Essential Communications

Skills for Managers

Essential Communications
Skills for Managers,
Volume I
A Practical Guide for
Communicating Effectively
withAll People in All Situations
Walter St. John
Ben Haskell

Essential Communications Skills for Managers, Volume I: A Practical Guide

for Communicating Effectively with All People in All Situations
Copyright Business Expert Press, LLC, 2017.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored
in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means
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brief quotations, not to exceed 250 words, without the prior permission
of the publisher.
First published in 2017 by
Business Expert Press, LLC
222 East 46th Street, New York, NY 10017
www.businessexpertpress.com
ISBN-13: 978-1-63157-654-6 (paperback)
ISBN-13: 978-1-63157-655-3 (e-book)
Business Expert Press Corporate Communication Collection
Collection ISSN: 2156-8162 (print)
Collection ISSN: 2156-8170 (electronic)
Cover and interior design by S4Carlisle Publishing Services
Private Ltd., Chennai, India
First edition: 2017
10987654321
Printed in the United States of America.

Dedication
We dedicate this book to all the managers
who are committed to achieving excellence,
at all times, when communicating
with people on the job.

Abstract
The purpose of this book is to provide practicing and aspiring managers and students of management a practical and comprehensive reference
source for communicating on the job with all people in all situations. This
how-to book provides readers with the essential knowledge, attitudes,
and skills to perform the communicating aspects of their routine and
special duties. The information is presented in two volumes. Each topic is
divided into Things to Know and Things to Do.
The topics are divided into six sections:

Overview of the Book

Fundamentals of Communicating
Communicating Competencies Required of Managers
Personal Qualities Managers Need to Communicate
Effectively
Communicating Strategies for Safeguarding the Managers Job
Communicating Effectively in Stressful Situations

Keywords
Communicating Effectively, Communicating for Managers, Communicating in a Crisis, Communicating in the Workplace, Communicating
with Employees, Communication, Communicating Strategies, Communicating under Stress, Communication Effectiveness for Managers,
Communication Fundamentals, Communication Guide for Managers, Communication Mistakes, Communication Reference Guide for
Managers, Communication Skills, Conflict Resolution, Diversity Communication, Gender-Neutral, Listening Tips, Managerial Performance,
Management Skills, Managerial Communications, Persuasive Communication, Reading Tips, Speaking Confidently, Speechmaking, Workplace
Communications, Workplace Situations, Writing Tips

Contents
Acknowledgments....................................................................................xi
Section 1
Topic 1

........................................................................................ 1
Overview of the Book........................................................1

Section 2
Topic 2
Topic 3

....................................................................................... 5
Fundamentals ofCommunicating......................................5
Important Principles for Sending and Receiving
Communications ........................................................... 12
Communications Rights of Employees .......................... 15
Communications Responsibilities ofEmployees ............. 17
Communications Responsibilities of Managers............... 19
Suggested Communications Training for Managers......... 20

Topic 4
Topic 5
Topic 6
Topic 7
Section 3
Topic 8
Topic 9
Topic 10
Topic 11
Topic 12
Topic 13
Topic 14
Topic 15
Topic 16
Topic 17
Topic 18
Topic 19
Topic 20

.................................................................................... 23
Communicating Competencies Required
ByManagers....................................................................23
The Managers Availability for Communicating .............. 26
Sizing Up Coworkers Accurately .................................... 30
Gaining Mutual Understanding ..................................... 35
Giving and Getting Feedback ......................................... 45
The Benefits ofObtaining and Responding
toEmployees Ideas and Suggestions............................... 49
Dealing Compassionately With Employees
Feelings .......................................................................... 57
Strategies of Being Noncommittal .................................. 62
Protecting Confidential Information .............................. 68
Creating a Healthy Communications Climate ................ 76
Communicating Attitudes and Techniques that
Motivate Employees ....................................................... 82
Breaking Down Manager-Employee Barriers with
Small Talk ...................................................................... 85
Offering Employees Credit for Their Achievements ........ 88

x CONTENTS

Topic 21
Topic 22

Giving and Receiving Praise Comfortably ...................... 90

Thinking Before Speaking To Say What You Mean ......... 94

Section 4
Topic 23

...................................................................................... 97
Personal Qualities Managers Need to Communicate
Effectively........................................................................97
Realistic Expectations ................................................... 104
Ethical Standards ......................................................... 107
Winning Style of Communicating ............................... 114

Topic 24
Topic 25
Topic 26
Section 5
Topic 27
Section 6
Topic 28
Topic 29
Topic 30

.................................................................................... 117
Communicating and Relating Strategies
for Safeguarding the Managers Job................................117

