O
ur department head is a busy man and yet he finds time to talk with the employees. He’s always listening to our ideas, complaints, even mundane stories about family life. The trouble is that nothing would happen. It’s as if he was never there when we discussed the issues. Is our boss a good listener or the workers asking too much? — Pine Blossoms.
The saying goes that we should do something every day to make other people happy, even if it means leaving them alone. But that’s not possible in the workplace where everyone must consult all interested parties to come up with a consensual decision. We also expect management pronouncements to take shape in concrete action. Otherwise, all this talk about proactive communication is for nothing.