Survey: 69 percent of managers dislike communicating with staff
They especially are uncomfortable offering criticism that might cause employees to flare up. Why—and what can be done about this?
Most internal communications strategies include a serious emphasis on manager-to-employee messaging and feedback.
But what happens if your managers are uncomfortable communicating with employees when staffers might feel hurt or stir up unwanted drama?
A new Interact survey of 2,000 U.S. adults by Harris Poll reveals that that 69 percent of managers are often uneasy about communicating with employees, and 37 percent say they dislike giving employees direct feedback if they think the staffer might respond negatively, the Harvard Business Review reports.
“Our own nervousness causes us to tense up and over-dramatize the conversation,” Interact states. “We set ourselves up for a fearful response with demands like, ‘Come in and shut the door. I need to talk to you.’ We create an environment of conflict.”
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