.................................................................................... 129
Communicating Effectively in Stressful Situations ........129
Responding to Complaints by Angry Employees .......... 133
Sharing Bad News Compassionately
with Employees ............................................................ 139
Topic 31 Giving and Receiving Criticism Effectively ................... 145
Topic 32 Giving and Receiving Apologies Gracefully .................. 152
Topic 33 Communicating Calmly During a Crisis ...................... 155
Topic 34 Disagreeing Diplomatically with your Boss................... 163
Topic 35 Persuading Employees Who Oppose Your Ideas ........... 169
Topic 36 Communication Required toImplement Change......... 176
Topic 37 Warning Employees about Tardiness
and Absenteeism........................................................... 183
Topic 38 Disciplining Employees Fairly....................................... 187
Topic 39 Terminating Employees theRight Way......................... 194
Topic 40 Resolving Interpersonal Conflict Between
Employees .................................................................... 201
Topic 41 Conducting a Successful News Conference................... 212
Topic 42 Testifying Competently inPublic Hearings .................. 217
Topic 43 Speaking Before a Hostile Group.................................. 222
Topic 44 Preventing and Controlling Malicious Rumors............. 225
Index..................................................................................................233

Acknowledgments
Our sincere thanks to those who helped with this book along the way.
Typist Janice Gromm
University of Maine Reference Library
Husson University Reference Library
Interviews with six experienced and successful managers
The writings of authorities on communication and management
Friends, associates, and professional colleagues

SECTION 1
TOPIC 1

Overview of the Book

Communication is:

The lifeblood of all organizations

Of great importance to all managers
Involved in every thought and action by managers
The difference between success and failure of managers today
A managerial imperative

The purpose of this book is to provide readers with a comprehensive

reference source for communicating with all kinds of people, in all kinds
of situations in the workplace.
This book is designed for practicing managers, new managers, and as
a college textbook, for students studying management and communications. It provides managers with the essential knowledge, attitudes, and
skills to perform their responsibilities competently.
The 43 topics plus Overview and Index of this How To book are
practical instead of theoretical, specific instead of general, and offer realistic
information about successfully communicating in the workplace.
As a convenience to readers, topics are listed in a detailed Table of
Contents. The book is organized into two volumes with six and five sections respectively so that the reader can expeditiously find information
of special interest. The readers time is saved by the use of bullet lists to
present the topics in a concise manner. Each topic is presented in two
categories: (1) Things to Know and (2) Things to Do.
The writing style is informal and reader friendly. The information is
presented in a straightforward, direct to the point, no-nonsense manner. Plain and simple English is used rather than technical or scholarly
language. Common sense and practicality are emphasized and theory

ESSENTIAL COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS FOR MANAGERS

de-emphasized. Each topic is complete in itself and can be read in only a

few minutes.
Readers of professional books are typically interested in learning about
the authors qualifications for writing on the subject. Therefore, lets take a
moment to provide the authors training and experience in management
and communications. Both authors:
Have served as managers in both the private and public
sectors
Have taught management and communications courses at the
college/university level for many years
Have served as officers in the U.S. Army
Have had a lifelong interest in communications
Made numerous presentations to prestigious groups
Dr. Walter St. John is a semiretired writer who is married and lives
on the outskirts of Bangor, Maine. His public sector experience was as
an educational administrator, coach, and counselor. His private sector experience was in Human Resource Management with the Hershey Foods
Corporation and Director of Management for a national trade association.
Dr. St. John served as a state university administrator and professor of
management and communications courses. He is the author of numerous
books and articles, including the communications section of The Encyclopedia of School Administration and Supervision. He has presented communications programs for organizations such as The American Management
Association. Dr. St. Johns training in management and communications
includes a Bachelors Degree with a major in Speech Communication
from the University of Arizona. He earned his Doctoral Degree from the
University of Southern California with a major in Management and a
Minor in Counseling.
Ben Haskell is married, the father of two grown daughters, has four grandsons, and lives in Brewer, Maine. He retired in 2014 after serving for twentysix years as Executive Vice-President and Academic Dean of the New England
School of Communications of Husson University in Bangor, Maine.
After finishing college, Ben served as an officer in the U.S. Army with
duty in Vietnam where he served as an advisor to the ARVN Military

