Sometimes a simple communication strategy can have a profound effect (Tweet it!). A great example: the art of responding to someone else’s good news. Shelly Gable, a social psychologist at the University of California, Santa Barbara who has extensively studied marriages and other close relationships, advises that the next time someone you care about shares good news, you should give what she calls an “active constructive response.” For example, instead of saying something passive like, “Oh, that’s nice” she recommends expressing genuine excitement. You might prolong the discussion with praise, by expressing personal pride in the accomplishment, by encouraging the bearer of good news to tell others, or by suggesting a celebration of some kind to mark the occasion. From this simple interaction, love and commitment grow, and according to Gables’ research, even a couple’s sex life improves (http://nyti.ms/2oJOYDT). What’s the last good news someone shared, and how did you react? Were you passive or active, and how did it affect your interaction? To join the conversation, click "comments" below on our Communication Capsule Blog. If you would like to read more about creating a habit around masterful communication, check out our book: Be Quiet, Be Heard: The Paradox of Persuasion.
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Having a problem with a product or service is frustrating, but calling Customer Service can be maddening. Among the findings of a 2015 “National Customer Rage Study” by Customer Care Measurement & Consulting, companies may be doing things the wrong way. Scott M. Broetzmann, president and CEO of Customer Care, says companies sometimes rely on “disingenuous approaches,” which can be meaningless to customers, to internally measure performance. For example, some call centers require reps to say a customer’s name at least three times during a call. But that’s not how callers measure success! In fact, customers become angry when they feel patronized. Nearly 50 percent of “Rage Survey” respondents found the statement “Your call is important to us, please continue to hold” very annoying, and 17 percent say it should be banned. Runners-up were: “That’s our policy”; “We’re currently assisting other customers”; “Your call will be answered in the order received”; and “Can I get your account information again?” The good news: Callers can improve their odds of a satisfying outcome (Tweet it!). Research recently published in The Journal of Applied Psychology suggested the quality of service received by customers was determined by what customers said to a representative. A few tips:
What techniques do you employ to try to get effective customer service? To join the conversation, click "comments" below. If you would like to read more about creating a habit around masterful communication, check out our book: Be Quiet, Be Heard: The Paradox of Persuasion. Are you an approachable leader? You may think so, but others may have reservations about coming to you with their issues and ideas. A two-year research study by Megan Reitz, a professor at Hultz International Business School, and John Higgin, author of The Change Doctors, shed light on what might be your blind spot: “We simply don’t appreciate how risky it can feel for others to speak up.” Reitz and Higgin note that the phrase “My door is always open” is itself a mixed message. “It contains a number of assumptions. First, people should meet you on your territory, rather than the other way around. Second, you have the luxury of a door. Third, you can choose when to close or open it.” Leaders who really want to encourage others to speak openly to them might want to keep Reitz and Higgin’s suggestions in mind: · Cultivate humility as you move up the ladder; · Listen to counterarguments with interest and attentiveness (Tweet it!); · Recognize how office politics and agendas might inform what some people say; · Be aware of how others might label you and how you might label them – note how these labels might skew communication, · Consider specifics you can use to enable others to speak to you, e.g. dress more casually, or notice your opinion to question ratio. The key to employing these suggestions is self-awareness. “If you are wondering why others aren’t speaking up more, first ask yourself how you might be inadvertently silencing them.” What do you do to make it easy for others to speak openly to you? How could you improve? To join the conversation, click "comments" below on our Communication Capsule Blog. If you would like to read more about creating a habit around masterful communication, check out our book: Be Quiet, Be Heard: The Paradox of Persuasion Is having a supportive workplace antithetical to honest, straightforward, no-nonsense feedback? Emma Seppala, Ph.D., Science Director of Stanford’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education and author of The Happiness Track, says no. (http://bit.ly/1Ub0egI) “Not only can feedback given in a supportive way be honest, it is immeasurably more effective than blunt criticism in three critical ways: It motivates performance, is less likely to be misinterpreted, and uplifts rather crushes employees,” says Seppala. She offers three research-based suggestions to help managers deliver constructive and candid feedback:
We wholeheartedly agree with Seppala’s bottom line lesson for leaders: “You can be both candid and caring.” What do you do when you want to offer candid criticism while maintaining a positive relationship? To join the conversation, click "comments" below on our Community of Practice Forum. If you would like to read more about creating a habit around masterful communication, check out our book: Be Quiet, Be Heard: The Paradox of Persuasion. “Increasingly I’m finding that business leaders want the people working around them to be more curious, more cognizant of what they don’t know, and more inquisitive — about everything, including ‘Why am I doing my job the way I do it?’ and ‘How might our company find new opportunities?’” So writes Warren Berger, author of A More Beautiful Question: The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas in The New York Times, Berger contends rapid change and uncertainty in business today are causing people to value curiosity and inquiry more than ever (Tweet it!). Even well established companies must anticipate what’s next, and that’s hard to do without asking questions. In researching his book, Berger studied business breakthroughs — including the invention of the Polaroid instant camera and the Nest thermostat as well as the start-ups Netflix, Square, and Airbnb — finding that in each case, someone insightful looked at a current problem and asked how it might be addressed. Companies can encourage employees to ask more questions, but “that’s the easy part.” Berger says leaders must reward good questions and set a standard by asking “Why?” and “What if?” themselves. Can you think of a memorable question that you or someone in your organization asked? What came out of it? To join the conversation, click "comments" on our Community of Practice Forum. If you would like to read more about creating a habit around masterful communication, check out our book: Be Quiet, Be Heard: The Paradox of Persuasion. |
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