When I started in business, I had a great boss. He had a range of ways to express how he felt – manifested by actions and not necessarily words. At pay review, for instance, he used to wear his oldest shirt, one with holes in, to demonstrate that times were tough and that he could not possibly give me the pay rise I was looking for.
I saw through this immediately. Perhaps it was a bit cheeky of me but I was unhappy with my pay review and decided to do something about it. I photocopied my most recent pay slip and placed it on his desk, asking whether he knew how little I had to live off and whether he thought my total pay package was commensurate with the work I was doing.
He called me into his office and we agreed a higher review. If, as a manager, he had taken the time to understand what I had actually contributed throughout the year as well as my aspirations, then the situation could have been resolved without the need for such tactics on my part. He may have had the professional skills but the personal touch was somewhat lacking.
To be successful in what you do you need to understand the psychology of business. I strongly believe that basic skills are important; such as being able to add up, write clear, concise letters and notes, and the ability to think strategically. As is an in-depth knowledge of whatever it is that you do. Being organised and reliable also help. In my view, that is only the start of attaining the “complete skills package”.
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The art of face-to-face communication and the ability to read other people’s minds is the most important of all. If you are unable to interpret people’s body language and the subtleties of what you are being told, no matter how clever you are, you will not be successful.
How we conduct ourselves in the workplace and interpret messages from colleagues, clients and counterparties is essential. Yet people often respond to tricky situations using inappropriate communication devices.
How many people do you work with who prefer to send an e-mail on a tricky subject rather than discuss it in person? This is the worst work crime of all – yet many people do it because they are afraid to deal with matters directly.
In my view, it is the rudest form of communication for internal company issues or for the rejection of an idea. Of course, there is a time and a place for the written word. Documents to confirm business agreements, dissemination of information and continued communication of a subject that has been agreed in principle.
Communication relating to matters of a sensitive nature or expressing feelings should not be tucked away in an e-mail.
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Being upfront is not the only thing you need to do. It is important to be sensitive about the messages you are delivering. The reason e-mails do not work for difficult or sensitive subjects is that no matter how you word things, they can be misinterpreted. If you say something, you are able to gauge someone’s reaction and more importantly adjust how you are delivering a message.
Communicating in a palatable form is essential. Some of the best advice I ever received is that if you are highlighting a problem, never do so without providing a solution. If someone comes to you with an idea, always thank him or her and show you are interested. Be a “yes” person, even if you have to dismiss the idea later on.
You need to be responsive to people and situations and proactive in looking out for issues. How, as business managers, can you expect to match the expectations of your team if you do not ask them what they think?
Alternatively, how can you manage their expectations if you are unaware of how they feel? Similarly, if you are looking to impress the people you work for - if you do not know what their aspirations are, you are limiting your chances to succeed. Say, for example, you have clear targets for performance and you attain them. If they have been agreed then it is easy for you to demonstrate performance and more difficult for someone to renege on a promise.
There are other simple techniques. Making sure you know what your team’s interests or hobbies are and take an interest in their lives. It does not mean being nosey or intrusive, but if you know a little about their interests, then you can begin to understand what makes them tick. Without this knowledge, it is easy for people to think they are being ignored or marginalised. It will also show that you care about them as people, rather than regard them simply as “drones”. Without this, the result will be poor performance and missed opportunities.
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Ultimately, successful business is all about communicating. It does not matter whether you are leading a team and have to let them know what needs to be done or whether you are trying to win new business. You need to be able to communicate but you also need to interpret what people are saying to you.
Misread the language on the other side of the table and you will lose out.