Archive for workplace communication
Conflict Management in the Workplace-Tips for Bosses
Posted by: | CommentsAs a manager you must have faced resistance to new ideas, initiatives and change to procedures at some point in time. Good managers learn to deal with these minor push-backs and move ahead. Better ones, however, turn that into an opportunity and gain in strength from it – they create a persona for themselves and turn it to their advantage. Some simple managerial and conversational recommendations that make managers turn into leaders, in spite of resistance from a group of people, are discussed below. They would assist a good manager turn into a better leader.
State your Aim Clearly. For a task to be done well, it needs to be clearly stated. Be direct but be positive and use plain tones. State facts as facts and mention requirements in an unambiguous manner. Clear instructions, without an iota of threat works wonders in any situation. Above all, keep a neutral tone and add no negative emotion to the conversation. Half your job is done.
Let People Gripe – Its their Birthright. You have to appear as a very patient listener. You need to listen to the protests people have, but limit it to a logical time span. It need not be unending and you need to make them understand that though occasional bouts of complaints might work – noncompliance does not. Limit the gripe time.
Understand the Real Concern. Often the real cause of the resistance to a new idea is Read More→
Time for Self Appraisal of Your Inter-Personal Communication Performance
Posted by: | CommentsIt’s wise to do a self appraisal of your communication abilities at least once a year. Your passport to higher ranks at your workplace (in addition to hard work) is your ability to communication well. So, as you do a yearly appraisal of your financial assets conduct an analysis of where you score on the communication metrics and which aspects need you attention this year. What better time than now to start on this and move ahead than the month of February?
What is Effective Communication and Where Do You Stand?
Communicating effectively at the workplace requires your ability to connect with and get along with others. People may have a different opinion of you because you might not be fitting into their scope of things. It can be argued both ways on whose fault is it but this would be a good opportunity to ask yourself how you are being perceived by others. After all, communication is a two way process, and you might be surprised to learn that you ward off others.
Effective communication starts with a self appraisal of ones communication needs and is built upon a continuum of learning. Its time to start now or else you might be on your own and all alone, for years at your work place. Not a fun situation to be in.
Behavior Comparison
Your tone of voice, your mannerisms and your volume while speaking send one loud message when your are communicating. Do you speak with matching volume and pace as others? Do you say things that cause people to react negatively or to visible recoil? Do you stand too close or too far away when speaking to colleagues, bosses or customers? Do you respond appropriately to questions? Do you interrupt conversations with self-serving comments or comments unrelated to the topic? Do you interject with unsolicited advice? Answering these questions takes a degree of self-awareness. Self-awareness is critical to likability. Yearly communication self appraisals need you to ask these questions.
If you are wondering about your ability to communicate, connect and listen effectively then I invite you to go to claim your FREE 6 Part Audio Course “The Power of Effective Communication” and Listening Skills Assessment. Just fill in your name and email in the box on the right. And, don’t forget to pick up a copy of my book, Misunderstood! The Fast Guide to Communicating at Work–What to Say How to Say It and When to Shut Up. Get it at Amazon.com
Misunderstandings at Work–Will Your Conversation Matter a Month from Now?
Posted by: | CommentsLearning to respond to emotionally charged conversations or misunderstandings in the workplace takes practice, patience and perspective. The key is to balance your assertiveness with constraint so you can walk away feeling good about yourself , while not leaving the other party feeling devastated.
Ask yourself the following questions before blurting out an emotional reaction during a challenging conversation. You just might gain a new perspective.
- What’s the long term impact if you say everything you want to say?
- What consequence or result will occur moments after your conversation if you do respond emotionally?
- Will the result last more that those few moments?
- What about the impact in a few hours, days, months or years from now?
- Will this conversation matter at all or will it change the course of a relationship for better or worse?
If you ask yourself these questions before blundering ahead, you’ll discover that some conversations won’t need to happen at all, but don’t make that an excuse for not having the ones that do need to happen.
