We talk about communication quite frequently, but do you know how to encourage the development of your communication skills if you find you’re lacking in that department? What if one of your employees does great work but seems to have problems communicating?

Some people, while they seem to lack knowledge, are simply afraid of verbal communication. They may fear making a mistake or being judged based on their ideas. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to encourage enhanced communication.

• Have one-on-one discussions with your employees. They may feel as though they can better express themselves to you in a private environment. Frequent discussions may ease your employee into feeling better able to participate when there are group meetings.

• Whether you are in an individual or group setting, make sure that the person being questioned has a reasonable amount of time to respond before someone else jumps in. We always teach people to think before they speak, but a delayed reaction is often misinterpreted not as caution, but as a lack of knowledge.

• Journal. I’m not sure this is one you would recommend to employees unless they ask for help, but it’s something you can use to help yourself. If you have an idea you can’t express verbally, try writing it out. Seeing your ideas on paper may help you to verbalize them later on.

• Offer constructive criticism. When your team members speak, do not shoot down their ideas as invalid. Explain why you agree with their ideas or why you disagree, but never tell someone that he is wrong or allow other team members to make someone who attempted to contribute feel stupid.

A lack of communication is often a result of fear of failure. An employee that is comfortable with his team mates and work environment will be more likely to communicate effectively than one who is not. Keeping this in mind, can you identify an employee who might have a problem communicating – and do you think you can reverse the situation?

Thanks again,
Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training

Click below for a:
Free email course “Improve your Management Skills”

Moving right along. On Monday we discussed the various skills important to effective management. Each is important as you work on your personal management skills and leadership development.

Today we’ll take a brief look at interpersonal skills and communication skills. At first glance, one might think these two terms mean the same thing, but in reality there are important differences. I do not, however, believe that an individual can use one correctly without having developed the other.

Interpersonal skills refer to the ability of a manager to communicate with and understand his team. Included with this are the abilities to get along with others on a personal level, to maintain a professional level of empathy towards the situations your subordinates may be experiencing, and to simply get along with people on a personal level. Everyone you work with is a person with individual feelings and needs.

Communication skills, on the other hand, involve your ability to take an idea or set of instructions and convey them to your audience in a manner that is comprehensible. These skills will enable you to give clear instructions, communicate ideas to your team, and keep upper management informed of the status of your current projects.

Both communication and interpersonal skills are important, but each is more effective with then other than alone. It doesn’t matter how nice you are (interpersonal) if the instructions you give cause confusion. On the other hand, it doesn’t matter how clear your instructions are (communication) if your team members think you are rude, cold, and cruel.

Take a look at your own management process and style in an effort to determine whether or not you need to strengthen either of these areas. You might find that you, or other members of your team, may benefit from incorporating some communication exercises into your next management training session.

Thanks again,

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training

Click below for a:
FREE email course “Improve Your Management Skills”

Here’s an email I received from Lee Braddock recently. It’s about that many people never actually "communicate" with one another but many people "talk" with one another.

There’s a big difference!

Here’s what Lee wrote:

Sean,
I read this last message concerning, Subject:  Do You Really Listen?.  I teach a course in Effective Communication/Relationship Skills and these are some of the same skills I teach.  I also have authored a book on personal development.  Isn’t it depressing that as we go through school, college, church, and then we enter the working world that people truly believe they communicate well.  I believe it is because we have gone to school and that "talking" is an accepted practice.  I have attempted several time to place my courses into junior colleges and in adult learning and powers to be in the areas of higher learning feel that the course I teach has little or no benefit. 

We are taught how to read, to write a sentence, a paragraph, even essays, but we are not taught how to effectively communicate with one another.
We are not taught how communicate our feelings to another, which is vitally important to sustain any kind of relationship.  We are taught how to preform math equations, but we are not taught how to effectively problem solve, nor are we taught how to properly decision make.

We have always been told that one should play fair and with sports, this is used to teach one to be completive, and to have good sportsmanship, but we are taught how to have a health relationship.  We are not taught how or why to be creative, or to respect oneself, or for that matter respect others.  These are the things I teach and I simply want to say that your information is wonderful, thank you.
Respectfully,
Lee Braddock, MA

How to take advantage of the office grapevine

In today’s dynamic world of constant career changes and promotion opportunities, grapevine is an effective communication channel that can be used to a great advantage by people indulging in it. Grapevine is an unofficial communication within the organisation, where the information is passed through word of mouth at informal gatherings, for example, during lunchtime, at tea breaks, or even at water-coolers. It is basically an office gossip, which one comes to know through friends and acquaintances in a confidential way. Generally gossip is considered to be damaging and is also unwelcome, but office gossip is something that can be used for personal benefits and gains.

