Survey: Bosses Talk Too Much

One-sided communications keeps managers out of touch with workers, researchers say.
By Ana Patricia Ferrey | Jun 16, 2008

New research confirms what most workers already know: Their bosses talk too much.

A recent survey of 2,500 human resource executives by Novations Group, a Boston-based consulting firm, found many top managers spend a lot of time talking to workers and not listening to them.

"Repetition via multiple channels is necessary" Jan Thibodeau, the firm's director of consulting, said in a statement. "But the downside may be a widely-held impression that communication is one-sided, or even out of touch with employees," he said.

Thibodeau said improving communications is all the more important as younger employees enter the workforce and are likely to clash with managers in an environment that doesn't foster interaction.