Thinking about the long term impact allows you to put things into perspective. Perspective goes a long way towards guiding your tone and words, and perhaps changing your intention from hurtful to respectful.
A small shift in your behavior now can go a long way into the future…in a good way.
What’s your thoughts? You can find more information on this topic in my book, Misunderstood! The Fast Guide to Communicating at Work–What to Say, How to Say It and When to Shut Up. Get it at Amazon.com today.
Communicating and Cultivating an Attitude of Gratitude at Work
Posted by: | CommentsIf there is one thing we should we should be communicating daily it’s gratitude. Expressing gratitude in the workplace is the key to fostering good relationships and cultivating a pleasant working environment.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a staff member or the manager in charge, you can use small tokens of appreciation to change your working atmosphere from negative or neutral to positive and expansive.
Here are a few ways to express your gratitude and make a difference.
Things to say:
- “I’m happy you’re here.”
- “I’m grateful you’re my coworker (or on my team.”)
- “I appreciate your smile–it cheers up my day.”
Things to do:
- Put a few words of gratitude on a colorful sticky note and tack it above a coworkers desk.
- Write a few words of appreciation on small slips of paper and stuff them into fortune cookies. Keep them personalized to each recipient.
- Create a weekly gratitude day–don’t make it a big deal–just catch a coworker in an act of kindness or generosity and let them know you appreciate their caring gesture. Listen, we all know who makes the coffee, this is a good time to acknowledge it.
Creating a culture of gratitude will yield greater profits than what’s visible on the bottom line–though it will certainly contribute to that result.
Try it. Let me know what works for you by leaving a comment below.
I’m grateful for you– my readers and clients–today and everyday. Thank you for showing up and participating. Happy Thanksgiving to my U.S. friends.
You can find more information on this topic in my book, Misunderstood! The Fast Guide to Communicating at Work–What to Say, How to Say It and When to Shut Up. Get it at Amazon.com today.
Communicating at Work – Managing Unmet Expectations
Posted by: | CommentsA common complaint from managers revolves around unmet expectations from direct reports and team leaders. Whether we are talking about missed deadlines, missed goals or missed opportunities communication is always at the heart of the problem.
Let’s take a look at just one root cause of unmet expectations and a solution.
Problem: Systems and tools don’t function as needed and departments don’t work well together.
Solution:
1. Provide the needed tools to do the job–including software, hardware, human resources, filing and process systems, proper forms, paper, etc. It is difficult to hammer nails without the nails.
2. Smooth the path between departments to eliminate the “I can’t start my part until I receive this information from…” syndrome. Catch issues before they start. Ensure that all departments are coordinated with the same expected outcome.
3. Grant the authority to do the job. Often an issue between departments occurs when one department is expected to perform but has no authority to make decisions that directly affect their ability to do so. Design is often driven by manufacturing , which is driven by operating goals. If operating goals are best met by producing out-of -date products (sounds crazy, but it happens a lot), then design can not create what the market is asking for and sales people can’t meet their goals. Don’t expect a quick fix. All departments need to understand their role in profitability and growth.
Want more information about root causes and solutions? You’ll find it on pages 113 – 115 of Misunderstood! The Fast Guide to Communicating at Work–What to Say, How to Say It and When to Shut Up.
Get your copy at Amazon.com and don’t forget to pick up your FREE Bonuses.
Leave me your story of unmet expectations.
Communication Styles at Work–More Productivity with Less Misunderstanding
Posted by: | CommentsLearning to connect with all the communication styles in your workplace is the key to increased productivity.
Now I know you aren’t going to get along with everyone at every moment and really, that’s a good thing. Why? Because healthy conflict produces pearls (ask any clam!)
But let’s talk about those communication styles for a moment. If you are familiar at all with communication styles then you have probably heard the them referred to as: Directors or Controllers, Amiables or Relators, Thinkers or Analyticals and Expressives or Sociables.
