By Dennis Sale
IN the previous two columns, I summarised key management approaches and suggested that a human relations approach was preferred as a regulatory ideal. However, this may not work with a significant minority of people because of their personality configurations and neural wiring in the brain (eg antisocial personally disorders). Hence, managers have challenging decisions to make, involving value judgments on how to deal with the latter category.
In this column, I outline and illustrate some specific strategies and behaviours that managers can employ, from a human relations approach, to positively enhance good rapport and intrinsic motivation for employees.
For context, there is increasing research that shows that many of the decisions we think we are making at the conscious level are significantly shaped by sub/unconscious mental processes.
For example, functional magnetic resonance imaging reveals that brain regions associated with unconscious processing, such as the amygdala and insula, are active during decision-making tasks. The implications are that our belief systems, which inevitably have misconceptions and unconscious biases – apart from any knowledge gaps – are impacting our perception and behaviour without conscious awareness.
Hence, firstly, managers need to be aware of their unconscious biases and knowledge limitations – essentially, good self-awareness. Sounds easy, but it isn’t.
Secondly, there are a range of learnable competencies that enable a person to recognise, understand and manage their thinking, emotions and behaviour in interpersonal situations – these include:
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Empathy
This is the ability to understand the perspective of others, their beliefs, perceptions and feelings – essentially their inner maps of reality.
The field of neurolinguistic programming emphasises the subjectivity and limitations of people’s maps of reality, and how deletions, distortions and generalisations are typical problems of communication, and even one’s well-being. Hence, the more that managers can better understand employees’ maps of the world – especially in relation to the work context – the better the chances of positive outcomes in terms of building mutual understanding, trust, rapport and enhanced motivation.
A key skill set in empathy is active listening. This is a listening process that focuses on close observation and interpretation of the other person’s communication behaviour – both verbal and especially non-verbal – and being able to use supporting communication behaviour to encourage productive outcomes.
These supporting behaviours relate to demonstrating the listening of others through short acknowledging words, a positive verbal tone and especially calibrated non-verbal cues such as nodding, facial expressions of understanding, and responsive gestures that signal attentiveness and validation during interpersonal interactions.
Facial expressions are particularly useful as they are easily observed and interpreted by others.
Similarly, eye contact is a powerful aspect of non-verbal communication and research shows that managers who maintain open and attentive gaze patterns during interactions are perceived as more engaged and trustworthy by employees.
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Metacognition
Metacognition is the distinctively human capability to think about our own thinking, feelings and behaviour, as well as monitor and evaluate it.
While pushed and pulled by sub/unconscious processes, ingrained beliefs and emotions, we have the capability to recognise these forces and impose better conscious actions to control them – notions of humans having a free will.
Psychologists and philosophers have long argued about how much free will humans possess, and it’s still a hot debate.
The big point, however, is that we do seem to have some, and by developing metacognitive capability, we can be both more self-aware and able to manage our thinking, emotions and behaviour.
In managing people, this is a great asset as it means we can seek to understand first, then thoughtfully use good social skills to create and enhance behaviours that have positive impacts on employees.
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Communication style
Effective communication style comprises a range of interpersonal communication skills, which includes the ability to speak clearly, directly and is problem-solving orientated. It is underpinned by empathy and encompasses calibrated body language, as well as a range of subtle communication skills. As Mlodinow (2012) summarised: “The gestures we make, the position in which we hold our bodies, the expressions we wear on our faces, and the non-verbal qualities of our speech, all contribute to how others see us.”
He goes as far as to argue that: “The pitch, timbre, volume of your voice, the speed with which you speak, and even the ways you modulate pitch and volume, are highly influential factors in how convincing you are, and how people judge your state of mind and your character.”
Research indicates that managers who subtly mirror and match their employees’ non-verbal cues, such as gestures, posture and facial expressions, can build rapport more effectively and increase feelings of trust and connection.
And, as the famous success coach, Anthony Robbins (2001) wrote: “Rapport is the ultimate tool for getting results with other people.”
Furthermore, the ability to use the smile and humour in management role-relationships positively influence the psychological state of others and is generally appreciated by employees.
Once again, sub/unconscious processes and mirror neurons in the brain play a key part in how this works. Mirror neurons are a type of brain cell that fires both when people perform an action and when they observe someone else performing the same action.
For example, when someone smiles at you, mirror neurons in your brain simulate the same action, allowing you to understand and empathise with the other person’s experience.
The world-famous psychologist Edward de Bono referred to humour as “the most important behaviour of the brain”, and it is typically a positive life experience for many people. It is why top comedians earn so much money.
In the workplace, it can be an especially positive feature in shaping attitudes, motivation and behaviour – as most folk spend a lot of their waking time there.
Firstly, it fosters rapport among team members by creating a sense of camaraderie and breaking down barriers.
Secondly, it relieves tension during stressful situations, cultivates a positive work environment, boosts morale and productivity, while improving overall job satisfaction.
Finally, in this broad influential sphere of communication style, even appropriate touch can be a powerful form of non-verbal communication that can convey warmth, support, affection and trust. A reassuring pat on the back, a firm handshake, or a comforting hug can strengthen social bonds and convey empathy. However, it’s essential to be mindful of cultural norms and individual boundaries regarding touch.
In summary, there is much that can be done to enhance management effectiveness through expertise in empathy, metacognition and communication style. Of course, as I detailed in the previous column these do not work well with everyone and there are reasons for this.
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Dennis Sale worked in the Singapore education system for 25 years as advisor, researcher, and examiner. He coached over 15,000 teaching professionals and provided 100+ consultancies in the Asian region. Dennis is author of the books Creative Teachers: Self-directed Learners (Springer 2020) and Creative Teaching: An Evidence-Based Approach (Springer, 2015). To contact Dennis, visit dennissale.com.
