Perfect Phrases for Managers and Supervisors, Second Edition, 2nd Edition

Chapter 5Perfect Phrases to Foster Open Communication

Communication is two-way by definition. So much of what managers call communication really isn’t. Genuine communication happens when employees feel safe to speak freely. How often does that occur? Few employees report feeling safe questioning instructions and directives. That means bad ideas regularly go unchallenged and good ideas are often never heard. That means employees don’t dare to say no to projects that overload them past capacity. That means employees hesitate to question unclear directions and make up what they don’t understand. That means employees aren’t really team members because the team isn’t really a team. We can’t afford to have that be our world.

Managers often discourage ...