The Art of Conversation at the Workplace

The  subject of " The Art of Conversation at the Work Place" was discussed in a webinar organized by Ms Bija training under their Mask Leadership/ Leaders connect program on 19th January 2022. The speaker was Mr Nirmal Singh Raghav, Group Head-HR, IT & ORG Ramani Group of companies.  

 A conversational style and ability to converse effectively is something you develop naturally over a period of time. It reflects your values and what the 'Total you' stands for. Conversation is crucial for any relationship, be it at the work place or at home The foundation for effective communication  is your conviction and belief in the idea you wish to convey. At work , the HR employees are required to handle challenging conversational situations such as  when you are sacking someone for non performance/ when organization has lost confidence in the employee, interacting with militant unions etc.  

When  engaged in the role of telling a person that he/ she is losing the job, the conversation should  be made in a sensitive manner, keeping in mind the concerns of that person. Drop your assumptions and listen with an open mind to the other person's  thoughts and feelings. At the same time, it is necessary to tell the point of view of the organization without trying to be  'Goody, goody". By the end of the conversation the person should have more clarity of the situation and the way forward. The employee  should feel that you care for their concerns. This in turn should lead to a mutual discussion on  the possibilities and solutions to a seemingly difficult situation. When the person leaves your cabin, it should be with a feeling of optimism instead of hopelessness. 

When dealing with and conversing with militant unions, it is necessary 'to be careful about every word you speak'. Equally important is the emotional balance and equanimity during the conversation. The speaker gave a situation of an accident having occurred at the plant in a factory that results  in the death of a workman. The HR person coming down  and addressing the 300 odd workers should be sensitive to their feelings and mood of the situation and speak appropriately with proper choice of words. 

While on the subject of conversations, the matter came up as to the care and caution to be observed while conversing with women employees. It is necessary to be aware of the cultural background ( as for example, is she from a rural area and not  used to a familiar and informal style of urban people when talking to women?)  of the woman employee so as to not disturb or hurt her feelings. Do some homework in advance as to what and how you would like to convey the message effectively. 

One way to make conversations more acceptable and effective is to ask questions instead of telling- "What do you think?' or "How could it have been done differently?". Always be clear about the purpose of a conversation and be fair to the person you are speaking to. In this regard, it should not only be fair but also appear/feel fair to the other person. The trick is to say what is necessary and important but in a unemotional, neutral tone of voice. 

A question came from the participants as to how to handle the proceedings in  a sexual harassment discussions by a committee  particularly when the person against whom the allegation is made is an important executive of the company?  Mr Raghav  said that  it is important  to remind ourselves of the fact that the purpose of the exercise is to "find out the truth" to enable taking appropriate action. Therefore, do a lot of homework and thoroughly examine relevant facts that should include call records, text messages etc between the person charged  and the complainant. Further, it is necessary to dig into  details of  the backgrounds of both the accused and the complainant. Has there been any previous complaints related to them?  As finding out the truth is the objective, anything and everything needs to be investigated, concluded the speaker.