Page 9 - PR Communication Age - JUNE 2016
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on getting information from the subordinates. Obtaining Building Information Networks
information has to take many forms, one of which is suc-
cessful questioning where the mutual trust between the Information is used, disseminated and created but there are
boss and the subordinate plays a major role. A manager's differences between the three. An effective manager has
ability to get information also depends on how he/she can a talent for all the three.Using information well is primarily
detect and discard superficial and sometimes misleading a matter of not misusing it - of being discreet about its
symptoms. sources, of using it not as an instrument of harassment but
only as a means of solving a problem and improving the
When conflicts arise between superiors and subordinates, quality of work life.
the most common method for the subordinate of punish-
ing the boss is to withhold critical information from the boss. Spreading information well means not spreading gossip and
So the greater the conflict is, the less effective direct ques- also not hoarding the truth. People in an organization have
tioning will be. Furthermore, if an honest answer is point- a right to and want information that would help them do
ing out some of the boss's own short-comings, almost any- their jobs better and avoid committing errors which might
one will think twice. affect their career and lives. When they are well informed,
they suffer less stress and face fewer complications. Infor-
One way of getting around this predicament is to design mation attracts information. Managers who are generous
anonymous forms of communication - suggestion boxes, in giving to their subordinates what they know seem to get
questionnaires, emails and the like where the ID of the as much as they give.
sender need not be disclosed. One enterprising manager
fixed a bulletin board at a prominent spot in the office and Knowledge which is shared with others multiplies and enriches
posted frequent notices including a fortnightly newsletter itself. Managers, however, have to guard against supplying in-
about office activities, personnel changes, industry devel- formation which have no bearing on or does not serve the pur-
opments etc. He then let it be known informally that the pose of the job of the subordinates. Information overload can
bulletin board was open to everyone - no approvals needed lead to avoidable confusion and perplexity.
- to post their notices and suggestions with or without iden-
tities made open. Creating information is a question of assembling together
scattered facts, collating and sequencing them and inter-
However, he made two rules - first, no clippings from news- preting them for one's ownself and for others. Configuring
papers, journals and magazines and second, nothing abu- and shaping data in a meaningful form is a learned skill that
sive or defamatory or querulous would be permitted to be needs continuous exercise and refinement. It is as much an
displayed. The bulletin board flourished famously, partly act of education and learning as it is an act of control.
because most people had an occasional chance to ride alone
and post their own views in private. It made some people The final positive outcome for information-rich individuals
uncomfortable but it had an avid reader in the boss who is that information flows to them as much as information
learned volumes about the problems his/her staff had and that flows away from them. The ability to attract, create
their views on the organization. and spread information and formulate an information net-
work is an immense asset for managers, a self-perpetuat-
Criticizing the boss's managerial style and professional com- ing net-work and a certain and positive means of creating
petence is probably the hardest thing for subordinates to and sustaining trust that the upward flow of candid infor-
do. There is one way to encourage employees to come out mation depends on.
open in this regard. Managers have to have the courage
to ask first the top performers in the organization who are "Everything's easy after it's done
the most likely to feel secure enough to criticize. Many
subordinates might not be so forthcoming in giving an hon- Every battle's a "cinch" that's won
est feed-back. Hence managers should never ask for it,
unless they feel comfortable, do not feel threatened and Every problem is clear that's solved
are certain they can handle it.
The earth was round when it revolved".
---- Joseph Morris
PR COMMUNICATION AGE June 2016 9
