Hearing is believing and easy 12.26.17

          I am fairly sure that you already knew this, but for that one person who didn’t know, I will attempt to inform said person (my one non-reader). Now that I think of it, if that person don’t read, how will said person get this message?

          If you are using a computer to see my blog posts, you have the option to have the computer read aloud to you.  You may choose the voice that reads to you, and you may choose the speed of the reading voice.    

         

                   Here is how to do it.

          When you have the blog displayed, right click and a box will open. In the box there are the following choices.

                                                    Select all

                                                       Print

                                                   Read aloud

                                                  View Source

                                                Inspect element

          Click on Read Aloud and it will read for you. In the upper right hand corner, you can make changes such as, “Male or female voice, speed of reading, pause and stop”!

          It will start reading shortly after you click on read aloud. If you want to read a previous posting, you should pause the reading voice, highlight the text you want to have read then click on the resume button, you should then hear the highlighted text being read.

          I have just learned that you can minimize the posting and continue to hear the reading of the posting, as long as you do not click out of the posting. In other words you can listen to the reading and do other work like check your email, type in word, etc.  That means you could listen to a long story, while doing something else.

          Try it you might like it.

          If you don’t like it tell someone else, I am busy!

          Thanks

            Don Ford

Topic for Management meeting 12/26/17

       

                              The Friction Report  

                                  by Don Ford   

                Do you have skill, ability, attitude, knowledge, or desire, to communicate properly? Whether you do or do not, you should participate in this meeting. You can improve, or help others to improve.  

Managers (department, general, middle, upper) are often unaware of concerns and problems!

How do managers miss the concerns or problems of staff?

Discuss your thoughts on this subject now.

Points that should be in the discussion.  

                        Managers may not ask for input. Some managers believe they should have the answers to most, if not all, questions. If that is you, get real, you don’t have all the answers. To get answers, you should listen to others, which includes your boss all the way down to the newest hourly staff.  

                        Managers may not ask the right person. As stated above, you should listen to others, which includes your boss all the way down to the newest hourly staff. People (managers) have a tendency to rely on certain individuals for many things, such as the staff who is productive when working in all departments. Managers often rely on these individuals for information and often get good ideas, but they should also communicate with the average staff member too.

                        Managers may not have proper listening skills! You probably know of managers who can’t keep their mouth shut when someone is speaking. There is also the manager who is working on a rebuttal to the information he /she is receiving as the other person speaks.

            There is another type manager who listens, and then acts on the suggestion, but has no follow through. If there is a change made in a procedure, and everyone is supposed to work with this change, this type manager never checks back to see if it is working properly. Usually, staff revert to the old process and the manager don’t even know.  

                        Managers should show they are listening and interested! Body language is very important when communicating. It is very easy to see whether a person is listening or not, use body language to present the image of listening.

                        Example: Body language of someone who is not listening. They look at their watch, they look around the room, they fiddle with a pencil, or they glance toward their cell phone or computer screen, they lean back in their chair. Their body language says, “They were not listening!”   

            Suggested ways to teach communication skills, asking and listening?

            In a class room setting, you should have prepared demonstrations, with someone   presenting information and someone not properly receiving information, then with      someone properly receiving information. 

            The first few presentations should be using instructors only.

            Then choose a student to work with an instructor.

            Then student with student, providing written information for the presenter, and having the             receiver to explain what they learned. 

            Have the group evaluate after each presentation.

            Anyone can learn from their superior or from a subordinate, if they listen!

                                    “Shut up, listen and learn!”

Summary:

Learn to listen! This is difficult for many. Listening means, “Shutting your mouth and not only listening, but also understanding what someone says”! You may ask brief questions to clarify a statement, then listen and understand.

While listening, you should not be thinking of a response to that person’s comment.

Do not interrupt a person speaking to you! It is rude (nonprofessional) and you’re not listening.

Learn not to interject your thought, while someone is presenting their Thought!

Ask various staff for input.

