How to Establish Effective Communication in the Workplace

How would you solve a jig-saw puzzle if you were provided with only the pieces and not the picture that you were supposed to arrive at? This is what happens when communication breaks down. Even though you may have all the information you need, you still can't seem to reach a productive end result.

In this era when everyone is pushing the outer limits with their personal time, precise and short communication is the key to unlocking the benefits of anonymity.

Imagine the feeling you would experience if you were no longer required to recite the same statements over and over again! Imagine if all of your employees got what you said at the drop of a hat! Yes, that's the power of management training and effective communication. Letters and words - when carefully chosen, can turn your company round faster than you can imagine. Listening and giving attention to non-verbal cues constitutes a significant part of interpersonal communication, but why not also strive to speak with precision - mixed with charisma and a bit of magic, so that everyone who is listening can only follow your words to the letter, and do exactly as you suggest.

Be as clear in what you say as possible, and don't leave any guess work for the listener. Any unclear aspects of your conversation stand equal chances of being understood or misunderstood entirely, so even if it's a supplier you've been dealing with for ages, don't rely on what you think should be "obvious". The least of what can be done in these situations is to prepare a document that states all of the "understood" parts, which you can then get the other party to agree to - and if possible, sign it as well. Any new clause that you intend to introduce into the existing agreement should be taken to your partner as soon as possible for their own personal consideration, and if there is mutual agreement, include a written statement of the place and time when the new clause comes into effect.

Dealing with internal and external customers also follows a similar plan. Most business coaching experts agree that the employees (internal customers) should be given an exact position which they're to strive to reach. This should be stated in both qualitative and quantitative terms. Besides this, a career plan for each of them should be clearly charted out and broken down into an unmistakable time-line. Supplement this process with technological solutions to save time when transferring information. Motivate and train your employees to communicate effectively while preparing the reporting hierarchy (i.e. who is to report to whom). This will help them to acquire a broader picture of the organisation and pave the way for long term benefits for your company.

Last - but never the least, always "Keep Your Word".

Alan Gillies is the Managing Director of the L2L Group. He specialises in delivering Executive Coaching, Training and Consultancy Services to International Businesses across the World. Want to discover more about these insightful business building success strategies? Get Alan's essential FREE Business Pack today!