Have you ever taken a step back and thought about communication as a whole? I mean really think about it. We communicate in some way, shape, or form in virtually every moment or aspect of our life. Even the lack of communication means something or has an impact.
So why is communicating effectively with others so difficult? What's the breakdown? Well, for one thing, not everyone shares the same preferred communication style. One person may respond better to email, while someone else needs a text, call, or a message. It really isn't easy to know what will be the most effective means of communicating with someone, which makes the whole process a bit tricky. But hey then you add in the fact that you and the other people you are communicating with may not be in the same location, you may not have regular person-to-person interactions or any number other obstacles. All of this may result in you or the people you are trying to communicate with becoming frustrated. Oh, and it doesn't end there. You also have to consider the fact that how you say or word things could be misunderstood causing animosity or hurt feelings. Maybe you were being genuine and other person took it as snippy or sarcastic. So now you have to deal with someone thinking you are an insensitive asshole - yeah that is always an awesome way to build any type of relationship. Or say you have sent someone 6 emails on the same topic with no response - did something go wrong, do they think your ask is a lower priority than something else? Do you go to their supervisor, do you touch base with your supervisor, do you pick up the phone and call? Now, are you going to be known as the office nag? There are also the people who refuse to communicate with other members of your team and talk to you as the go-between. That isn't awkward or anything. I mean sure this isn't really in my wheelhouse, but I will convey the message - and yeah I will have to try to explain to whoever why you didn't just go to them directly - that sounds like fun. Please let me jump through hoops for you. Don't forget the people who think that they are the big kahuna because they have been with the organization since the beginning of time, who try to get you to bend the rules. Or those who choose not to follow the chain of command, or who have no idea who does what. Now add in the fact that every department in an organization has their own area of expertise. For instance, being in marketing explaining CPA (cost-per-acquisition), ROI (return-on-investment), CTR (click-through-rate), or any number of other things to another member of the marketing team is a cake walk. Trying to explain the same information to someone in the compliance department with no knowledge of marketing that is a whole different communication issue and vice versa. So those are just some of the roadblock that can have a negative impact on effective communication. And this is just really the issues we face with professional communication, I haven't even touched on personal communication. Seriously - don't even get me started there. Okay, so how can we better communicate across channels, location, departments, status, and area of expertise? Maybe you include the priority level and deadline for the communication. Or maybe you schedule a reminder to follow up by a certain date. You might suggest that the organization implement a job shadowing program across the board for all staff, in an effort to provide all teams a different understanding, and perspective of different departments and responsibilities. Maybe you take it upon yourself to create a department training that explains the basics of what the department does and how it impacts the organization. I did this at one of my previous positions and it was really well received by the staff. It might also be suggested that the organization chart includes the preferred form of communication for each team member. There are a lot of things that an organization can do to support effective communication. Sometimes an organization becomes so fixated on growing, brand awareness, and the day-to-day business, that communication and the impact it has on the culture of an organization gets lost in the shuffle. When it comes to effective team or organization communication there are a lot of resources available. There was an excellent article from Bright Work in May, "How to use Communication Styles to Drive Project Success." Atlassian offers some great tools for team communication with their Health Monitors. There was also an interesting article in Inc. by Marcel Schwantes, "Which of These 4 Personality Types Are You?" Knowing how you communicate and understanding how to navigate the world of a team and inter-organization communication can make a huge difference. In the end, it really is up to you to figure out how to best communicate professionally and effectively with fellow team members. Don't leave it up to your organization and use potential communication breakdown as a crutch or an excuse. Be proactive and take it upon yourself to build the inter-office relationships you need to do your job and build rapport. Hey or even better try spearheading a communication project or committee to remove the communication obstacles. Not only could you have a positive impact on the culture of the organization, but who knows how much time and effort it could save the staff and organization moving forward.
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Tiff HolcombI love my life! I have an amazing family that I love more than anything and a job that I am passionate about. But sometimes I am just blown away by the craziness that happens on any given day. Archives
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