Listen Up!

(So People Don’t Have To Shout)

Problems of communication in the workplace are nothing out of the ordinary, accompanied by various degrees of frustration. Nothing is more frustrating, though, than a repeated failure to get through to the one person your advancement is dependent on. For most people, it’s their boss.

Your employees may feel fortunate to just get the time to speak to you, and for them to perceive any lack of interest can be very discouraging and demotivating. Trying to get through on important issues shouldn’t feel like conquering Everest.

Today’s office distractions, like e-mail notifications, phone calls, etc., don’t help, as shown by a recent study. And these distractions affect supervisors as much as anyone else. A manager may seem unable to spend the time to focus successfully on any one project.

In a recent article I offer employees advice on how to mitigate this dynamic, including some of the same time-honored techniques that could be used with easily distractable small children. We, adults, share with them the ability to become overwhelmed and then inattentive. After all, our core, human traits and needs, such as fear, anxiety, need for achievement – and boredom – hold true whether we’re two or 52. For more, read the complete article at PsychologyToday.com.