Is there any leader, manager, or supervisor who thinks that it would be lovely to get away from the emails, the computers, the smart-phones for just a little while — or have we all become so dependent upon the technology that we can’t think of going even a day without checking the emails, voice messages, computers, etc.? Can you imagine being the management team of a company or organization that inadvertently let an email out which notified everyone in the organization that they had been fired? Do you really think another email is going to be the calming oils on troubled waters?
If you’re in a management position and problems develop don’t expect an email to adequately address the problem. In many cases the problem has its root cause in a communication issue. A direct, human to human contact will go a long way to keeping the fallout from the problem to a manageable level before resolution can be achieved. An email might be timely and can provide a great deal of information. Technology will help provide solutions and perhaps even provide better ways of accomplishing certain tasks. However good our technology is though, it won’t every replace the importance of letting people know they matter.
How does the impersonal nature of the email convey the importance that people have to your organization? Taking the time necessary to directly and personally attend to the issue(s) speaks volumes to onlookers as to how valued people are within your company or organization. Is it always convenient? Is it always comfortable to go into a meeting where you know people are begging for a confrontation? No, no, and again no. But the fact that you think enough of the people to take that time to listen and to try to work together to reach a consensus will be well worth it. It can build a sense of good will and folks will remember the time and attention you paid to their issues. When the chips are down and sacrifices in time, money or positions have to be made, folks are going to know that you’ve done everything possible to find a resolution that is to the benefit of all concerned. When such a resolution isn’t possible, the folks are still going to know that people matter to you. In the end, that’s really what business is all about — making sure the end consumer and the people providing that service know they have value and worth.