Read the following excerpt from an e-mail sent by a CEO to 400 company managers at a high-technology company called Cerner. Reflect on the eight attributes of supportive communication and detail how you might apply those over the next 30 days in your job to avoid some of the problems associated with this communication.
“We are getting less than 40 hours of work from a large number of our K.C.-based EMPLOYEES. The parking lot is sparsely used at 8:00 A.M.; likewise at 5 P.M. As managers – you either do not know what your EMPLOYEES are doing, or you do not CARE. You have created expectations on the work effort that allowed this to happen inside Cerner, creating a very unhealthy environment. In either case, you have a problem and you will fix it or I will replace you. NEVER in my career have I allowed a team that worked for me to think they had a 40-hour job. I have allowed YOU to create a culture that is permitting this. NO LONGER.”
Most of the paragraph is person-oriented and uses an either-or statement which is global and nonuseful. It also starts out using disowned communication in a general statement of poor performance. Saying "less than 40 hours" and a large number of... employees" is too general. Furthermore, capitalizing "EMPLOYEES", "CARE", "NEVER", "YOU", and "NO LONGER" could arouse negative feelings about self-worth. This communication is rigid and invalidating.
If the CEO is unhappy with performance he should retrieve detailed information on employee work hours. The CEO could also tally up how many cars were in the parking lot at 8:00 a.m. and 5 p.m. on how many days. However, focusing on work hours pretty much sums up this point. I suggest he use the first week to collect the data before sending the email. After that, allow 3 weeks to improve performance and schedule a follow-up meeting to discuss any further issues. Below is the revised email.
"I am concerned with the drop in employee work hours this month. I have noticed that 60% of the K.C. employees have logged an average of 30 hours per week. This behavior could be the reason profits are down this month. Allowing employees to work less than the 40 hours work standard could create a snowball effect, resulting in lower productivity of our team and less profits. I suggest that you identify why employees are working less than the prescribed standard. I would like to help you find ways to increase productivity throughout the day, perhaps assigning some home-based employees or adjusting work hours as necessary. We will schedule a conference in three weeks to reassess performance and discuss any underlying issues and solutions. If you questions in the meantime, feel free to call or email."
This revised statement is Supportive as it describes the observation as well as the consequences of the behavior and alternative solutions. Similarly, it is problem-oriented and more specific. This email is more respectful, flexible and congruent. Finally, this paragraph leaves room for two-way communication by setting a date for future discussion as well as allowing managers to contact him with any questions.
Whetten, D. A., & Cameron, K. S. (2016). Developing Management Skills (Ninth ed.). Boston: Pearson.
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