5 Ways to Communicate Better at Work

by Jon on 2009/06/03

in communication

How do you communicate at work?

How do you communicate at work?


Talking with a friend over coffee this morning, it was clear her company have massive problems communicating with each other. Bosses bark out orders to middle managers. Middle managers feel they’re not being listened to. Meanwhile, the company is under massive pressure to increase profits.

Amidst turbulent economic times it’s easy to lose focus, panic and stress out. But you mustn’t let this effect the way you talk to each other within a company.

If good communication goes out the window relationships suffer

And that may well have a knock-on effect on productivity, growth and profits.

There are lots of ways to help you promote good communication at work. Here are five:

  1. Hold a solo brainstorming session and write down as many ways you can think of to be a better communicator at work. Getting mentally set to communicate better is imperative.
  2. Cut as much bureaucracy and complexity from your internal communications. If you’re a manager, appoint someone to review internal communications and instruct them to slash as much bureaucracy and complexity as possible.
  3. Remember to say something positive to colleagues, even if you intend to ask them to adjust what they’re doing. E.g. “I’ve noticed you’ve been putting in a lot of extra work on the project. That’s great. But I need you to shift focus slightly and cover …” Without the first part of this example it might feel as if you’re barking out an order.
  4. Add “No reply necessary” to emails that don’t require a response. We waste hours a year writing “You’re welcome” emails. Be effective and be happy.
  5. Listen. Get to know your people better. Find out what makes them happy. Show them that you hear what they’re saying. Make them feel seen. Great communication is a about knowing when to speak and knowing when to listen. It’s a two way process.

Image: FlickrCC

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Jon Buscall - Communications Consultant

Communications Consultant Jon Buscall

I'm an available-for-hire online communications consultant based out of Stockholm, Sweden.

What I do:
  • Online Marketing and Communications Strategy
  • Speaking
  • Teaching
  • Training
  • Write stuff: articles, blogs, brochures, copywriting, presentations, the works!

Contact me today to set up a free consultation to discuss how I can help your business succeed online.

  • I think you missed an essential tip: STOP trying to cram real life into an email. Email is flat while we live in a world of visual information and processes. Think about how much time we labor over writing emails about complex things to get someone to understand us – and ultimately it takes 2, 3 exchanges, or worse, we end up waiting on a meeting (either in-person or web conference). This is hugely frustrating and a total waste of time. Investing in the right tools is key to success. We use Pixetell www.pixetell.com which allows us show and share anything on our screens, add attachments, voice or even webcam to our project system, office documents and emails. Pixetell is a secret weapon for us because we don’t wait on meetings anymore and recipients understand the first time. Think about typing an email to explain how a spreadsheet or proposal is calculated, that’s about as much fun as pulling your own teeth. Pixetell lets you show and tell how it works in seconds. Imaging trying to type an email to capture the subjective aspects of a new website design. Text doesn’t come close to how you really feel, but the tone of your voice as you point at something provides vivid clarity, just like in-person. Pixetell is not real-time, it works more like a hybrid between email and WebEx. You should consider adding this to your blog. It has a free trial and Pixetell’s website is http://pixetell.com. Cheers
  • Jon
    Sounds interesting. I've not heard of you before. I don't usually appreciate sales copy in the comments section of my blog but I'll allow this one as it could be a tool people might be interested in. Personally, I think something like Google Wave may be a cheaper option if it develops in the right direction.
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