Do you make new years resolutions? If you do … do you stick to them?

At work – and for your life in general – it is a good thing from time to time to take stock of where you are and of what you have achieved, and of where you want to go and what you want to achieve in future. And when better to do it that at start of a new year?

It’s a good time to look back over past year to analyse what you have done. Did you complete all that you set out to do?

At work, did you get promotion? Did you increase your earnings? Did you complete your project successfully?

For your personal development, did you learn new skills? Did you gain in confidence?

At home, are you and your family more content? Are you happier in your private life?

Whatever you wanted to achieve over last year, take time to consider whether or not you have succeeded.

If you unable to answer question then chances are that you never had any measurable aims or goals in first place. So your first lesson learnt this year is to set goals for next year. For one thing is sure. If you don’t set yourself goals you will never find that drive and force needed to keep yourself moving forward when going gets tough.

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."