New Hire Success: Promoting Communication Skills in the Workplace
Communicating effectively with superiors and colleagues is essential. Read this guide to promoting communication skills in the workplace.
Did you know that 86% of employees blame failure in the workplace on ineffective communication?
Many employees and business leaders have trouble communicating with one another, which can lead to a major disconnect when it comes to issues in the workplace.
However, building up communication skills in the workplace is not a difficult task. It only takes some collaborating from all parties involved.
Below, we’ve provided helpful suggestions if you’re looking to make your workplace a communication-friendly place!
Show Respect
The most important way to begin any conversation is to show respect.
Making eye contact, giving verbal or nonverbal cues to show that you’re listening, and being generally polite are the bare minimum when it comes to showing respect. Addressing the person by their name or formal title is another way to pay respect.
It’s also important to let the other person speak without interrupting them. A conversation is a two-way street, so treat it as such.
Practicing Communication Skills in the Workplace
There are a variety of ways to work on perfecting your communication skills in your work environment.
One way is by practicing active listening. As the name suggests, active listening is when you make an effort to focus and hear the conversation, rather than passively hearing but not listening.
It’s also important to recognize any feedback or input you receive in conversations. If you are addressing others in the workplace and they provide you with feedback but feel like you dismiss it, they will become less responsive in future conversations and feel like their voice is not important.
Address the Positives
Employees and coworkers will be less likely to engage in conversation if every message you bring is negative.
Acknowledging good work and delivering praise in conversations will improve workplace relationships and create a path to more open communication within your team. Employees feel more inclined to stay at a job where their voice is heard and they feel valued.
Make Your Message Clear
Whether you’re addressing an entire team or one coworker, be clear and concise with your message. Get to the point and avoid any fluff that may raise confusion.
If you’re addressing team members who belong to different departments, make sure you use terms they’ll understand. Using a lot of complicated jargon will only serve to distance you from other team members and cause confusion.
Be Flexible
When you’re trying to build professional communication skills, it’s important to keep an open mind.
Is there a reason your superior isn’t receptive to your new ideas? Ask questions and try to understand their perspective. Is there a reason your staff member isn’t happy with their work environment? Hear them out and reflect on how you can use their feedback to improve the situation.
Don’t Be Afraid to Engage in Conversation
Whether it’s over email or face-to-face, it’s important to engage in conversation in the workplace. Businesses operate most efficiently when everyone’s on the same page, so make an effort to strengthen your communication skills in the workplace.
If you’re looking for additional help building your team, contact us to get started recruiting today!
