Chapter 9 Communicating Privaetly

Question 0

List and describe five steps for using the right approach when engaging an employee in a private communication.

Answer 0

1. Fear of saying the wrong thing at the beginning, thereby causing an unpleasant confrontation.
2. Fear of invading the employee’s privacy.
3. Fear of opening up a hornet’s nest of other problems.
4. Fear of being disliked by the employee.

Question 1

List and explain the Five Rs of private communications.

Answer 1

1. The Right Purpose
   - strengthen, motivate, resolve conflicts, discipline and instruct
2. The Right Time
   - Doing the right business thing at the right time.
3. The Right Place
   - Having the right place for dealing with business situations.
4. The Right Approach
   - Approaching an employee in the right way
5. The Right Technique
   - The right technique at dealing with a situation.

Question 2

Explain the differences between directive and non-directive communication techniques and when and how to use each.

Answer 2

With directive technique, the supervisor does most of the talking and draws a rather firm line on the direction the interview will take.

Nondirective private communication is almost the opposite. The supervisor does less talking and encourages the employee to communicate.

Question 3

List and describe eight techniques to use to achieve effective private communication.

Answer 3

1. A quiet voice is more effective and less threatening.
2. Let the employee talk first. This dissipates hostility.
3. Listen instead of planning a rebuttal.
4. Do not rush to break in. Silence allows time for self-evaluation.
5. Free and honest communication is restricted if time limits are imposed.
6. Do not take negative comments personally. Most criticism is directed at the system, the organization and the employees themselves.
7. Achieving two-way communication is a goal in itself, not just finding a resolution to a problem.
8. End on a positive note and schedule a follow-up meeting.