ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, February 25, 1996 TAG: 9602270016
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: G-3 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: Working It Out
SOURCE: CAMILLE WRIGHT MILLER
Q: We've recently moved to teams; I'm a team leader. I'm having trouble with those few who don't participate. They seem interested, but they don't take part in discussions.
A: Consider the different personalities that constitute your group. Some employees work easily with groups. Others have to learn how.
Explore the preferences of team members, suggests Gail H. McKee, associate professor for business administration at Roanoke College. McKee, who also directs The Management Institute at Roanoke College, said he finds the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator useful for understanding differences among individuals. When differences are understood, those distinctions can be used to improve the overall work of a team.
Once better understanding exists, McKee recommends training co-workers to listen effectively. Effective listening requires attention, concentration and feedback. Teams employing excellent listening work to include those who don't easily communicate.
Beyond understanding individuals and improving communication, McKee suggests restructuring the group to promote active participation.
Offer options to talking in groups. McKee said "a person could write down ideas and share them that way rather than speaking up." This, coupled with positive feedback, may allow them to open up.
McKee recommends having members "work in pairs and then join with the larger group." Quieter members won't have to compete for attention when working one-on-one.
Provide mentors who will promote and guide active participation. They also can serve as sounding boards for ideas. Outside mentors can help team members develop ideas before thoughts are presented to a group.
If you fail to rouse participation, employment termination may be your recourse. McKee said that "some people have to leave. It sometimes just doesn't work out in terms of individual personality. Those individuals should go where individual efforts are rewarded."
Consequences of distanced, unhappy workers go beyond team productivity. McKee notes an upsurge in worker's compensation claims for job-related stress illnesses. Some of these claims can be linked to work environment changes employees aren't prepared to handle.
Q: We have to lay off some of our work force. Some managers want to wait until the last day of employment to notify employees; others want to notify as soon as possible.
A: Employees know before managers when a lay-off is near. Employees answer phones, handle orders, and deal with clients. They're aware of your company's health.
Don't be concerned about too many employees leaving while you still need help. Loyal employees stay as long as possible; unattached employees leave at the first hint of trouble.
Involve employees in increasing business and reducing cost to minimize the number of positions lost. Employees can be very creative and cost-conscious when given opportunity and incentive.
If there's no chance of reversing the layoff decision, give as much lead time as possible. Advance warning helps employees make sound financial decisions and find comparable employment.
Talk with your colleagues about offering job-search counseling. Counseling can reduce the job-search time for employees by as much as half.
Ethical and humanitarian reasons aren't the sole grounds for advance notice. Caring for loyal employees also improves public goodwill in difficult times
Q: When someone asks me a question, others interrupt and answer. This is both disconcerting and rude. Those interrupting wouldn't want that done to them!
A: Chances are your co-workers are completely unaware they're walking over your answers. They know the answer, want to be helpful, and respond to questions to both help and demonstrate their knowledge.
They are also, unwittingly, failing to show respect to you. Your reluctance to assert yourself allows them to continue with unintended disrespect.
Talk with them one-on-one. Be polite and firm. Say something like, "I understand you like helping others. So do I. It makes me feel very unimportant to be asked a question and have you respond before I have a chance to answer. I'm sure it's unintended. I'd appreciate being allowed to answer questions directed to me."
After your talk, should someone preempt your response, jump in. Firmly state "Thanks, but I'd like to answer." Then give your answer to the questioner.
The office atmosphere may be chilly after the first few episodes. If you remain firm and polite, co-workers should warm again.
While your co-workers probably mean no harm, they can't continue rudely interrupting unless you allow it.
Camille Wright Miller, an organizational behavior sociologist who works in Lexington, answers questions from our readers about workplace issues. Please send them to her in care of The Roanoke Times, Business News Department, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke 24010.
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