Since entering 2012, due to the influence of the overall economic situation in China, the performance of many
Micro Motor companies has declined a lot. Some management problems of micro motor companies that were ignored and covered up in the rapid growth began to emerge. Measures such as salary reduction, layoffs and department integration led to low morale and managers' anxiety.
Eric, the sales director of micromotor, has been a tough day recently, saying, in his own words, "the feeling is going to be overwhelmed.". Originally, due to the decline in sales performance, the company hopes to reduce losses and overcome difficulties through production control and department integration. As the key department of this adjustment, although Eric has stated the importance and necessity of the current move several times within the Department, when a series of measures such as reducing employees, reducing salary slightly and adjusting posts are implemented, the subordinates still show great dissatisfaction.
After the shock, the problem soon exposed: the atmosphere of the Department began to become a little impetuous, a large number of employees' negative and slack mood gradually increased, and the work efficiency also decreased a lot. Eric even heard the "gossip" that some backbone sales plan to leave.
What should I do? This is not a big problem for Eric, who has always been democratic and active in management, because he has been actively asked by subordinates to talk to him soon. But facing the complaints and complaints that subordinates show in the conversation, Eric, who is in a hurry, is hard to sit down. He always breaks down on his subordinates' words and starts to give advice and suggestions "with reason and emotion". Eric didn't expect that after a hard work, it seemed that his subordinates didn't seem to pay much, and their work efficiency was never raised.
Eric, tired of coping, began to feel anxious. Yes, how can their subordinates' complains and "be ready to move" can they enhance their loyalty to the enterprise, and help them adjust their status as soon as possible and put their hearts into work?
Before we can solve this problem, we need to figure out one thing first: what do employees want to get through "talking"?
In this case, Hawthorne, a branch of Western Electric Company, has conducted a study: after selecting six women working in the micro motor electrical workshop as the object of observation, experts including psychologists hope to find these factors and production by constantly changing the factors of illumination, wages, rest time, lunch and environment The relationship between efficiency. But the final result is surprising to them: there is no direct causal relationship between changing working conditions and labor efficiency, but researchers listen to employees' complaints and interact with them affect their emotions and become the decisive conditions for promoting labor efficiency.
When managers can listen to employees' pressure and give advice patiently, they will think they are the objects of concern and concern of leaders, and their work efficiency will be greatly increased. This is the Hawthorne effect, also known as the catharsis effect.
Listen to the dissatisfaction and complaint of employees and give them corresponding attention. Is this really so charming?
From the psychological point of view, there are several natural common needs, one of which is the need for physical stimulation and mental stimulation, which we call the need for stimulation. For example, babies must be stimulated by body touch, hugs and language after birth, otherwise it is easy to develop sluggish problems and physical and mental health will be affected. After that, this demand still exists, but we have taken some alternative methods: in the process of interaction with the outside world and communication, all positive signals from others: a smile, a word of appreciation, a listening These can show that our existence has been recognized, which is called the need for recognition in psychology.
For example, our recognition needs are often met in interpersonal interaction and communication, and a large part of them comes from work, especially the approval of the boss. Of course, no matter which type of communication, its essence is to stimulate and make feedback process. After the circular interaction, we give and meet the recognized psychological needs in the way of communication. Through this recognition, we can obtain psychological satisfaction and then convert it into psychological energy and deposit it in the bank where we deposit "recognition". After that, when we need to be self-recognized, we can draw directly from the bank. Of course, if it is particularly strong recognition, we may use it several times, but because its effectiveness will disappear in the end, we need to constantly accept new recognition from others so that our mental energy bank will not be "short".
For example, when you receive a party invitation from a friend, client, or boss you care about, you may be happy for several days, and your mental bank deposits will increase dramatically. When you ask them to eat, but the other party does not respond as warmly as you expected, you may feel lost and very uncomfortable. Because you don't get their approval, your mental energy bank deposit will decrease, and when the bank account is "short", you may feel angry and ignore them.
Therefore, the process of managers listening is actually the process of giving psychological recognition to subordinates. Listening, especially after the changes of layoffs and personnel adjustment, will be especially important when their sense of recognition, security and belonging will be missing. When subordinates say some ideas to you and complain about themselves, through this release, they can get the satisfaction of psychological recognition from you. Based on the principle of etiquette and exchange, he will recognize yourself and unconsciously feel that you should be rewarded accordingly: work harder to prove that you are excellent and worthy of your attention and recognition.
Of course, listening doesn't work just that.
David, who is a department manager at a large company, is undoubtedly a great listener. When he took over the Department, he was hardly able to provide effective advice when a subordinate needed his help because he knew so little about the Department. Smart he adopted the strategy of "listen more and speak less:" no matter what questions my subordinates ask me, I will try to ask them first, "what do you think you should do?" So they will come up with various ways, and I will learn a lot while I listen carefully, and then I just need to help them make the right choice. In fact, they always leave with satisfaction and admire my problem-solving ability from their heart. "
So how can we listen positively?
Imagine a scenario where you are telling your boss about your job's confusion and distress. But obviously, the boss's mind is not here: he looks careless, always fiddles with the signature pen at hand, and often takes care of the right and right, even answers a call from time to time Needless to say, you are likely to be angry about it. Because not only do you pour out your distress, the need for recognition is not met, you will even feel humiliated.
Accordingly, good listening is like this:
1. keep eye contact
Usually before listening, we have to have a eye contact with each other, and tell him: "I'm ready, you can say it." While listening, focused eye contact can tell the other side: "I am listening carefully, please continue to talk."
2. make positive response
In the process of communication, positive responses such as body tilt forward, nod, smile and so on are also very important. Because it's telling each other that you're willing to listen and try to listen. Conversely, if you listen without expression or response, the other person will think you are unwilling or disliked to talk to him.
3. give understanding and sincerity
Hope that we can be understood and accepted is an instinctive need of human beings in communication. Especially after the organization changes, the employees' needs in understanding will be greatly improved in the face of the pressure of adaptation, some dissatisfaction and internal uneasiness.
At this time, the core element of listening is empathy, that is, temporarily shelving their own stereotypes, trying to stand in the perspective of others to view the problem, and "feel the feelings" of them. In fact, once managers can do this, employees will think that the boss understands himself and believes and relies on. In this way, employees will have more recognition and sense of belonging to the manager's life, and their loyalty to the organization and their determination to adapt to change will be enhanced to some extent.
As an important method to establish effective relationship links with subordinates, active listening is an important way for professional managers to improve the atmosphere of departments and improve employees' performance. A professional manager who really understands to listen can undoubtedly go faster, more stable and higher on the road of career development.
