Did you know that a lot of time and money can be saved by knowing how and when to open your mouth? In my playful rendition of Hamlet's famous line, I revised his struggle against the world to our struggle against poor communication.
Which is worse, admitting to one person you do not know something at the beginning, or having the entire company find out at the explosion of an unfortunate event? I think Shakespeare would approve. In a previous article I discussed how our voice and body language can communicate more than what we are saying. We should keep in mind our posture and body language as we converse with someone. I also suggested four steps: listen, repeat, muse, and then speak clearly. Together with verbal and nonverbal exchange, knowing when to say something aids correct communication.
Examine how and why we communicate in the workplace. Bosses use one-way communication with the workplace to impart information, policy changes, reward, encourage, provide longer term vision/goals, etc. Two-way communication occurs when the boss seeks input from a group or individual or in counseling sessions. Why is two-way communication important? If one has limited access to his superior, each session must count and be productive.
In this article I present three questions:
1) Is it true? 2) Am I assuming? and 3) Is it necessary? I strongly believe correct communication is at the heart of any success. I see in most cases of failed projects a boss will assume the workforce needs more training. While constant training is important, a high priority should be assuring all communication is flowing clearly throughout the workforce. You will be surprised how well projects can come together once you break down communication barriers.
Question 1: Is it true?