Management must face squarely challenge of formulating strategies to encourage personnel to communicate effectively.

On other hand, managers themselves have to set example. They need to realize that successful communication is no one-way process.

On contrary, repricocity is essence of communication. This applies whether process is conducted verbally or through medium of written word.

Managers are human beings involved with other human beings. They are far more than givers of information or instructions. Communication is as much a matter of human relationships as it as about transmitting facts.

To communicate successfully managers and supervisors have to understand other person, and have to work hard to get other person to understand them.

Before we go further, consider these two versions of an imaginary conversation between CEO of a small company and his work supervisor. They will give us some insight into pitfalls, and help us to avoid them.

FIRST SCENARIO The CEO, Mr Richardson, pages Mr Smith, work supervisor, to come to his office. When Mr Smith walks in a minute or two later, CEO is busy with what appears to be an unexpected but very important telephone conversation. In due course, he replaces receiver, but his mind, clearly, is still very much on what he had just heard.

"Hi Mr Smith. Please sit down. This is why I called you: at moment, we have an official lunch break lasting one hour. As from first of next month, I want to reduce this lunch break to 30 minutes only, and bring afternoon quitting time forward by a half-hour. No doubt, staff will appreciate opportunity to get home earlier. Will you please inform everyone concerned? Thanks for your time."

Mr Richardson begins to examine some papers on his desk and waves with his hand to indicate that he has nothing further to tell supervisor.

The supervisor, in turn, opens his mouth as if starting to say something, but thinks better of it and all he utters is a weak "OK, Mr Richardson."

Mr Smith exits.

SECOND SCENARIO The CEO calls his supervisor into his office. He is on telephone when Mr Smith arrives.

"Good morning Mr Smith" he whispers courteously, after excusing himself momentarily to person on line. "Take a seat, won't you? I shouldn't be long."

"Thanks for your patience," CEO adds after putting down phone a couple of minutes later. "That was our landlord. He dropped quite a bombshell. They have sold this building, which means we will have to be out of here in a few months. Oh, well. Maybe it's a blessing in disguise; we're rather cramped in these premises, aren't we?"

"Yes, Mr Richardson - but I hope we find another place in time."

"Hopefully, everything will work out. How are things by you? I hope no one is aggravating you too much. Now, this is why I called you: two or three people have come to me with suggestion that we shorten lunch break, so that everyone can knock off earlier. What do you think?"

"Well, personally I'd welcome change, and I know that some of office people would think same way. On other hand, many of our workers do a lot of shopping during lunch hour at big mall over road. They might need a full hour for this, and after work might not be so convenient... Maybe I should canvass everybody and come back to you with a consensus.. We're pretty busy right now...Can I attend to it next week and come back to you?"

"Excellent. I know there's a lot of pressure now. Keep me in touch and let me know how I can ease matters...Oh, I almost forgot - Kate told me yesterday that your son has decided to tie marital bond. Hearty congratulations! Who's lucky guy?"

"Thanks. His name's Jeff Black. I think you play golf with his father."

Managers, Have You Been Shortchanged?

You have been if you’re a business, non-profit or association manager whose public relations budget is focused largely on nifty brochures, column mentions and broadcast plugs. Especially without a workable plan that helps you persuade your most important outside stakeholders to your way of thinking, then moves them to take actions that lead to success of your department, division or subsidiary.

A plan, say, like this one: people act on their own perception of facts before them, which leads to predictable behaviors about which something can be done. When we create, change or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving- to-desired-action very people whose behaviors affect organization most, public relations mission is accomplished.

Managers like yourself can win big when you base your public relations planning on this kind of blueprint, one that demands of you a sharper focus on very groups of outside people who play a major role in just how successful a manager you will be – your key external audiences.

The payoff can take many forms: repeat purchases, a big bounce in showroom visits, increases in capital gifts, new waves of prospects, a large boost in membership applications, and even new inquiries about strategic alliances or joint ventures.

More important, as you move emphasis of public relations people assigned to your unit from communications tactics to blueprint outlined above, YOU move closer to personal success as that unit manager.

Take control of PR folks assigned to your unit and insure that every last one of them understands why it’s so crucial to know how your operation is perceived by your key target audiences. Be certain that they accept reality that those perceptions almost always end up as predictable behaviors that, left unattended, can raise cane with your operation.

Discuss how your PR team will undertake a perception monitoring session and question members of your key target audience: have you had prior contact with us? Was it satisfactory? How much do you know about our services or products and people? Have you encountered problems with our organization?

While you can always hire survey specialists to round up these data for you, remember that your very own PR team is already in perception and behavior game and should be of use for this project.