These are messengers who no one would have the heart to shoot. They are great channels of communication and can relay the most painful message with utmost tact. For them, belling the cat (read boss) is never a problem and before talking about deadlines missed, they present the work done by the team. Never the one to get into scrapes, they can also wriggle out of tricky situations with ease. The flip side: Office diplomats are despised, and often walk on a double-edged sword. Devina Sengupta shows what it takes to be part of this community.
Pick the right platform
Get your timing right. Tufan Ghosh, CEO of Columbia Asia Hospitals says one must know that certain occasions call for one to speak up, while others do not. A board meeting, for instance, is not the right place for an employee to vociferously point out where his boss and colleagues have gone wrong. “It’s important to be transparent but one should ask for a separate meeting when things need improvement,” says Ghosh. This, he adds, will prevent the boss or the colleague from being cornered; the aftermath of which may not be pleasant.
Don’t get personal
For an office diplomat, essaying out the broader picture is important to make it clear that the feedback or comments are not personal. Sriram Mohan, a writer for an online portal, says diplomacy is best achieved if a rigmarole approach is not followed. “It should be made clear that the response would have been same had it been any one else as well,” he said. For him, steering clear of uneasy subjects is not the right way to become a diplomat, as the person will never realise where he goes wrong.
Be the go-to person
Diplomats have to be calm, balanced people who will not arrive at immediate opinions about situations and people. An office diplomat should be approachable but not someone who thrusts his views on others; alistener who provides both pros and cons to all the solutions so that the decision maker believes he is at the wheel. An overly dominating person may not be the best diplomat to have around.
Be prepared for brickbats
Being an office diplomat has its own hurdles, which may at times make him or her unpopular. Since he is not very vocal and steers clear of groups, there could be a feeling of isolation while walking the middle path. Colleagues could be harsh to those who do not voice their opinions openly or keep expressing balanced views. They may also be regarded as the boss’ Man Friday, which never tops the list of best friends to have in an office.
Say it sweetly
Diplomacy is required most when bad news is to be delivered. Telling an employee that his work is not up to the mark without demoralising him is no easy job. For Aditi Singh, media professional, saying the positive part before marking out the negative helps the employee. This also prevents a knee-jerk reaction, where the employee may get emotional and think he has been targeted. “Constructive criticism is what drives the message,” said Singh.
Pick the right platform
Get your timing right. Tufan Ghosh, CEO of Columbia Asia Hospitals says one must know that certain occasions call for one to speak up, while others do not. A board meeting, for instance, is not the right place for an employee to vociferously point out where his boss and colleagues have gone wrong. “It’s important to be transparent but one should ask for a separate meeting when things need improvement,” says Ghosh. This, he adds, will prevent the boss or the colleague from being cornered; the aftermath of which may not be pleasant.
Don’t get personal
For an office diplomat, essaying out the broader picture is important to make it clear that the feedback or comments are not personal. Sriram Mohan, a writer for an online portal, says diplomacy is best achieved if a rigmarole approach is not followed. “It should be made clear that the response would have been same had it been any one else as well,” he said. For him, steering clear of uneasy subjects is not the right way to become a diplomat, as the person will never realise where he goes wrong.
Be the go-to person
Diplomats have to be calm, balanced people who will not arrive at immediate opinions about situations and people. An office diplomat should be approachable but not someone who thrusts his views on others; alistener who provides both pros and cons to all the solutions so that the decision maker believes he is at the wheel. An overly dominating person may not be the best diplomat to have around.
Be prepared for brickbats
Being an office diplomat has its own hurdles, which may at times make him or her unpopular. Since he is not very vocal and steers clear of groups, there could be a feeling of isolation while walking the middle path. Colleagues could be harsh to those who do not voice their opinions openly or keep expressing balanced views. They may also be regarded as the boss’ Man Friday, which never tops the list of best friends to have in an office.
(The Economic Times, Mumbai, 27-05-2011)
No comments:
Post a Comment