In the first part of this three-part series, we described the individual requirements for successful communication. In this part, we will look at the interaction between individuals within teams.
1. Listening
The importance of listening for successful communication cannot be overstated ‒ and surprisingly, people are often not that good at it. But if you expect others to listen to you, if you want your ideas, views and opinions to be recognized and understood, you should be able to listen to others as well.
More specifically, you need to...
...be willing to listen. And that is different from waiting for someone to finish so you can have your say: It means you really want to know about the views, arguments, and ideas of the other person.
...listen with all your senses. For instance: What does the body language and facial expressions of the other person tell you about what is being said?
...be an active listener – which means that you ask clarifying questions if you don't understand something the other person has said, encourage them if they seem reluctant to talk, or express your empathy to show you can appreciate their perspective.
2. Finding common ground
Communication is successful if it takes place within a safe and honest space. To create that space within a team, everybody need to establish a relationship built on trust and mutual respect.
Here are some useful questions that may help you reflect various aspects of any specific communication scenario:
- What are you looking for in this relationship, what are your goals?
- How do you want to proceed? What is most important for you?
- What do you expect from the other person? What are you committed to?
- What are your personal boundaries when communicating with someone?
- What kind of communication channel or method works best for you? How often?
- What should both of you agree to do to avoid conflicts – and how do you plan to proceed if a conflict comes up anyways?
When communicate among team members, it could be helpful to find a common understanding regarding these questions and give everyone a better sense of what the others’ goals, expectations, and pain points are.
3. Ensuring a constructive approach
Usually, work-related communication, especially within a team, is about finding a solution to a problem or an answer to a question. Often, there isn’t an instant agreement on what the perfect solution or answer looks like – especially if different people have different interests and goals.
To ensure that everyone keeps contributing constructive input, it is therefore important to adhere to a basic code of conduct:
• Respect and appreciative what is being said, even if it contradicts your own views.
• Be assertive and make your point, but don’t judge the person in front of you.
• Listen well and, if necessary, ask for additional information, explanation, or elaboration to make sure each side understands what the other side is saying.
• Always assume good intentions, even if the other side seems unreasonable, harsh, impatient, or unfair.
• Don’t blame, mock, or insult the other person. Be open to criticism and don’t take critical remarks as personal attacks.
• Acknowledge differences in a positive way, e.g. by remarking that both of you seem to be very passionate about a certain issue and both of you want to make sure it is done right.
• Always try to find and emphasize things you have in common. It is so much easier to find a solution everyone can live with if there is a feeling of mutual understanding.
If there is only one thing you can remember from all this, it should be this: Mutual respect. As long as you can accept that the other side has their own views, goals, and ideas, successful communication is possible.
This article dealt with communication situations between two people or within small groups. But how can you ensure successful communication across an entire organization? That’s what we’ll look at in the third and final part.
If you would like to read more about the topic of successful communication at work, then download the Premium eBook Navigating Conversations in the Workplace: A Communication Map by Daniela Rohan.
Also, have a look at our website bookboon.com where you’ll find many more Premium eBooks.
#MutualRespect #SuccessfulCommunicationAtWork #SuccessfulCommunication #ConversationAtWorkplace #eBooks #Bookboon #eLearning #eLibrary #PremiumEbooks #FreeTextbooksForStudents