Grapevine can be tactfully used by the employee for his professional growth.  It can be used as an effective agent for job search. Many a times, people get to know about openings in different companies through such unofficial lunchtime discussions. It is also helpful for those who are looking for a change as well as promotion within an organisation. People interacting from different departments can pass on useful information about possible openings in a department within an organisation, which otherwise is difficult to get.

Those looking for promotion can assess their capabilities based on these discussions that generally take place on personal and sometimes official matters, and preparedness of others competing for the same position. This platform can also be used by bosses, who are trying to make some judgment about their subordinates, and can get to know through trusted sources the information they would find difficult to get otherwise, but which may help in the employee’s assessment.

Office grapevine can be used to promote a personal agenda by employees. To climb the ladder of success, individuals must make everyone around them aware of their abilities. People around him should know what he is capable of apart from his assigned job. It can be used effectively if one is trying to make a move in terms of nature of job by passing on information about his strengths, potentials and achievements, which is likely to be captured through some complicated route by those who are responsible for making appropriate decisions in such cases.

Sometimes through office grapevine some useful inside information may be passed on that can be used to one’s advantage. However, it should be kept in mind that people should not over-react to information they get unofficially from such sources. They should appropriately react only after ascertaining the truth behind such information. For example, if one hears that he may be laid off because of the closure of a department or some policy change in the organisation, spontaneous action to this should be avoided. It is definitely a useful information for the employee and can help him adjust to the shock that would otherwise come if the same information were announced to him one fine morning by the management. 

But, instead of getting panicky and getting ready to look for a change straightaway, this information can be shared with one’s bosses and if some element of truth is found, one can negotiate his position through alternative means, either by a transfer of department or some other possible solutions.

Grapevine discussions sometimes revolve around the behaviour of a new person joining the organisation. It is always a good option to know in detail about any new person in the organisation, especially with whom or under whom one is likely to work. This can help in dealing appropriately with the person. If one is acquainted with the likes and dislikes, principles, style of working of the new person with whom he is going to work, then a good working relation can develop among them. It may also be a helpful tool for a manager or a leader who is going to head a new group. Information regarding the team members, as to whether they are happy with the change of guard or not, what type of relationship they shared with the previous boss etc, can be of great help, as he can plan an appropriate staff management strategy and decide how to get the best out of them, based on such information.

To take advantage of office grapevine, it is necessary that one becomes a part of it, and for that to happen, one should develop good contacts in the office. It should be kept in mind that it is not easy to get into a group, outside one’s own department. One requires constant work and it is not a single day’s job. Unless one becomes a part of the diverse groups indulging in such office gossip, one cannot make the best use of office grapevine. Only after this level of contact is developed, one can come to know about the confidential news of the office. Once you get a piece of confidential information, you can circulate it and get some more confidential information in return.

It is very important to realize the importance of networking in today’s world, which is always connected through Internet and connected to every one possible out there on the web. A person interacting with another person during lunchtime or over tea breaks can possibly have access to all the relevant information the other person has gathered through his contacts. Indirectly, one’s network gets extended immediately, even without realizing that he has added a few more contacts in his list of network.

Sean Mc

Here’s a management training tip…

CHUNK SIZE

People can be categorised into two when it comes down to the amount of detail they think and also communicate to others about.

Overall you are either a detailed person (specific person) or you prefer large chunks of information (global person).

Specific People give you all the small details. They like to understand and go into pieces of work with the minutest of detail.

(Sorry specific people but you frustrate the life out of me!!)

Global People like to talk in big pictures and are not detailed at all. They are conceptual and abstract. The give you the overall framework or brief of what is happening rather than
going into details.

(……and I am sorry to all of those specific people because I know I frustrate the life out of you because I am a global person!)

You know when someone is specific and when someone is global just by asking them any question!

What their response will tell you:

Specific people will give you all the details and go to great lengths to explain everything. They give you more and more detail when you ask questions. Specific people become frustrated with Global People because there is no detail in what they say.

Global People give you an overview without details. They tend to use large generalisations. Global People become frustrated with Specific People because they go into far too much detail

Using this in the real world:

In Negotiations:

With Specific People…

Avoid generalisations and vagueness. Break things down into the detail and be specific. Present things in logical sequences.

With Global People…

Avoid details and present the bigger picture.

In Managing these people:

With Specific People…

Tell the person in detail what needs to be done and ensure that there is a logical sequence. Do not expect them to think about the bigger picture

With Global People…

Skip the details and tell the person a broad overview. Tell them what the end game is and then let them fill in the rest.

Influencing Language To Use

With Specific People…

Next, then, precisely, exactly, specifically, first, second, details,

With Global People…

Big picture, framework, in brief, result, generally, overview

These techniques and strategies are covered in our Advanced Communication Skills courses - it’s a must if you really want to influence and take your communication skills to the next level.

Until the next time…

Live, love and laugh!
 
Sean