Overview of the Book

Police. He began his professional career in Maine where he was employed

as staff announcer and later as Program Director of two radio stations in
the City of Ellsworth.
In 1988 Ben accepted the position of Director of The New England
School of Broadcasting in Bangor, Maine where he also taught Radio
Announcing and Production courses. The school changed its name to the
New England School of Communications in the late 1990s and remained
an independent school on campus until 2014 when it officially merged
with Husson University.
In his 26 years of serving higher education students, Ben was instrumental in helping the school grow from a one-year certificate program
with 30 students, to a four-year degree-granting institution offering three
Bachelor of Science degrees in eight different areas of study and with
a peak enrollment of 520 students. Although retired, Ben continues to
teach select Communications courses at the school. Most recently, he was
honored with induction into the Maine Association of Broadcasters Hall
of Fame for 2015.
His undergraduate training was at the University of Maine where he
received a BA Degree in Speech Communications with a concentration
in radio/TV and theater. He earned his Masters Degree in Business from
Husson University.
His current activities include sailing, gardening, reading, writing, and
becoming a Maine/Florida Snowbird. He is active in his church at the
state and local levels, and continues to serve on the Boards of Directors of
the United Way of Eastern Maine and the BTS Center (formerly Bangor
Theological Seminary).

Index
A

absenteeism
causes of, 186
dimensions, 185
employees about, 185188
problems of, 185
rates, 186
records for, 186
achieving understanding, 211212
agreement, securing, 210211
antagonism, 228
anxiety, 229
apologies
accepting, 156
making, 154155
attitudes
for handling employee
complaints,137
influence of, 38
of managers, 180
to motivate employees, 8486
positive, 99105
authority of spokesperson, 160

barriers
to communication, 911
interpersonal, 10
language, 10
manager, 8789
manager-employee, 8789
procedural, 10
situational, 10
structural, 10
timing, 10
being noncommittal, strategies of,
6469
beliefs, positive attitudes and, 99105
body language, 223
brainstorming, 54

cautions, 223
communication
attitudes and techniques,
8486
barriers to, 911
behaviors, 114115
channels, 113
channels of, 7
climate, 7883
competencies required by
managers, 2527
components/elements, 68
during crisis, 157164
definition of, 5
effective, 99105
feelings, 60
goals of, 5
importance of, 56
key components of, 6
managers availability for, 2831
methods managers use,
112113
methods of, 8
misconceptions about, 89
persuasive, 173
principles for senders, 12
required to implement change,
178184
responsibilities of employees,
1718
responsibilities of managers, 19
rights of employees, 1516
safeguarding managers job,
119129
in stressful situations,
131134
training for managers, 2021
variety of, 230
winning style of, 116118

234 INDEX

complaints
closing stage, 140
employees responding to, 135140
fact-finding stage, 139140
opening stage, 137139
stages of dealing with, 137141
computerized confidential
information, 7377
computer security tips, 76
computer system breaches, 73
conciliation, 209
confidential electronic
information,74
confidential information, protecting,
7077
conflict
causes of, 205206
conciliatory stage, 207
emotional causes, 205206
interpersonal, 205206
preliminary stages, 207
substantive causes, 205
coping
communications goals for, 157158
rumors, 230232
coworkers, 3236
communicating style, 3435
knowledge and understanding, 34
personality, 33
thought process, 3334
credit for achievements, 9091
Crisis Communications Advisory
Council, 163164
crisis communications center
functions and facilities, 163
members, 160161
crisis communications plan, 158,
162163
criticism
effectiveness of, 148
giving, 147151
receiving, 151153
sharing, 150151
cyber insurance, 76
cyber-security, 73

Delphi method, 5354

disagreeing with boss, 165170

climate encouraging constructive

disagreement, 169170
dealing with facts, 167
effective communicating style,
167168
kinds and intensities of, 166
recommended reaction, 170
strategies for expressing, 168169
timing factors, 168
downward flow of information, 7

effective communicating
methods,183
effective testimony, 219
e-mail to make suggestions, 53
employee behavior, 178
patterns of, 179
employees
about tardiness and absenteeism,
185188
of actual facts and situation, 230
change expressed by, 180181
communications rights of, 1516
credit for achievements, 9091
dealing compassionately with,
5962
disagreeing with boss, 165170
discipline, 189195, 231
expectations of, 107108
ideas and suggestions, 5158
interpersonal conflict between,
203213
manager barriers, 8789
motivation of, 8486
on-the-job success, 166
receptivity, 178
responding to complaints by,
135140
sharing bad news compassionately
with, 141146
termination of, 196203
warning, 185188
erroneous information, 228
ethical standards
communications methods managers
use, 112113
information to share with
employees, 111112

