An employee who can carry on a perfectly pleasant conversation in person may suddenly lose all his or her interpersonal skills on the phone. What causes this phenomenon? First, the employee may come from a home in which the telephone was used strictly for conveying necessary information. In the 1950s, some communities still had a lot of party lines. Some families with these lines developed very abrupt styles on the telephone in order to keep the line clear and to be considerate of others. Those individuals often passed their style on to their children, who may now work for you. In other cases, a person may feel frustrated because he is most expressive with his face and body language. The telephone hampers his style and is not comfortable. There are many reasons for a person to
avoid saying much on the phone. For every such employee, however, there is an intervention.
Interventions
• In many cases, the employee is not aware that his style is terse or
stand-offish. Simply describing the employee’s behavior using a couple of examples may be all it takes to see a remarkable change.
Although the employee will probably be stunned to know that his
style is so different from the norm, awareness of this may effect
an immediate change. Be sure to convey your constructive criticism
sensitively.
• Role-play a couple of typical workplace phone conversations with
the employee. Tell her ways in which she can be more conversant
and positive.
• Telephone skills classes and videos offer great modeling of correct
style. See the American Management Association’s list ofofferings.
Shy or uncommunicative employees can make tremendous contributions if they are managed effectively. Explore ways to bring out these often insightful employees, and develop an appreciation for their communication style. Pause to consider the parts of this quiet employee’s personality that are beneficial to the employee and to your team. Then implement interventions that will strengthen the shy employee and the team simultaneously.
Taken From: 201 Ways to Turn Any Employee Into a STAR Performer
