Communicating:
the key to unlocking intellectual
capital
by
Marlene Bernholtz
(at the request
of The Canadian HR Reporter, Dynamic
Communication Skills provided the following guidelines
about Communications Solutions)
If most senior
managers think about Language training at all, they think
of "English in the Workplace" programs for plant-level
staff who need to understand English to improve safety
and perform their jobs. They might know about cultural
and linguistic differences between employees and managers
and how sensitivity training can help workplace harmony.
But few senior business managers have the objectivity
required to understand how their management-level
colleagues can be helped to improve their own
productivity. It is the Human Resources professional, who
has the acumen and training to understand the equation of
skill set, personality, need, and functionality that
optimizes productivity.
What happens when
a manager needs help? Consider these cases:
1.
Philippe, a Senior VP at the Toronto headquarters of
Canada's largest paper manufacturer, wants to be as
effective in English as he is in French.
2. Tim, a Risk
Assessment Analyst at a large international bank,
finds that trading managers focus more on his
Cantonese accent than on his directives.