How Poor Communication Skills can Stifle Career Goals
Communication skills are a vital part of the workplace. It is important for all individuals to be able to interact with each other, especially verbally. The effect of poor communication skills can erode a person’s effectiveness and possibly cost them their job.
Poor communication can cause a person to do the wrong work or even do the right work, but incorrectly. You may have the knowledge you need to complete the project, but if you cannot communicate your lack of understanding, you will not be able to get on with the project.
Not being able to address difficulties, or poor interaction with others, will make it difficult to move ahead within an organization. When you finish a job incorrectly it not only wastes time, but also resources. If you are a member of a team, it can cause problems with your teammates.
Sue Dyer, the president ofOrgMetrics, created a scorecard that helps management measure the effectiveness of their projects and commitments. Many difficulties arise out of poor communication. Her firm specializes in non-adversarial approaches to preventing and resolving disputes, most of which involve communication.
Some of the root causes of poor communication
Fear: Fear develops out of the need to protect one's own interests. There is the “I am right and you are wrong,” argument. To remove this, trust has to be developed. Are you able to trust the others you work with?
Misaligned expectations: Do you understand what is expected of you? People may be trying to communicate with you, but you are either not understanding what is expected of you, or you are having the wrong expectations.
Results of poor communication
Loss of momentum, because of lack of understanding, can bring a project to a halt. Everyone has to be on the same page, so understanding is most essential. Just one person being out of sync can act like an anchor for the rest of the team.
Dissatisfaction will occur when work is stumbling along because of poor communication. Those who work with you will try to avoid teaming up with you in the future. Your employer will surely notice this, if he or she does not hear about it from your teammates.
Steps toward self-expression in communication
True interpersonal communication happens face to face, whether it is a casual chat by the water-cooler or in a meeting. There are things you can do to help you express yourself. Jennifer Chait, in her hubpage.com site forWorkplace_Interpersonal_Skills, has hints for learning both expression and response skills.
Self Expression
• Think about what you say before you say it.• Be specific, and do not speak in generalizations.• Be genuine. Don’t just say ‘yes’ over and over to sound agreeable.• Become knowledgeable about your fellow employees, the project at hand and the office in general. This will help you think closer along the lines needed for good communication.
Effective responses
• Be assertive, but not aggressive in your response.• State why you agree or disagree.• Try to give positive feedback.• If a verbal attack is aimed at you, go easy. Do not respond with a tasteless joke or invade that person’s space. There are proper steps in every organization for handling such situations.
Active Listening
Listening? Yes, listening is an often-forgotten but necessary element of communication. If you are not listening, you are not able to respond appropriately.
• When you listen to someone, do not think of your response while they are talking, as this prevents you from really hearing what they are saying.• Show interest, by using eye contact, nodding in acknowledgement.• Watch your body language. Fidgeting, tapping a pen or your fingers, rolling your eyes all say that you do not care what someone is saying..
Communication is the lubrication that makes all projects come to a successful conclusion. It also makes the process of reaching the finished project a smooth journey. People will have disagreements, but if they truly listen to each other and communicate openly, solutions will be found. While these skills do not come easily to all, communication is a skill that can be learned. There are classes that may be available, or even by continued practice.
So, if your goal is to move forward on the job, it is to your advantage to do what you need to do to acquire these skills.
