An employee conversation with a manager, without any words spoken by the boss—is it possible?
Can a manager just listen, say little, and let the “reportee” do all the talking? If yes, then should you, as a manager, do it?
A conversation of this type is usually bidirectional. Two people putting forth their ideas, suggestions, thoughts, updates, and statuses—that’s what we usually call a “manager conversation.”
Sometimes though, it is important to use fewer words, and let our silence and our body language speak more.
When you’re having a manager-reportee one-on-one, the reportee sometimes has too much to say. She or he wants to pour out everything from inside their head: their complaints, their grievances, their obstacles, their wishes, their dreams, and their pain.
It’s pertinent in such situations to have a conversation without many spoken words from the manager. Understand that complaints and emotional outbursts can only come from someone who really cares.
People who are really passionate about their work are the ones who can feel the pain, and it takes courage to express that pain.
Knowing when and how you need to hand over the talking reins to your directs is a leadership skill not easy to develop.
For future leaders, having a manager conversation with fewer words is something worth exploring, worth learning about, and worth building as a distinctive quality.