Our lives most crucial element is communication. Having good communication skills can enhance every area of life, right from picking up the phone to a simple enquiry, to having a more fulfilling relationship with your dear ones. However, never is the benefit more apparent than in the workplace. What if everyone would have communicated healthily with each other? There would never have been a room for misunderstanding, miscommunication, and tension between co-workers. Regrettably, this is not the case in the real world; especially at the workplace where people are diverse from each other, yet have to work together in the same environment.
Below are a few of the important tips to help overcome communication barriers at the workplace:
1) Diversity in the workplace:
It’s a good thing. A more diverse employee brings with it valuable new perspective and skillsets. However, communication can be complicated even with our nearest and dearest! At the workplace, we deal with a number of people of diverse culture, religions or belief systems, gender, and even generational differences. Before you utter anything to anyone, there are lot more things you must consider.
There’s always a common risk that people might take the same thing in two different ways. For instance, a well-intended compliment might be taken as a colleague did an excellent job- or perceived as false or sarcastic. So what to do? Worry not! The good thing is that today, we are available with dedicated communication skills training that can be helpful. If you are keen to gain a better understanding of diversity at work, speak to the concern person or HR team in your company and request them to support a diversity course.
2) Enhance your listening and speaking skills:
Communication in the workplace can be somewhat competing. Some people try to let down the others or try to assert themselves in the eyes of their peers. It is always best to have a healthy and honest conversation with your co-workers. It enables you to put forward your valuable suggestions and in return, get others to listen to you carefully. But, some of it might be down to lack of time and deadlines. Mastering good communication skills, however, is less about shouting the loudest and much more about understanding the viewpoint of others’, before putting yours forward.
The modern organization is packed with distractions, where everyone urge to interrupt others- when someone feels like they are not getting to the point quick enough. Then, there are pressurized work scenarios, where time is of the essence. It can be one of the most significant barriers to productive listening. Thus, one way to overcome the obstacle is by acquiring effective communication skills training.
3) Organization’s processes and channel need work:
At times, communication fails at work through no fault of our own. If the organization’s processes and channels leave something to be wanted, you will struggle to keep everyone on the same page. Encouraging better communication can involve in creating communication-friendly places in the company. It is as simple as scheduling regular team meetings. Improve your business’s internal communication channels and processes by making suggestions and utilizing the changes effectively, but again, it needs solid communication skills.
Therefore, improving skills through focused training can help to break down barriers. Also, it gives you the confidence to make suggestions, spot problems, and keep the momentum going once you implement the change.
4) Understand business jargon’s:
Have you ever experienced that you are in a meeting and do not understand what on earth your colleagues are talking about? If so, let us tell, you are not the only one. There are many like you, who struggle with a lot of business jargons or feel aloof when it comes to the other departments they work with. Many of us are not even aware of the ‘roles’ of at least some of our peers. How would we, without a proper introduction? Due to which we do not properly understand the priorities and pressures faced by our co-workers without at least knowing about their role. The main thing that restricts us is lack of effective communication skills at work. Effective communication doesn’t come easy for many. So to overcome communication barriers, you require proper training.
If you’d want to know more about how to overcome communication barriers, visit LBTC to see what a communication course could have to offer you.
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