Asking your so-called best staff for input, probably means you will get the answer you expect! These staff are most likely seen by other staff, as your “Favorites”.

Ask the same question of various staff, then compare the responses.

 

Don Ford

The Friction Report 12.15.17

              The Friction Report 12.15.17

                                      Gray to black and white     

                                                           by Don Ford

            I was communicating with a good friend the other day, yes I do have some good friends, and we were commenting on management’s philosophies. I always thought of myself as the manager who followed the policies. I have always seen policies as black and white, in other words be consistent in following the written policies and rules. When a written policy or rule is broken, then the specified reprimand will then occur!

            I also believed that deviations from the written policies and rules, which I call gray areas, should only occur when upper management would approve the deviation from a written policy or rule!

            These deviations (gray areas) will more than likely upset some staff if the reason for the deviation is not explained. Hourly employees may tell management of their concerns, but most likely complain among themselves. A gray rule that is applied to one person, and not others, is inconsistent, and seen by most staff as, “Management being inconsistent and unfair.”  

           As I see it, following written rules and policies ensure consistency and fairness in the work place. When a deviation is introduced, from that point on that deviation should be administered consistently! When the so called gray area is administered consistently, it then becomes black and white, in other words, “The deviation is now a policy or rule”!

           

I believe in black and white policies and rules, even when they evolve from a gray area.

            I believe, all management teams should, “Be consistent, fair and open, in everything they do”!

            What applies to one employee should also apply to all employees. There may be different values to the policies and rules for different groups of employees, and these differences should be posted so everyone knows the difference and reasons for the difference.

            Let’s say one group gets more of a benefit, like time off, than another group. There are reasons why one group has more of a benefit that another group, these reasons should be known by all staff. There can be hard feelings in the group that does not get the extended benefit if they don’t understand the reason. Would you think something was fair if the person working beside you had more of a benefit than you, and you didn’t know why?

            What if you ask Management or Human Resources, “Why does that group get extended benefits and we don’t”, and the answer received is something to the effect, “That’s the way we are doing it”!

            Be consistent, fair, and open! Communicate, listen, explain, listen, explain…

Don Ford

The Friction Report 12.11.17

             

                                     Old note  

                                               by Don Ford

            I was working on a story idea when I reached for a note book in which I was going to make some notes. As I removed a pad of papers, I found a single page of notes that I had made in Feb. 22^nd 1996. That is almost 22 years ago.

            This note was generated and printed from my personal computer and printer that I had in my office at work. I had my own personal computer and printer at work before the company provided them.

            The note is a record of a conversation between me and a vice president who was my boss at the time. The following is my note of a phone conversation. Names will be left out.

            VP called about a note I faxed to him yesterday and he said, I just want to make sure I understand what you have sent. Are you saying no one has had three overall not met reviews, or are you saying no one has had an overall not met review in the last three years? I responded, no active employee has received a, “has not met” (overall) review in the last three years. The people who had received them are no longer here.

            He ask, “you mean employee name or employee name has not received an overall not met. I said that is correct. I said, the people who have received them are no longer with us.

            He said, I just wanted to make sure I understood, Thanks.

           

            End of call. 

  

            I have no memory of this conversation, but it would seem that my Boss did not believe that Waco had no employees that had a, “has not met expectations review”. I do know that we tried to hire and keep the best employees. Those who received not met reviews and did not improve quickly, usually went elsewhere to work, voluntarily or not.

            Waco management, looked at rules and regulations as black or white with no gray. The only time there was gray in the rules, regulations or requirements, was when the corporate office would get involved.

If a rule or policy stated, X number of actions or inactions would get an employee a warning, a three day suspension, or termination, that is what we did.

            For some, following the rules as written seemed extreme, for us it meant that we were treating all staff fair and equal, when we followed the rules.

            Make it easy on everyone, consider the rules, policies and procedures as black or white, I believe the only gray would need to come from the president of the company!

Don Ford