Connecting: Sending right message can enpower employees

There are four things you should never say to a subordinate:

"There's nothing I can do."

"It's always been that way."

"No one else is complaining."

"If you don't like it, find another place to work."

When employees complain, there is a better way. Begin by using communication to empower employees to be a part of the solution instead of part of the problem.

There's nothing I can do

When you say to your complaining employee, "There's nothing I can do," you are really communicating, "There is nothing I am willing to do." Don't expect to keep abreast of problems in your department if that is your mantra. Why should an employee ever come to you if your response is "There's nothing I can do"?

A more empowering approach is to ask a question: "What do you see as some opportunities to address this problem?" That tells the employee you are considering his thoughts and feelings and entering into partnership to find a solution.

Sometimes the employee only wants to vent, but to reduce this tendency, ask for his input or suggest another meeting with the expectation that they come up with at least part of the solution. Don't slam the door by saying, "It's always been that way."

It's always been that way

"It's always been that way" suggests it should continue to be that way. It is a poor excuse and strips the employee of hope or empowerment besides, it is a terrible argument. (That kind of reasoning didn't work for stopping the women's movement or for keeping slavery in place.) History reminds us that it's natural to look for better ways, yet at the same time most of us resist change.

Managers who move up from the bottom often falsely assume that working conditions are the same for their subordinates as they were for them.

In reality, several things have probably changed. People are doing more with less, or the time has changed or demands have increased, thus it's false to say, "It has always been that way." Understand that perhaps you are simply unaware of the changes. One way to gain more insight is to ask for examples of how things have changed for the better and for the worse. This teaches employees critical and objective thinking.

Resist the tendency to punish the employee by suggesting that she is the only one with a problem. Realize she may be the only one with enough courage to confront the problem and there may be others who wish they knew how to complain.

No one else is complaining

Although this might be true, it really doesn't mean anything. Someone has to be the first to register a complaint. A better response is, "Do others feel the same way?" Isn't it better to really know what your employees think than to put your head in the sand?

One example from the production lines comes to mind: The department was in transition, waiting for a new automatic stacker that was designed to handle the stacking and wrapping of two production lines. In the meantime, one worker handled the demands of two lines.

The pallets came out every 10 minutes, and by the time the worker was able to wrap, tag and pull another oak skid down to begin the stacking, there were about 15 boxes piled up and ready to jam in the code-dater.

Eventually a woman named Janice had an idea for a partial solution and the confidence to approach the foreman. Unfortunately Janice got stomped with one of his three favorite aphorisms: "No one else is complaining."

Although this was certainly true, the foreman was oblivious to the fact that another employee was going home every evening, soaking in a tub, loading herself with medicine and going straight to bed. She was afraid to complain.

Just a few months later, the same employee was off work because of headaches and tendinitis. What a shame that the complaint wasn't handled correctly. Perhaps the reason no one else complained is because they knew what they would hear: "If you don't like it, find another place to work."

If you don't like it, find another place to work

Other than the fact that this kind of statement lacks creativity, it's just plain rude. Such a statement reeks of disrespect and suggests that you don't care about your employee.

If you want employees to take ownership, it's up to you as their leader to empower them to take responsibility. They have to be comfortable confronting problems and coming up with potential solutions.

You have the power to help them find the solutions, articulate the changes and develop the courage to point out what everyone else is thinking.

(Marlene Chism is president of ICARE Consulting in Springfield.)