Canadian HR Reporter

CANADIAN HR REPORTER SEPTEMBER 2018 28 FEATURES © 2018 Thomson Reuters Canada Limited 00246WX-92871-NK FREE ACCESS FOR 30 DAYS * *Offer available to new subscribers only of The Canadian Payroll Manual Print (Classic), The Canadian Payroll Manual Online (Classic)/Le Manuel de paie canadien en ligne (Classique) and The Canadian Payroll Manual Online (Elite) (formerly Carswell Payroll Source). Discount cannot be combined with any other offer from Thomson Reuters Start your free trial * THE CANADIAN PAYROLL MANUAL ONLINE (CLASSIC)/LE MANUEL DE PAIE CANADIEN EN LIGNE (CLASSIQUE) OR THE CANADIAN PAYROLL MANUAL ONLINE (ELITE) See how our newly enhanced Canadian payroll products meet all your payroll needs New in 2018 New enhancements to the New enhancements to the Thomson Reuters online Thomson Reuters online payroll products CALL 1-800-387-5164 TO START TODAY Start your free 30-day trial today. Order today and receive 15%* off your fi rst year subscription. If you're a CPA member, make it 20% * . Quote promo code 67030 for your free trial or discount when you place your order * . CONFLICT MANAGEMENT 4 strategies to get managers talking Too many leaders sidestep awkward conversations, making situations worse By Janet Hueglin Hartwick I t's not uncommon for HR professionals to say, "We of- fered managers communi- cation training on how to have tough conversations, but some managers still put off important discussions with their staff." Despite learning techniques on how to engage with their team, managers often default to their old habits — which frustrates staff and hurts performance. And while human resources can provide the tools and invest the time, effort and resources in a training session, these will only take hold if the leaders are open to change. ere are three reasons why leaders resist new techniques: "I'm already a good communicator" "Although we are born with the gift of language, research shows that we are surprisingly unskilled when it comes to communicating with others," say Andrew New- berg and Mark Robert Waldman, authors of Words Can Change Your Brain: 12 Conversation Strategies to Build Trust, Resolve Conflict, and Increase Intimacy. Much like table manners, being an "effective communicator" can mean different things to differ- ent people based on their own life experience. e insight for an employee to discover is that good com- munication includes speaking and being understood. In some cases, this means unlearning bad conversation habits learned in adolescence. "We often choose our words without thought, oblivious of the emotional effect they can have on others," say the authors. "We talk more than we need to. We listen poorly, without re- alizing it, and we often fail to pay attention to the subtle meanings conveyed by facial expressions, body gestures, and the tone and cadence of our voice — elements of communication that are often more important than the words we actually say." "I don't know what to say" Learning to communicate dif- ferently is like learning to play a card game. First, you learn the rules and then you practise un- til you get the hang of things. It's essential to practise long enough to feel confident you know what you're doing. Unfortunately, it's common for communication training sessions to end before employees can hit their stride and experience their confidence taking flight. A leader needs to experience an "a-ha" mo- ment for new training to trump their fear of making a mistake. Until this occurs, a person can be stuck trying to relearn the rules over and over again. "I can't say that" If a leader says, "Before you leave today, can I see you in my office?" it doesn't matter how old you are, your brain will probably think, "Uh-oh, I wonder what's wrong?" is learned behaviour is the work of our emotions, which act like a gatekeeper, filtering what the brain hears and looking for con- nections with past experiences. It sends messages in the form of bodily sensations. Emotional responses are milliseconds faster than thinking responses. In other words, we feel before we can think. It's not possible to rationalize our way out of this spontaneous process. So, when an employee is instructed to say something that feels uncomfort- able, perhaps even risky, his emo- tional gatekeeper has no choice but to hit the panic button. 4 strategies Learning the right thing to say is easy — actually looking into some- one's eyes and communicating ef- fectively is a skill that takes time. Even professional communicators can get nervous when they lead a challenging conversation. Here are four ways to address the barriers that may hold staff back, while boosting their self- assurance so they can start having those important conversations: Provide example statements: Leaders often hold back out of fear of saying the wrong thing. They become far more willing to try when they know the right thing to say. For instance, there are different ways to address some of the most awkward messages a manager has to deliver. Instead of saying, "No," a lead- er could say "ank you, I wish we could but…" or "I'm not sure because…" Instead of saying, "maybe," they could say, "Leave it with me and we'll come back to the idea" or "You raise an interesting point, I like where you're going with that." And if a manager is unsure of how to respond, she could say, "I hadn't thought of that, let me get back to you" or "Tell me more about what you are thinking." Spark their interest: e brain turns off when it's bored, accord- ing to John Medina, author of Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and riving at Work, Home and School. As a result, it's possible many training sessions are underwhelming. HR should look at reinvigorat- ing the content by asking a few managers to highlight the key takeaways to share. ey should be encouraged to use multimedia tools and pump some creativity into the assignment. Try holding mock conversations to bring the training to life. Make the payoff clear: Some directors say, "It's not my respon- sibility how other people take what I say." is perspective is not uncom- mon. Managers are far more mo- tivated to follow through on com- munication training if they know it will help their role as leader. Explaining these benefits to managers can help motivate them to see the value in having more effective conversations with their staff and colleagues. • It saves time: Clear conversation can reduce the need for follow- up discussions. • It's about maximizing effort: Staff conversations already hap- pen, so aim to get the most out of each one. • It boosts your personal repu- tation: Quality performance includes staff or colleague feedback. • It helps people meet their goals: Employees who have quality conversations with their leader can achieve more. De-stress the situation: Stressed brains do not learn the same way as non-stressed brains, according to Medina. e body's defence system — the release of adrenaline and cortisol — is built for an immediate response to a serious but passing danger, such as a sabre-toothed tiger, not the chronic stress of being asked to do something uncomfortable, like lead an awkward conversation over and over again. Each leader has an emotional gatekeeper who needs to get on- board, so it's about having an open conversation about why difficult conversations are hard to lead, and helping managers set new goals and identify successes. ings to remember It can be challenging to con- vince leaders to change how they communicate, but it's worth the effort. Henry Mintzberg, a business and management academic from McGill University in Montreal, estimates 60 to 90 per cent of a manager's time is spent talking: "e manager does not leave the telephone, the meeting or the email to get back to work. ese contacts are the work." Even the most reluctant com- municator can improve if she works through the unconscious barriers holding her back. Janet Hueglin Hartwick is founder of Conversations at Work in Toronto. For more information, visit www. conversationsatwork.ca. Solutions, it's more important than ever to ensure the right em- ployee is chosen the first time. e ATS should be set up to search for candidates who of- fer the best long-term employee potential. A question-based ATS can include behavioural questions that will pre-screen for more loyal applicants versus candidates who may be prone to job-jumping. Promoting compensation: With high competition in many key industries, employers must include relevant compensation programs that are both fair and appealing to prospective employ- ees. If an excellent candidate ap- plies for a position at a company, the chances are good this person has already applied at a number of other firms. us, providing an attractive compensation package is paramount to garner and retain the new hire. An ATS can be used to list the job's salary range and benefits, but also include engaging content to highlight the compensation package. Since some ATS don't allow more than standard docu- ments and text, choose a system that allows for rich media, videos and other creative offerings. Such content will emphasize the advan- tages of the company and make the job posting stand out from the crowd. Hiring the right people is cru- cial to a company's success but the job can be made easier by us- ing the technology an ATS can provide. Gerald Adams is media director at CanPay Software in Winnipeg. To learn more about applicant tracking systems and related HR and payroll solutions, visit www.canpay.com. Rich media options ATS < pg. 23

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