There’s nothing as frustrating as costly mistakes and conflicts caused by miscommunication. Much of a business’ success depends on proper communication, be it among its workforce, management, third party service providers and even clients. Good communication skills will always be indispensable, be it written or spoken, be it reading or listening. In the workplace, good communication ensures that the entire team feels heard and understood, encouraging a positive work environment.
Leadership can only be effective with good communication, especially in handling a group of individuals who may, ordinarily, have no business working together. However, it is in being able to bring different yet talented people together that a business can thrive. The key is in spotting leaders and training them to be able to handle people more effectively. With some resilience training for managers, your company would end up with good leaders who can withstand pressures and different sorts of workplace conflicts, as well as take advantage of emotional intelligence to be able to communicate well with subordinates, hearing out brilliant ideas that would have fallen flat had they been relayed to an indifferent superior.
It is understandable that not everyone is gifted with great communication skills; everyone struggles with it from time to time. Improving communication may seem difficult, but not impossible. It can be done, and you can show your subordinates the way. Here are some feasible strategies to boost communication in the workplace and build strong relationships among workers, making completing projects fun, smooth and always on time.
1. Pay Attention
Focus your full attention to the people you are with, be it with one person or in a group meeting. Avoid being distracted by your smartphone, for example, while talking or listening, as the lack of focus is not only rude, it also devalues conversation. Put all other things not related to the conversation aside and maintain eye contact. It encourages the people you are talking to stay in the conversation and not to tune out.
2. Inspire Your Team
Being able to build trust and communicate properly with the people in your team ensures that you are able to work seamlessly together. Some team building trainings can also help. Being able to clearly communicate your thoughts and ideas to your team must also be paired with the ability to inspire them into action, into working with you to reach team goals. Plan your meetings and conversations ahead to ensure that you are able to not only educate your team but also to inspire them.
3. Listen
Avoid monopolising the conversation, as more often than not, people hate monologues, especially from a person who does not care about what his subordinates have to say. Be prudent with your words. Make your message as straightforward as possible, but polite. Make your subordinates feel their active role in the conversation by not keeping the limelight all to yourself. Take a pause after important points to entertain questions and to check if they are well understood.
4. Mind Your Words & Actions
The way you are communicating may be putting people off. You may be using the right words, but is your body language contributing to the effectiveness of your communication? Have a relaxed stance by resting your arms by your sides instead of crossing them over the chest. Keep your facial expression relaxed as well, and maintain eye contact along with your smile. Nod affirmatively while listening.
5. Send Follows-up & Refresher
The meeting may be compelling, but people may not remember everything shared. To help keep it fresh in people’s minds, have a person take notes of what transpired during the meeting and share the information through e-mail.
6. Lead By Example
People look up to leaders who say what they mean and mean what they say. Leaders must be able to follow through on the standards they set, and live by the established rules. You may not see the effects of improved communication overnight, as this requires time, patience and effort. By following the leaders’ examples, teams will be steered to the right direction. In the long run, you will have productive and happy workforce, as most workplace problems are resolved, if not avoided, through healthy communication.