Workplace relationships can develop as rich and rewarding collaborative partnerships, or they can degenerate over time into stressful and strife-ridden rivalries. Much of your experience in your workplace relationships actually hinges on how effectively you and your coworkers communicate with one another. Learning how to communicate effectively with your workplace colleagues will take time, effort and patience on your part, but you will find that the returns on your investment will be exponential.
Remember that effective communication skills are learned skills, not inborn abilities. Even if you have natural aptitude in some areas of workplace communication, you can always benefit from further developing your skills in this area.
Step 1
Learn how to listen well to others, such as by listening for big ideas and overcoming internal and external distractions. When you listen for big ideas, you focus on understanding and responding to the central message and concerns of the other person. Isa N. Engleberg and Dianna R. Wynn, in "Working in Groups," explain that overcoming distractions involves learning how to address, minimize or stop the inevitable disruptions that happen in conversations.
Step 2
Strengthen your nonverbal communication skills, including your use of vocal, facial and physical expressions, as well as your appearance and your posture. Nonverbal communication occurs any time a message is communicated without words, such as when a coworker responds to your ideas with a look of approval or disapproval. When you use positive facial expressions, you communicate to your coworkers that their ideas and contributions are important.
Step 3
Improve your verbal communication skills, such as your ability to compose a written message or to deliver an oral message. Learn how to better understand the expectations and needs of your audience and how to communicate messages with clarity. For example, if you anticipate the questions and concerns of your supervisor, you will be better able to deliver a comprehensive department report at your next meeting.
Step 4
Learn how to give and to receive criticism in constructive ways. Ronald B. Adler and Jeanne Marquardt Elmhorst, in "Communicating at Work," explain that constructive criticism "demonstrates a desire to improve the situation." If you are giving constructive criticism, for example, seek to be both specific and timely, or if you are receiving criticism, seek to understand the other person's perspective and to find a helpful solution.
Step 5
Develop strong conflict-resolution skills, including learning how to defuse conflict situations and how to discover creative, collaborative solutions. In conflict situations, Adler and Elmhorst recommend presenting "your own concerns in a way that shows respect for the other person." Negotiating and resolving conflict is about improving the communication climate as much as it is about discovering a workable solution.
Tips and Warnings
- Remain patient with yourself and with others in communication situations. Many aspects of interpersonal communication can be misunderstood, and remaining patient will help you navigate challenges and issues that appear in your workplace relationships.
References
- "Working in Groups"; Isa N. Engleberg, Dianna R. Wynn; 2007
- "Communicating at Work"; Ronald B. Adler, Jeanne Marquardt Elmhorst; 2005
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