Learning how to communicate better at work is important as you’re spending most of the day with your coworkers. Effective and safe communication protocols can change the very culture of a company, promote greater productivity, and save valuable resources.
Here are a few tips for learning how to communicate better at work:
- Eliminate all name-calling, finger-pointing, blaming, and shaming.
- Take ownership for your feelings and frustration by focusing on why your co-worker’s actions disturb you. Replace the “you” of “you always do this” with “I” – “how I felt when…”
- Learn to ask for what you want. It’s so easy to complain that we often forget what it is we are missing.
- Get into the habit of asking, “Is now a good time?” instead of dumping a verbal assault. Once you’ve agreed upon a time to speak, try to enter the other’s world by listening and understanding without responding or interjecting. Although in your world things may look entirely different, be curious and interested in what the other is saying. You may be surprised what you discover.
The bottom line is that if communication is not safe, we can’t be mentally and emotionally available to hear what the other is saying as we are too busy being defensive.
In terms of those who are poor communicators, the best approach is do an in-house training so that everyone implements these new protocols instead of singling out the poor communicators and putting them on the defensive.
If you are interested in conducting an in-house training on communicating better at work for your office and employees, please contact us here at this link.
Nothing effects your bottom line more than communication!
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