Effective workplace communication truly is the cornerstone of a productive and harmonious environment. No matter the set-up of your workplace, effective communication that is clear and respectful is essential. It is the key to collaboration, problem solving and team cohesion.
However, within a workplace you will find that there are different personalities, cultures and communication styles. As such, there isn’t a one size fits all when it comes to communication, meaning that it is important to tailor your communication approach for maximum effectiveness.
We aim to give you some practical advice for improving workplace communication and to highlight the various communication styles that you may come across, in order to help you navigate your workplace conversations.
Why effective communication matters:
Clear and effective communication is the backbone of any successful team. Therefore, when people communicate effectively:
- Tasks are completed more efficiently
- Conflicts are minimised
- Team cohesion improves
- Job satisfaction increases
General tips for effective communication
No matter the communication style that you are dealing with, there are general strategies that you can use, to help you ensure more productive and meaningful exchanges.
- Practice active listening
This is more than just hearing what someone says. It is full engagement with the speaker. To assist you in doing this ensure that you maintain comfortable eye contact, nod to show your understanding, and ask questions for clarification where needed. Be sure to also summarise what was said, this will show that you took the information on board, and that you are checking to ensure that you have understood what was said correctly. Listening attentively will show respect for the speaker and make for a more meaningful conversation.
- Adapt to your audience
Not everyone communicates in the same way, therefore you should tailor your approach to the audience and situation. Understanding these styles (more information below) can help you tailor your approach, leading to more productive interactions
- Use non-verbal communication
Your body language and facial expressions can truly speak a thousand words. Therefore, try to ensure that you are maintaining open body language (don’t cross your arms, and keep your hands unclenched), your tone of voice is friendly, ensure your eye contact is appropriate, and you are mindful at all times as to how your non-verbal cues may be interpreted.
- Be clear and concise
Try to avoid using overly complicated language and ambiguous statements, as such avoid using jargon. If you have ideas and expectations you are communicating, make sure you express them clearly and allow opportunity for questions to be asked to ensure understanding. If you are providing instructions or feedback, this should be done in a manner that is free from misinterpretation, so keep it to the point. Finally, before you speak or send an email, ask yourself if your message is clear and if anything can be simplified or removed for better clarity.
- Give and receive feedback constructively
Giving and receiving feedback is essential for growth and development. When offering feedback, ensure that focus is given to the issue at hand, rather than the individual. You can help ensure you are doing this by being specific and giving clear examples. It is important to suggest solutions or improvements to the individual, but ensuring you are allowing time for questions and feedback, and you answer these clearly. Receiving feedback is one of those tricky things to master, so try to remember to view it as an opportunity for growth, rather than criticism. Never be afraid to ask questions and examples where needed, so you have a clear understanding.
- Create an open communication culture
It can really help to encourage your team to voice their ideas, concerns and feedback in an open manner. Something that can help do this is to ensure that you are having regular team meetings, and one-to-one check ins. However, it is important to ensure that you are always fostering a sense of psychological safety, as this will truly help to ensure that communication flows freely.
How to manage different communication styles
- Assertive communicator
This is characterised as communication that is delivered with confidence and shows a clear expression of thought especially with regards to needs and opinions e.g. “I think”, “I feel”.
To engage with someone that is showing assertive communication effectively it is important to be open, honest and respectful. Ensure you are providing feedback in a way that is clear, and that your opinion is delivered in a non-confrontational manner. Furthermore, ensure that you are actively listening.
- Passive communicator
Those who passively communicate often are struggling to express their thoughts and needs. They will often prioritise other people’s needs over theirs and stay silent to keep the peace or through fear of judgement.
To assist you in communicating with these individuals encourage them to share their thoughts (e.g. “I’d really like to hear your thoughts on this”) and ask questions that require them to consider and articulate their thoughts and feelings. Try to avoid any leading questions (instead of “do you think this will work?” say “how do you see this idea working for us?” Ensure that they know that the workplace is a safe space for open communication and that you encourage open feedback. Always be sure to give them the time they need to respond, and ensure you are allowing for pauses in the conversation and you are not interrupting. Avoid using I statements with them, as this can cause them to feel defensive or blamed as such instead of saying “you never speak up” you could say “I’ve noticed that you haven’t shared your thoughts, and I’d really like to hear your perspective”
- The analytical communicator
These communicators value logic, data and facts. They prefer communication with them to be clear and straight forward. They may come across as more focused on the task, than emotions. Information should be well-structured and backed by evidence.
To communicate with them: ensure you are focusing on the facts, use data to support your points and be clear and precise. Avoid unnecessary emotional appeals, as these can be distracting.
- The intuitive communicator
These individuals are big picture things, who prefer to focus on overall concepts rather than getting bogged down in details. They enjoy exploring creative solutions and are often quick decision makers.
To communicate with them keep the conversation high level and avoid overwhelming with too much detail. Be sure to summarise the key points and present ideas in a way that allows for brainstorming or creative input.
- The functional communicator
A functional communicator will thrive on process, planning and detail. Step by step information will be appreciated, as they like to ensure that all aspects of a project are thoroughly considered. Their communication can be described as organised, and they may ask a lot of questions to clarify their understanding to the finer points.
To engage with them effectively ensure that you are prepared to go into detail and walk them through each stage of your proposal or project. Timelines, clear expectations and thorough explanations will be much appreciated.
- The personal communicator
These individuals value relationships and emotions, and are likely to be empathetic listeners who thrive on personal connections and teamwork. They will often be focused on how decisions will impact people and tend to be more attuned to the emotional tone of conversations.
To communicate with them ensure that you are empathetic and take time to build rapport. Show that you value their input on how decisions might affect team dynamics or individual wellbeing. Try to use inclusive language and listen actively to their concerns.
There is an array of profiling tools that can help your business to understand your communicators in your business and to help build great teamworking. At ViewHR, our qualified trainers enjoy the simplicity of Insights Discovery and the benefits it can bring to individuals and teams!
