Comments on: Staying Connected Through Stories

By: Allen Weitzel

Allen Weitzel — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 23:00:38 +0000

Paul, Thanks for the compliment It looks like you have the management/employee communication situation dialed in. Managers can learn more from workers when there is no planned agenda for conversation, rather than a pre-set, pre-scheduled meeting. I used the snacks for employees system for years. It only backfired once, when I had my office door open one night after closing and a big, fat raccoon from the park came in looking for a handout. I had to re-think my treat storage location, and “who gets handouts” policy. Mama raccoon was not about to take “no” for an answer. Thanks for your support. Best, Allen

By: Paul Warren

Paul Warren — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 19:25:20 +0000

Dear Allen: I can relate to your article and comments. I have the
nice situation where many of my employees drop into my office from
time to time to grab a piece of candy from the candy jar and we chit
chat on an informal basis. They tell me what’s happening in their
area, and we share stories. I usually learn more from the them, but
once in awhile I’ll share a story from my past which helps them in
solving a problem or learning something new about life, business,
people, or themselves. I applaud your approach of keeping the
lines of communication open by encouraging one-on-one dialogs.
It is important for good business communication. Great article.