and employees sense — and prove — that they can trust each other. Trust comes from constant conversations and the hard work of building an effective, open relationship.

Managers, like parents who want their children to talk openly with them, need to take the first step and

To reduce turnover, managers and employees need to communicate effectively. Nancy, a hardworking competent legal secretary, is considering quitting after five years. Why? Because she feels overworked and underpaid compared to the firm’s other legal secretaries. She claims her colleagues make frequent personal telephone calls, use computers for non-work-related purposes and take lengthy lunches—and receive overtime pay. Meanwhile, she often works through lunch and is not paid overtime.

Her boss knows nothing of Nancy’s concerns. She has an unfounded, but common, fear of speaking to him about her pay and perceived inequities. Worse, her boss has never asked about her job satisfaction, and to replace her would cost thousands of dollars and require months of training. Without establishing regular, safe opportunities for dialogue, he may lose Nancy.

Bosses need to create a safe environment for employees to talk before a major problem asserts itself. With proper guidance, they can learn to talk together without fear of repercussions or criticism. Motivation and success can ensue when both managers and employees sense — and prove — that they can trust each other. Trust comes from constant conversations and the hard work of building an effective, open relationship.

Managers, like parents who want their children to talk openly with them, need to take the first step and t

leagues make frequent personal telephone calls, use computers for non-work-related purposes and take lengthy lunches—and receive overtime pay. Meanwhile, she often works through lunch and is not paid overtime.

Her boss knows nothing of Nancy’s concerns. She has an unfounded, but common, fear of speaking to him about her pay and perceived inequities. Worse, her boss has never asked about her job satisfaction, and to replace her would cost thousands of dollars and require months of training. Without establishing regular, safe opportunities for dialogue, he may lose Nancy.

Bosses need to create a safe environment for employees to talk before a major problem asserts itself. With proper guidance, they can learn to talk together without fear of repercussions or criticism. Motivation and success can ensue when both managers and employees sense — and prove — that they can trust each other. Trust comes from constant conversations and the hard work of building an effective, open relationship.

Managers, like parents who want their children to talk openly with them, need to take the first step and

, but common, fear of speaking to him about her pay and perceived inequities. Worse, her boss has never asked about her job satisfaction, and to replace her would cost thousands of dollars and require months of training. Without establishing regular, safe opportunities for dialogue, he may lose Nancy.

Bosses need to create a safe environment for employees to talk before a major problem asserts itself. With proper guidance, they can learn to talk together without fear of repercussions or criticism. Motivation and success can ensue when both managers and employees sense — and prove — that they can trust each other. Trust comes from constant conversations and the hard work of building an effective, open relationship.

Managers, like parents who want their children to talk openly with them, need to take the first step and

e, he may lose Nancy.

Bosses need to create a safe environment for employees to talk before a major problem asserts itself. With proper guidance, they can learn to talk together without fear of repercussions or criticism. Motivation and success can ensue when both managers and employees sense — and prove — that they can trust each other. Trust comes from constant conversations and the hard work of building an effective, open relationship.

Managers, like parents who want their children to talk openly with them, need to take the first step and

and employees sense — and prove — that they can trust each other. Trust comes from constant conversations and the hard work of building an effective, open relationship.

Managers, like parents who want their children to talk openly with them, need to take the first step and tell employees that it’s safe to talk to them — and repeat it. Professional coaching can help many managers who find this difficult. It can also benefit employees like Nancy by showing her how to raise her concerns and her self-esteem, so that she can approach her boss with confidence and honesty. Frequent, open dialogue will improve employee morale and decrease turnover.

Many workers, like Nancy, rightly or wrongly, fear that their boss will take retribution if they complain about unequal treatment or their pay. This can be paralyzing for some: The fear of communication is comparable to the fear of flying. Likewise, some managers may be afraid to hear what their employees think about work. These managers may talk harshly to their employees, closing off honest dialogue. Or they may avoid conversations because they assume that their staff is content, until some crisis forces a conversation.

People in authority fail to communicate effectively. Too often, managers ignore small problems until a key employee leaves, or the problems blow up into a major crisis—like an employee dispute that threatens