Not only is communication key to building relationships between colleagues, but it also contributes to the overall growth of a company by ensuring transparency. Companies grow together as a team, and as individuals, through interactions including answering questions, sharing information and offering feedback.
Surely, you can go days without speaking to your boss. But colleagues? Probably not.
Here are some tips to better understand colleagues and establish respectful relationships through good communication:
1. Know your communication style.
Be self-aware and reflect on how others react to your way of expression. Recognizing how you communicate best with others is valuable in constructing strong relationships among your colleagues. Also, keep in mind email messages may not be received in the tone you intend them to be.
2. Seek first to understand, then to be understood.
As motivational author Stephen Convey puts it, most people listen with the intent to reply. Do not just rush to get your point across right away and ignore what others have to say. Jumping to conclusions often leads to miscommunication that can easily be avoided by carefully listening.
3. Avoid defensiveness.
The benefit of interacting with others is the exposure to an array of diverse and opposing viewpoints. Be welcoming and broaden your perspective. You many not necessarily agree with your colleagues, but it is about listening, considering and appropriately responding to the ideas that differ from yours. To be frank, it is not always about you.
4. Be open and honest.
There are times when communication does not go as planned. Do not panic, but take the initiative to resolve the conflict as soon as possible. Putting off miscommunication increases the risk of a situation worsening. It is always a good idea to talk it out.
Good communication goes a long way – it can make or break a business. Many companies heavily rely on managerial roles to plan, lead and organize teams; all essential communication skill-sets. With proper communication, managers and employees are able to work more productively in a more positive manner.
