May, 2019 | Article
How to Fix the #1 Complaint from Workplace Teams
For the past 25 years I have worked with business teams, trying to figure out what is getting in the way from them showing up as the best version of themselves. What needs to change in order for us to do the work we love and feel like we are making progress and having an effect on the outcomes we seek? And quite simply, the number one complaint that surfaces over and over and over again is ‘How can we improve how we communicate?’ How can we build better relationships with the people we literally spend the most time with, our co-workers?’
Communication is something we do reflexively — like breathing. We talk to our spouses, kids and friends without giving much thought to how we’re doing it. It might seem easy, but communicating effectively actually takes quite a bit of finesse. Choosing the right words, listening with our minds instead of just our ears, and getting our message across are skills that we all need to work on. This means across all ways you communicate in your place of work.
When you think about your current workplace, I’d like you to rate your team out of (/10). Zero means you think the lines of communication in your workplace are crap and a 10 means everyone works daily at improving how we receive and deliver ideas, thoughts and decisions. And if you scored less than 7/10 the following tips are for you.
1. Listening
If you do nothing else on this list but this one, your ability to make your workplace and the Relationships with in it, better immediately.
Being a good listener is one of the best ways to be a good communicator. No one likes communicating with someone who only cares about putting in her two cents and does not take the time to listen to the other person. If you’re not a good listener, it’s going to be hard to comprehend what you’re being asked to do.
Take the time to practice active listening. Active listening involves paying close attention to what the other person is saying, asking clarifying questions, and rephrasing what the person says to ensure understanding (“So, what you’re saying is…”). Through active listening, you can better understand what the other person is trying to say, and can respond appropriately.
2. Can I give you Some Feedback
No employee wants to exist in a vacuum. Whether they’re working tirelessly to get projects done or slacking off, your workers need to know that you recognize and appreciate their efforts — or expect them to work harder.
You don’t have to hold regular meetings to share feedback, although that’s one way to do it. There are many other ways to let your employees know what you’re thinking — through e-mail, phone calls, or a brief status update a couple of mornings a week.
When you do give feedback, make sure it’s as clear and detailed as possible. Try to offer solutions if there is a problem. For example, don’t just say, “You aren’t putting in enough effort.” Instead say, “When you are late 3 weeks in a row filing your budget reports, it gives me the sense that you don’t have enough time invested in your accounting procedures. Can you let me know why you’ve been late and how we might help you get back on track with these reports?”
Don’t forget to give positive feedback, too. Praise and recognition make employees feel important, which motivates them further. Take your team out to lunch to celebrate a sales milestone, give key employees gift certificates to say thanks for a job well done, or just tell them, “You did a great job on that presentation. Good work.”
3. Revive the Lost Art of a Conversation
Since the late 1990s, companies have become dependent on e-mail as their primary connection with outside clients and colleagues. They even prefer e-mail for internal communications (which means employees sitting just a cubicle-length apart are writing to, rather than talking to one another). We’ve become so reliant on our computers and smartphones that we’ve neglected the art of conversation.
Technology is wonderful for improving speed, but it can have a detrimental effect on personal relationships. How many times have you sent an e-mail with the best intentions, only to have its message misconstrued on the other end? A short response sent in haste can easily be misinterpreted as a lack of care — or worse, as a sign that you’re angry.
The majority of meaning construed in conversation comes not from the words themselves, but from the speakers’ facial expressions and body language. Take gestures and smiles out of the equation, and recipients can easily get the wrong idea, especially when the sender isn’t that great at forming sentences. “Sup?”
There’s a cure for technology overload: Pick up the phone once in a while and make a call. Better yet, take a little walk across the office and talk to your co-workers face-to-face.
4. Save your Workplace Relationships and handle Conflict with Diplomacy
Put a group of different personalities in the same room for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, add the stress of multiple deadlines, and you’ve got a recipe for conflict. No matter how well intentioned and intellectually compatible the group of people you’ve hired may be, inevitably you’re going to have squabbles over who jammed up the copier or accidentally deleted a co-worker’s file. Did you know that the Navy Seals have a policy that when they have meetings? The policy is: “Everyone sits where ever they want.” Regardless of rank. They simply will not put up with anyone acting like a jerk. I LOVE that!
Most minor issues will blow over on their own, but a few can turn into major disputes. Some office arguments can be serious enough to prompt legal action.
To prevent small conflicts from exploding into major crises, nip issues in the bud right away. Let employees/ team mates know from the start that your door is always open. Encourage them to come to you by creating a safe environment in which they feel comfortable honestly and openly voicing their frustrations. All conversations held in your office should remain completely confidential.
When you respond to conflicts, do so with an open mind and a nonjudgmental approach. That means absolutely no personal attacks. By asking questions and really listening to the responses so you understand how each person in the dispute feels. And help your team come to a compromised resolution.
If all of the above seems overwhelming, then ask your team, how they would like to improve communications in all levels and come up with a few strategies that you all as a team can work on.
Here’s to getting to a 10/10 in the area of Communications and Effective Relationships at Work.