A520.3.5.RB_DellElceCamila

A520.3.5.RB – Supportive Communication

            As we are all aware, Plato was one of the biggest philosophers and mathematicians in Greece. He believed, “wise men speak because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something.” A person with supportive communication skills is capable of listening, coaching, mentoring, and being honest while building a long lasting relationship. Supportive communication has become a key role for the success of organizations. Nevertheless, becoming a supportive leader is can take time. I currently hold a medical assistant position at work, which is not the leader role but I find that supportive communication could be of help.

            Whetten and Cameron discussed some behavioral guidelines that could affect an organization positively. Their guidelines emphasize the importance of counseling situations rather than coaching them. In my current job, my manager already implements the skill of communicating her true feelings without being destructive. Whenever there is something she feels is not done correctly, she pulls the employee aside and talks about it. Like Whetten and Cameron (2011) suggested, being humble and thankful by acknowledging other people’s importance and uniqueness can turn any negative encounter into a positive. Focusing in the positive aspects of a person’s contribution to an organization to then bring up some corrections can make a difference.

            Needless to say, the organization I work for could make improvements by implementing personal management interviews to build strong positive relations with their subordinates by coaching them. Such implementation could improve the relationship between doctors and subordinates. In most cases, doctors do not speak to their employees directly and instead, make use of hierarchy resources and have the manager communicate their concerns to others. Having a direct relationship with a doctor would increase the morale of the entire office and in turn, find a more committed staff. Moreover, if doctors would direct their concerns or disapprovals with the specific person they would avoid future mistakes. Doctors should be willing to talk about the problems they find and express how they one things to change. Whetten and Cameron advice using “descriptive, not evaluative, statements. Describe objectively what occurred, describe your reactions to events and their objective consequences, and suggest acceptable alternatives” (2011, p. 265).

            Another supportive communication that could be helpful is the use of specific rather than global statements. Whetten and Cameron (2011) believe communications should be delivered by pointing out a decisive outcome, either black or white. Merely few individuals know how to acquire this skill. More often than not, leaders know what they want but fail to express themselves correctly and as a result, their subordinates are not capable to deliver the results. If this were implemented in my job, doctors would find themselves with a conjunctive group of employees who follow and understand what the doctors need. “Understanding and problem recognition are the desired outcomes” (Whetten & Cameron, 2011, p. 265).

References:

Whetten, D., & Cameron, K. (2011). Developing Management Skills (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education.