There are no Misunderstandings;
Only
failures to Communicate!
As in any relationship, communication is key to a strong business relationship. This can be the relationship between business and customer, or, equally as important, the internal relationships among different employees within the company. Communication can be improved in virtually every workplace, no matter the industry or size. After all, it is the only way for information to effectively spread throughout the business so that everybody can be informed to the degree that they required to properly achieve their goals
There are many opportunities for poor communication in a workplace, and awareness of these hindrances is the first step toward discovering and solving them within your own business.
Among the most trying elements of poor communication in today’s workplace is a lack of information for the proper accomplishment of the tasks necessary within the business. Even in today’s information overload society, employees often lack the information they need to do their jobs. They may have the data that they require from external supplies, however, it is the information that their supervisors and co-workers have, but have not properly shared, that remains unsaid. Frequently, this poor communication is a result of the fact that the people with the information are still processing it themselves, and haven’t distanced themselves enough from the problem to discover that there are other people around them who will also be requiring that information. Furthermore, the way in which people communicate can actually be the cause of poor communication in the workplace. Even if the person with the information believes that s/he has shared this information with all of the right people, this may not exactly be true. After all, some people are better at communicating than others, and when someone who struggles to express themselves is the source of the necessary information, this causes a problem. Ideally, people should communicate clearly, at a comfortable rate, with a practical vocabulary, and in an engaging tone. Poor communication is an important issue to overcome in the workplace, though it may not always be easy. When resolving the situation in your workplace, remember to give it time, and motivate the employees properly. |
And, here are three important things to remember about communication.
1. Communication involves information.
What is the message? Is it clear and complete? Is the message unambiguous? Are there mixed messages? Are there hidden messages or meta-messages underlying the surface message?
2. Communication involves transmission.
What’s the best medium for the message: words, pictures, symbols, telephone, email, memo, letter, report, Power Point presentation, video clip, storytelling, poster, etc?
3. Communication involves satisfactory reception.
No matter how much time and thought you put into information and transmission, it’s still possible for reception to go awry. What can you do to help ensure that the recipient of your message actually gets what you meant? How can you increase the probability that your message is received as you intended?
