Supportive communication (mana
Supportive communication (manaSupportive Communication (Managers)
Most managers in the workplace find that the most important factor in promotability is effective communication. With this in mind it is strange to see that many managers and employees within organizations lack effective communication skills. In fact, managers still find effective communication to be the biggest problem in organizations. Why do so many people lack these skills? This is often due to the fact that employees are not aware of the importance and their lack of this skill. Employers in the organizations of today are stressing the importance of communication more and more. Emphasis is placed on communication being clear by being transmitted strongly with precise images.
The foundation of effective communication is supportive communication. This form of communication preserves relationships while addressing the problem in the most effective manner. There are eight attributes of supportive communication.
? The first is to be problem-oriented, not person oriented. You should always direct the statement towards the problem, staying away from comments that become personal. Statements that become personal cause the person to resist your suggestions.
? Be congruent, not incongruent. Statements should reflect the true feelings of the one expressing them without angering or insulting the one that it is directed towards. Managers that hide their true feelings and opinions cause subordinates to believe that there is something hidden about themselves that the manager does not wish for them to know. Congruence in communication leads to more satisfaction in relationships.
? Make statements descriptive, not evaluative. Statements should not be made to evaluate the person. It should describe events and solutions. When statements are made to evaluate the person it invokes feelings of defensiveness. No person likes his or her behavior to be judged or labeled. Here are some simple steps for descriptive communication:
I. Describe objectively the event, behavior, or circumstance.
II. Focus on the behavior and your reaction, not on the other person’s attributes.
III. Focus on solutions.
? Be validating, not invalidating. Validating statements make people feel important and needed. Invalidating statements make people lose confidence in themselves and cause them to see themselves as worthless. There are four types of validation.
I. Respectful communication is the type of communication where the listener feels worthwhile and an equal.
II. Flexibility in communication is where the communicator accepts that there are alternatives to a problem and allows the listener to give input.
III. Two-way communication is where the listener is given a chance to express their opinions through flexibility and respectful communication.
IV. Identifying areas of agreement gives the listener a sense of self worth.
There are four main types of invalidation.
I. Superiority oriented communication is the type that makes the listener feel inferior and not informed about the subject at hand.
II. Rigidity is where the communication is portrayed as being absolute, where the listener is...
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