Page 7 - PR Communication Age - JUNE 2016

sions and business policies, providing accurate feedback, be- It certainly means taking interest in their lives and helping
ing candid about one's own problems and resisting the them mold their careers.Many managers find it is often
temptation to hoard or conceal information for use as a tool tempting to abandon an employee who is in trouble, out of
for punishment or reward. favor or simply unpopular. But the extra effort expended
and the extra distance traversed to help an employee who
In many organizations what one finds very often is "com- badly needs help and assistance could pay dividends later.
munication in real time" is a major casualty. Managers very
often under the notion that subordinates should only be This certainly does not mean that no action need be taken
apprised of information on need-to-know basis keep even against those who need to be reprimanded, disciplined or
information relevant to their jobs and duties under wraps. otherwise proceeded with. Terminate by all means a per-
This approach hardly contributes to building trust. For ef- son who has committed grave mistakes and deserves to be
fective team work, every person in the organization has to get rid of. But do so after giving him/her a chance to be
play his/her assigned role effectively in setting objectives heard. Support the others for all they are worth. Remem-
and priorities, allocating and using resources which are lim- ber that subordinates trust deeply the superiors they feel
ited judiciously and planning organization's strategy. would stand by them when the chips are down.

Conflicts for sure are bound to arise as each person fights Fairness means giving credit where it is due, being impar-
for the limited resources. Let the conflicts which come out tial in performance appraisal and holding the scales evenly
be freely discussed and debated so as to reach a consensus as between subordinates. Where praise has to be given,
or modus vivendi which would ultimately lead to a better praise liberally. To be entirely objective may be too tall an
understanding of the need of others vis-à-vis one's own order, but minimize/mitigate subjectivity by consciously look-
needs and generate accord and harmony. It is harmony that ing at the positive side of people. The opposite kind of be-
helps build trust and provides the range and latitude for the havior - favoritism, hypocrisy, misappropriating ideas and
organization's leadership to work together as a team. accomplishments of subordinates, unethical behavior - is
difficult to forgive and forget and hugely destructive of trust.
Middle to upper level managers often are reluctant to con-
vey to their superiors what they think of their own perfor- Respect means esteem for the person or a sense of worth
mance and career prospects. When they feel they are not and honoring a person's rights and privileges and implies
getting the appropriate feedback they need and they feel an approbation and recognition of the personal qualities.
uncomfortable asking for it. Information won't suddenly Respect begets respect. The most important form of re-
surge up where it barely trickles down. Communication, if spect in corporate situations is "delegation". Delegation
it has to be effective, has to flow smoothly in both direc- needs the boss to give enough authority to a subordinate
tions and managers are strategically positioned in an orga- to perform the tasks which the boss has to carry out.
nization to make this happen.
The boss has to show a level of tolerance for mistakes which
Support means showing concern for subordinates as people. a subordinate might inadvertently commit while perform-
Many managers tend to think that giving a pat here and ing the tasks.The second most important form of respect is
there or expressing a word of praise or encouragement now to listen to the subordinates and initiate action on their
and then is "support". By all means 'pats' and 'words of opinions which are feasible. Whether it is delegation or lis-
encouragement' have to go on but "support" essentially tening, both have to be authentic.
means making oneself "available and approachable".It
means helping people, coaching them, helping them cor- "Paying lip service" in the name of delegation or listening,
rect the errors they commit, clarifying their doubts, encour- instead of cementing the relationship between the boss and
aging their ideas and upholding their positions. It may mean the subordinate might only impair the relationship. In in-
socializing with them. terpersonal relationship, the law of reciprocity rules. When

"A good PR story is infinitely more effective than a front-page ad."

PR COMMUNICATION AGE June 2016 7