It’s good to talk

A phrase from an advertisement often comes to mind when dealing with issues of employer/employee relationships, particularly when it comes to domestic staff:  “It’s good to talk.”

The trouble is we are all so busy that the personal touch is not so much swept under the carpet, as forgotten under the mountain of things we must do every day.  Sometimes, believe it or not, we even forget to eat!

“So”, we think, “Let’s get up-to-date, how about sending an email or two over the weekend, just to let them know we are still thinking of them?”  The trouble is, despite one’s best intentions, it can easily, if not probably, come across as impersonal, and some would go so far as to say insulting.

“If they can’t even be bothered to talk to me face-to- face, then what am I really worth to them?” would not seem to be an entirely unreasonable emotional response.

There are many issues which, if resolved early, never tumble into the deep abyss of confrontation and dispute.

So, perhaps it’s not just a good idea, but an excellent one to put time aside from one’s busy schedule to just sit down with your staff member and chat things through. Are they happy?  Do THEY have issues they would like to raise?  Are there issues YOU would like to raise?

If you can contain concerns in this way, it is not a waste of time; it is preventing a possible greater loss of time, effort and worry later on.

Worth more than a passing thought perhaps?