7 Steps to Better Communication

Recently the Thought Leadership League conducted a survey regarding culture in the workplace. Executives where asked what factors lead to a good culture. When asked to pick the most important factors that contribute to a great culture, 86% of all participants selected “Clear and Effective Communication”.

All American Leaders recognizes the importance of communication and how vital it is in any workplace. Here are some of the essential ingredients for good communication in the workplace we found from EzineArticles.com:

1. Give clear instructions. You save time in the long run by taking time to give even simple instructions clearly and make sure they are understood. Leave a pause for people to ask questions or invite them to do so. It is much better if a task is understood from the start rather than you having to go back and do work again because it was done wrongly the first time.

2. Be constructive, not critical. Supervisors and bosses can all too often become critical. People who have tried to organize their work or solve workplace problems themselves may have been severely criticized for the solution they have implemented. Is it any wonder then why they do not bother trying to sort anything out again?

3. Let people know the bigger picture. What are you all aiming for? People will work harder and smarter if they know how the work they are doing contributes to an end product.

4. Communicate messages effectively. Workplaces often have many people working. Messages need to be passed on efficiently through whichever medium: face-face, telephone, e-mail etc. If you have a message to pass on, make sure you do it accurately, to the right person and in a timely manner. If the message is long type it rather than relying on your memory.

5. Give people freedom to organize some of their work. If people are clear about what needs to be done, they can understand and set a list of priorities for their own work. This keeps people motivated to work hard, but also, it makes them work more efficiently as they know what has to be done and can switch between tasks accordingly.

6. Make expectations clear. End a conversation with something like: “Am I right in thinking that you think the project will be completed by the end of today?” Then if people anticipate a problem, they have the opportunity to tell you if there is going to be difficulty. This offers you the chance and responsibility to help them.

7. Treat people like individuals. Everyone has different needs and different personalities. Different people will all react well to slightly different approaches. It is good if you can find out what approaches work well for your colleagues and employees; that way, you will get the most out of each interaction and everyone will be happier.

It all comes down to communication skills or lack of them. It is your responsibility for making yourself understood and it is the responsibility of the other person to let you know every time they do not understand something. Effective communication in the workplace relies upon it.