UAE managers are poorer communicators than they think (page 2 of 2)

Decision deficit

A possible reason for the disconnect between managers and employees may be that many managers do not feel empowered to communicate, or even make, decisions.

52% of UAE managers believe that making decisions increases the chances of being blamed if something goes wrong.

34% admit to following decisions made by others without fully thinking through the consequences.

26% of managers believe that keeping a low profile at work will help ensure their position is safe.

Many employees in the UAE also believe that their managers are simply not listening to them. Almost all managers (96%) agree with using staff feedback when making decisions. However, only 46 % of employees believe that their manager usually acts on employee feedback.

An information vacuum

The lack of effective communication by managers has led many employees to look elsewhere for the information they need.

Only 49% of UAE employees think their manager is very useful for obtaining important information, while 47% rely on external media and friends for information about their job.

Managers themselves admit that the responsibility for communicating with employees is often pushed off to specialised departments such as Marketing (20%), Human Resources (45%) or Internal Communications (18%).

7% of UAE managers say they don't know who is responsible for internal communications in their company.

25% of managers believe it is not necessary for staff members to understand how their job connects to their company's business objectives.

Dave Robinson, CEO, Hill & Knowlton Middle East, said, "The findings of the Middle East Corporate Reputation Watch 2008 indicate that organisations in the UAE and in the Gulf generally can do a better job of structuring their internal communications effectively. There is real potential for companies across the region to improve morale and productivity by creating structures and systems for employee communication.

Importantly, there is also an opportunity to empower managers with the skills to cascade information down through their organisation. To achieve this, managers need practical advice and the right tools so that they can communicate with employees in a way that is meaningful, relevant and accessible."