE #76: Seeing Disagreement
as Valuable
One of the common errors poor managers make today is to
shoot the messenger who brings bad news. Their attitude is
often:
1. You are not a team player.
2. You are always negative.
3. You are always complaining.
4. You are never happy.
5. You are a pain in the .
I will agree that some employees fit one or all of the above
characterizations, but when you have an employee bring you
bad news, do you:
" Thank them?
" Criticize them?
" Ignore them?
" Berate them?
" Listen to them?
" Encourage them to tell you more?
The point is: the closer you are to reality (either with a sit-
uation inside the organization or outside with customers or
suppliers), the better the decisions you can make. And that
will tend to ensure your success and organization perform-
ance. Shooting the messenger is a great way to ensure you
are totally out of touch with the conditions, perceptions, atti-
tudes, problems, and challenges that are present in your
department or organization as a whole.
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Let me repeat: if all you ever hear is good news and never
the bad news, you are contributing to your ultimate failure as a
manager and possibly as an organization. The key to better
managing conflict is not to try to eliminate it, but to ensure that
trust and respect are present in all working relationships and that
these are used as the foundation for exchanging ideas, sugges-
tions, information, and even disagreement. Here are a few ideas
to consider the next time one of your employees brings you bad
news or you perceive them as being disagreeable or disloyal.
1. Create and foster a culture that encourages or even
rewards truthful bad news.
2. Don t just listen to the people who believe what you
believe.
3. Don t berate or criticize employees who bring you less
than ideal news.
4. Listen to employees who bring bad news or criticism, and
ask for additional information on the message they bring.
5. Do something with the information, and let the person
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