Comments on: What do you do when Senior Managers are the blockers? http://www.marciaxenitelis.com/blog/what-do-you-do-when-senior-managers-are-the-blockers Just another WordPress weblog Thu, 11 Mar 2010 06:30:06 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Jenny Chia http://www.marciaxenitelis.com/blog/what-do-you-do-when-senior-managers-are-the-blockers/comment-page-1#comment-522 Jenny Chia Mon, 01 Mar 2010 04:25:43 +0000 http://www.marciaxenitelis.com/blog/?p=149#comment-522 Your article certainly hit the mark. I used the key messages script too and found that stuck with the senior managers and even incorporated some of the good personalised communications of some managers to subsequent change communications so it has a "live" thread approach. Managers less confident of public speaking appreciated other managers' contribution to the script. Of course there is always one who chose not to stick to the script but I found through stakeholder dashboards you usually know who that manager is and therefore manage that manager through additional face time to prep that manager (e.g. before or after the meeting) and sometimes, insist of being present to support the manager. Depending on the relationship, speaking with that manager's one-up manager about that manager's change communications style may also help. Your article certainly hit the mark. I used the key messages script too and found that stuck with the senior managers and even incorporated some of the good personalised communications of some managers to subsequent change communications so it has a “live” thread approach. Managers less confident of public speaking appreciated other managers’ contribution to the script.

Of course there is always one who chose not to stick to the script but I found through stakeholder dashboards you usually know who that manager is and therefore manage that manager through additional face time to prep that manager (e.g. before or after the meeting) and sometimes, insist of being present to support the manager. Depending on the relationship, speaking with that manager’s one-up manager about that manager’s change communications style may also help.

]]> By: Charlie Boyle http://www.marciaxenitelis.com/blog/what-do-you-do-when-senior-managers-are-the-blockers/comment-page-1#comment-516 Charlie Boyle Tue, 23 Feb 2010 23:58:50 +0000 http://www.marciaxenitelis.com/blog/?p=149#comment-516 Boy did you ring a familiar bell for me! Your line, ‘One of the key reasons management don’t communicate is because they don’t think that they are responsible for the change message’ brought back a similar problem I had at one time. Even thought we had a manager’s meeting that clearly laid out the new changes, & what we thought was a clear messages to the managers that they would be presenting these changes to their staffs, we came across a division that wasn’t up to speed with the changes. After some investigating, we found that as the employees asked their manager about the changes, she was simply telling them that someone would soon be around to have a meeting, & until that happened they were to continue with the ‘normal protocol’ as if there were no changes happening! It was like she wasn’t even at our meeting! Perhaps she fell asleep—ha ha I’d really like to know how we can make sure that managers take responsibility themselves for communicating what is happening. Charlie Boyle Boy did you ring a familiar bell for me!

Your line,
‘One of the key reasons management don’t communicate is because they don’t think that they are responsible for the change message’ brought back a similar problem I had at one time.

Even thought we had a manager’s meeting that clearly laid out the new changes, & what we thought was a clear messages to the managers that they would be presenting these changes to their staffs, we came across a division that wasn’t up to speed with the changes.

After some investigating, we found that as the employees asked their manager about the changes, she was simply telling them that someone would soon be around to have a meeting, & until that happened they were to continue with the ‘normal protocol’ as if there were no changes happening!

It was like she wasn’t even at our meeting! Perhaps she fell asleep—ha ha

I’d really like to know how we can make sure that managers take responsibility themselves for communicating what is happening.

Charlie Boyle

]]> By: Diane Hughes http://www.marciaxenitelis.com/blog/what-do-you-do-when-senior-managers-are-the-blockers/comment-page-1#comment-507 Diane Hughes Fri, 09 Oct 2009 02:45:14 +0000 http://www.marciaxenitelis.com/blog/?p=149#comment-507 Marcia That's so true (just because they're a manager doesn't mean they know how to communicate face to face to teams/groups of people). The other issue is that while some managers might be keen to front up, they aren't all as charismatic as you. What advice do you have for coaching (in a diplomatic way) those managers that need a bit spark injected into their communication style? Other than pairing them up with someone 'interesting'. Marcia
That’s so true (just because they’re a manager doesn’t mean they know how to communicate face to face to teams/groups of people). The other issue is that while some managers might be keen to front up, they aren’t all as charismatic as you. What advice do you have for coaching (in a diplomatic way) those managers that need a bit spark injected into their communication style? Other than pairing them up with someone ‘interesting’.

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