 INDEX
235

manager as communicator,
109111
manager as listener, 111
managers timing of messages, 114
managers unethical
communications behaviors,
114115
managers use of communications
channels, 113

face-to-face grassroots, 231

face-to-face methods, 183
face-to-face supportive sessions, 231
fact-finding, 208209
feedback, 184
giving and getting, 4750
to messages, 8
flatter channels, 7

guidelines for answering questions, 66

hacking, prevention of, 73

hecklers, 225
horizontal communications, 7
hostile group, 224
approaches, 226
key recommendations, 225

ideas
dealing with critics objections, 177
developing rapport with critics of,
173174
persuading employees, 171177
providing convincing evidence,
174175
techniques encouraging acceptance
of, 175176
use persuasive words, 176177
impact of personality, 38
information, 207
about crisis communications plan,
162163
collecting, 219
flows, 7

organizing your, 219220

to share with employees, 111112
interactions, types of, 60
interpersonal barriers, 10
interpersonal conflict, common
symptoms of, 205206
interviewing
joint, 209
stage, 208209

job insecurity, 229

joint interviewing, 209

language barriers, 10
listening, 8

making decisions, prolonged delays

in, 228
malicious rumors
causes of, 228229
coping with circulating, 230232
methods for discouraging, 229230
nature of, 227228
manager, 180
actions, 110
attitudes of, 84, 100104, 180,
204205
availability for, 2831
barriers, 8789
behavior of, 204205
cautions, 120121
communications attitudes for,
7883
communications knowledge and
skills for, 121122
communications methods, 112113
communications responsibilities of,
1719
communications training for,
2021
as communicator, 109111
competencies required by, 2527
expectations of, 106107
job activity, 119
job, safeguarding, 119129

236 INDEX

manager (Continued)
judgmental statements, 6162
as listener, 111
organization culture, 123124
performance factors, 124125
personal qualities, 99105
realistic expectations of,
106107, 179
recommended attitudes of,
120, 180
recommended communications
beliefs for, 104105
relations with boss, 126128
relations with subordinates,
128129
responsibilities as mediator,
203204
responsibilities of, 19
standards to guide, 109
success or failure of a change, 183
techniques, 8586
timing of messages, 114
training for, 2021
unethical communications
behaviors, 114115
use of communications
channels,113
manager-employee barriers, 8789
mediation process, preparation stage,
206207
mediator
guide, 209210
secure facts, 207
messages
content, 39
feedback to, 8
timing of, 78
mutual understanding, 3746
facts about words affecting, 44
methods to use to promote,
4445

nature of rumors, 227228

new idea card, 53
news conference, 214218
dos and donts of holding, 214
media representatives to, 217

well-planned and conducted, 215

noncommittal, strategies of, 6469

one-page printed form, 52

open-door policy, 229
organization
policies and procedures, 229, 231
practices of small and mid-sized,
7475
risk management and control
system, 74
organizational conflict, 228
organizational news, 214
organization culture, 123124

peer group, 178

performance factors, 124125
personality, 117
impact of, 38
persuasion of employees, 171177
persuasive communications, 173
persuasive words, 176177
planning procedure,
recommended,149
positive attitudes, 99105
praise
giving, 9294
receiving, 9495
presentation, 220221
style, 221222
press
conferences, 214218
relations, 214
prevention of hacking, 73
procedural barriers, 10
protection of confidential
information, 7077
public hearings
answering questions competently,
222223
cautions to observe, 223
collecting information, 219
organizing your information,
219220
preliminary activities, 221

 INDEX
237

presentation style, 221222

rehearse your presentation,
220221
selecting your support staff for, 220
watch your body language, 223

qualifications of spokesperson,
159160
quality circles discussions, 54

reading, 8
realistic expectations, 178
of employees, 107108
of managers, 106107
recommended planning
procedure,149
relations
with boss, 126128
with subordinates, 128129
rumors, malicious. See Malicious
rumors

sandwich method, 148

security operation, 76
situational barriers, 10
speaking, 8
special care, 186
spokesperson
authority of, 160
information for, 161162
qualifications of, 159160
staffing, 158159
strategies for gaining support,
181182
structural barriers, 10
suggestion
boxes, 52
group writing of, 5657
managers responses to, 5758

systems, 5152
support staff, 220
support, strategies for gaining,
181182

tardiness
causes of, 186
dimensions, 185
employees about, 185188
problems of, 185
records for, 186
telephone hotline, suggestions, 52
termination of employees, 196203
choosing the place for session, 200
conducting session, 200201
planning termination session,
198199
precautions to observe, 196197
recommended managers attitude,
197198
selecting best time for session,
199200
testifying competently in public
hearings. See public hearings
thinking
influence of, 38
before speaking, 9697
timing
barriers, 10
factors, 3839
of messages, 78, 114

upward communications, 7

watercooler conversations, 87
winning style of communicating,
116118
wording, 4042
writing, 8

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