We have a newly hire veteran in our company looking for some guidance / assistance on how to communicate effectively in a corporate setting versus the military. Any suggestions?
Answers
Nicole: I agree with Mike's suggestion. I benefited greatly from having an assigned mentor to whom I could pose questions. It helped that mine was one who "outranked" me, but was not someone to whom I reported. They gave good advice and we could both be open.
Generally, the difference between civilian and military communication might not be that big! Or it might be huge. Military communication is very to the point and directive; the new hire's perspective will be determined a lot by his or her branch of service, occupational specialty, rank, etc. and so it would help to have someone to help them figure out the new methods for their new scenario.
Hi Nicole, based on my experience, one of the best things you can do is to partner this individual with a " buddy program " for the first year where there is an individual the person can turn to for questions and advice every day. Sure, there are employee handbooks, company intranets etc. but organizations are complex and often confusing, even to the insiders. An individual that the veteran can turn to for advice on " who's who" and how they like their communication is an asset. Some people like paragraphs of information, others bullet points. Some love e mail, others hate it. You won't find that in a manual, you will find that in advice from a respected and trusted colleague. Great question--hope this helps--Mike
Your Answer
Pleaselog into answer this question.