Even if you aren’t familiar the points below apply to everyone you interact with daily:
- Respect the theme or driving principle for each style. Do they prefer to do things their way and quickly? Do they focus on accuracy at all costs? Do they prefer consensus before taking action? Or do they favor fun while getting things done? Go along with their theme while keeping your integrity intact.
- Shift your style of communicating to meet theirs if you want to be heard. Bring your energy level up or tone it down and add detail or give the big picture depending on the style you’re communication with to increase your rapport.
- To request action, to gather information communicate to each style’s preferred approach to work. Do they need the bottom line only or every last detail? Do they need cooperation and flexibility or do they want enough information to make a decision – not too much, not too little?
Support each style in the way they prefer saves you time, prevents misunderstandings and cultivates a cooperative workplace. Leave me your thoughts–what do you do to get along with others?
You can learn more about communication groups in my book, Misunderstood! The Fast Guide to Communicating at Work–What to Say, How to Say It and When to Shut Up. Get it at Amazon.com. If you don’t need it get it as a gift for someone that can benefit from the message.
Improve Communication at Work – How to Agree to Disagree
Posted by: | CommentsSounds a little crazy I know, but knowing how to walk away from a contentious situation while still being able to agree is a necessary communication skill in business.
What exactly do I mean? Well, if you find yourself in a conversation in which you have consciously applied good communication skills including being an active listener and still find you cannot agree on any point, or you simply do not see eye-to-eye, then it just might be time to agree to disagree.
The consequences of taking a stand for yourself and your principles may be far reaching so be sure you know what you are doing. Communicating your opposing view while maintaining your composure takes fortitude and conviction.
I had a boss once who calmly walked into my office and simply announced that he (the president) had agreed to disagree with the CEO. Not quite sure what that meant, I gave him a questioning look and asked for an explanation.
Apparently, a major request or change of direction, or a shift in command resulted in a situation where neither he nor the CEO were willing to compromise. So they agreed to disagree.
It was civil conversation but the result of agreeing to disagree meant my boss opted to leave his position. Yet, I have no doubt that he slept well that night. He honored his integrity.
You may find yourself in this position some day and you may not be in the financial position to simply walk away as my boss did. The situation you are disagreeing with may be more than simply a blow to your ego, it may involve something unethical.
If you can agree to disagree and continue working without interruption then go for it. But if you find the situation puts you at risk for a lawsuit or worse and you decide to stay ask yourself this–is the cost to your peace-of-mind, to your integrity, to your family, to your self-worth and your health worth it?
What challenging communication situations have you dealt with at work?
Find more answers to these questions in Misunderstood! The Fast Guide to Communicating at Work–What to Say, How to Say It and When to Shut Up. Buy it at Amazon.com
Improve Communication at Work – Stop The Blame Game
Posted by: | CommentsImproving communication at work has to do with your willingness to change. And–your willingness to give up blaming others for your situation or lack of success.
All blame is a waste of time. No matter how much fault you find with another, and regardless of how much you blame him, it will not change you. ~ WAYNE DYER
Blame moves nothing forward and the only way to improve communication is to move forward. This means you must take ownership of the fact that you must change. Ouch!
If someone is difficult to listen to, change the way you approach your communication with him or her rather than blaming them for being annoying, unclear, high-pitched, repetitive, or whatever you perceive to be the offending behavior. Focus on your intention and listen for a single point you both agree and move the conversation from that point.
If you are turned down for a promotion, rather than placing blame on your boss take a hard look at your work, attitude, communication skills and habits and decide what changes you could make to create a different outcome.
If you are still in a job you hate, rather than blame the economy decide what it is you really want and take the steps necessary to get it. You’ll be surprised how this will improve your overall communication.
It’s easy to blame. It takes the pressure and the spotlight off of you but it serves no one.
Just for today serve yourself–stop blaming and start changing.
Find more tips on improving your communication at work, get a copy of Misunderstood! The Fast Guide to Communicating at Work–What to Say, How to Say It and When to Shut Up. You can get it today at Amazon.
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