Knowing that team performance is central to the success of any organization, the question that immediately follows is, "how do I get the highest level of performance out of my team?"
Sam Watts, of PeakPerformance2 explains that the performance of most teams is directly related to the degree of effective communication experienced within that team. Often times there is a large gap between what is thought to have been communicated and what was actually understood. One of the easiest ways to avoid errors in communication is to eliminate elements that further impede the comprehension of a message. This process is often easier said than done, especially considering the cultural diversity in Canada, and today's business world. Today, many work groups and teams are heterogeneous in composition, and Watts believes that there are 5 tips that can help create more effective communication within any team.
1: Select the Right Communication Method
"The best way to ensure that real communication occurs is to engage in face-to-face dialogue"
The importance of face-to-face communication is verified by situations I'm sure many of you have experienced: you read the content of an email or text message and meanings that were never intended are projected onto it. There is now a tone, level of aggressiveness, or hidden message in the words you read. This is a common problem with written communication, especially quick notes like emails and text messages that aren’t thoroughly reviewed before sending. When you are face-to-face with the person you are communicating with you have the opportunity to clarify and understand verbal and nonverbal cues, as well as adjust to the communication style being used.
2: Align Your Actions and Your Behavior with Your Words
“There are very few things that are more damaging than the perception of hypocrisy”
Consistency is key when communicating. Take for example a CEO who holds a staff meeting and explains that sales are up, service levels are high, and all around the company is healthy. The week after he makes dramatic downsizing efforts. The CEO’s words were contradictory with his behaviors, therefore creating a negative moral and sense of distrust among employees. People frequently assess the tone of communication, but they are exceptionally quick in analyzing a change in someone’s observable behavior.
3: Have a Relationship With Those That you Wish to Communicate With
“The better the relationship, the better the potential for understanding”
The first step to creating a relationship is asking questions. You want to understand what is important to people and what needs they may have. It is important to start with asking questions, as well as leave time for listening. When you have come to know someone very well, you can often infer meaning from their words even if their communication is poor. Good relationships allow people to understand intentions behind certain statements.
4: Don’t Hide Emotions
“Effective communicators do not deliberately hide emotions that will contribute to the overall effectiveness of the message”
Listeners are more motivated and encouraged by genuineness than by smoothness. Speakers who expose their true emotions are normally passionate about the topic, and the human element of their words makes their communication that much more effective. However, it is easy to sense false intentions, and therefore people should not fabricate emotion in an attempt to gain attention. It is also extremely important for emotions to be tied to a specific message, if not, the probability of disengagement of your listeners greatly increases.
5: Select Language That Clarifies
“Words are an integral part of communication and excellent communicators don't use them carelessly”
Ambiguous language, including poor grammar, foul language, confusing expressions and run on sentences make it extremely difficult for people to understand the true intentions behind your words. Short, concise sentences are the easiest to understand and clear word selection will avoid misunderstanding of confusing phrases.
By integrating these tips into your work group, you can increase the level of effective communication and in turn create more successful outcomes for your organization. I suggest implementing these techniques in your team and evaluate their success after a few weeks. A helpful source for measuring your communication effectiveness can be found in the Communication Nations blog:
This post contains information from “5 Keys to Superior Communication.” © 2011 Sam Watts, Peak Performance2.
Katie Cunningham
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