Personalities

As a manager, it is essential to understand the different personalities you will be dealing with on a daily basis. Personalities can range from pragmatic to extroverted, and from analytical to amiable. Whether it be a negotiation, or simply staff relations, it is important to recognize the personality traits of the people you deal with. People are different. You have to understand your audience in order to communicate clearly. No matter what your own personality and character traits are, always be sincere. Say what you mean, mean what you say, but don’t be mean when you say it. A general rule of thumb is to be soft on the people but hard on the issues.

Communication

One of the major causes of failure is the lack of clear, direct communication between people. Too many times we miscommunicate with our boss, subordinates, fellow workers or customers. We tend to communicate in terms of what we think we should say, or in terms of what we think the other person would like to hear, instead of expressing our real thoughts and feelings. Open, clear communication is better for everyone concerned. It avoids a lot of wasted time and problems that miscommunication creates.

This is not to say that one shouldn’t be diplomatic. For instance, telling an employee that they are not doing well is far less productive than coaching them in the areas that will help them to improve. Be clear with your expectations of everyone that you deal with. Know where you’re going. Act with purpose and try to avoid frivolous communication. That only steals your time and inhibits your ability to accomplish. Listen to others first. Understand their position. You don’t have to agree with it but you should at least understand it.
Boyer Consulting