People all across the world have realized the value of better communication. Studies in communication and their implications have changed the views and lives of many. Once you start working, you spend a major chunk of your day at office. This marks a drastic change in the social circle of the individual, as compared to good old college days. For many people, it comes as a culture shock. However, it is quite simple to understand the work culture and communicate with the people around, only if you know how. There are professionals who have been in the industry for years, and still struggle at communicating with others. Well, if the situation rings a bell, then it is time to hit the refresh button. Learning communication skills is an on-going process; no one can know it all. Hence, there are always things that newbies can learn from the experienced ones and something that the starters can teach the experienced ones. Whichever be the case, there are certain basics that you need to know before you can work on your communication at work.
Importance Of Communication At Work
Professional Communication
Professional communication is very formal. This does not mean that you have to be distant and cold or go out of your way to please others. Each situation and position demands different way of communication. There are various kinds of people working in a firm or a company. Listed below are some of the broad categories under which a firm is divided.
As A Manager
As a manager, it is important that your subordinates obey you. Your communication to them should be, therefore, crisp and clear. Instead of beating around the bush, be direct in your communication. Although you are required to be straightforward and stern in your tone, you should not come across as being unfriendly to the other person. Being too friendly can also have undesirable results, which is why you must draw a balance in the way you communicate. A manager should be someone people like to work for and at the same time should be someone whom no one takes for granted.
As A Leader
A leader is different from a manager. He is someone who motivates the team members to constantly aim for a higher goal, which is why his way of communicating has to be very motivational. He has to communicate very sensitively, bringing the best out of each teammate. This makes feedback a very important element of a leader’s communication. Positive or negative, it is important to let the worker know the performance analysis of his work. However, most of the time, a substantial amount of effort is put into doing some work. That is why the feedback has to be communicated very carefully. Negative feedback should not demotivate the person to work further nor should positive feedback deter him from attempting better.
As A Labor
If you are the labor or the subordinate who has to work under a senior, you have to be very careful how you communicate with them. In addition, your relationship with your co-workers matters. Whenever you are talking to your senior, there always has to be a hint of respectfulness. Being polite is a virtue that needs to be followed not only towards your seniors, but also towards your equals and your juniors. When you are polite, people’s receptiveness towards your words increases.
As A Creative Labor
Creative people are always uneasy doing things the conventional way. If you are one such person, you definitely need to have good communication skills. This is because when ideas are novel, it takes efforts to make people understand them, as they are not accustomed to it. Especially when you are a junior in the firm, your new ideas are less likely to be accepted unless presented in an effective way.
Looking After The Customer
At a workplace, there are not just workers, but also customers, especially, if you are working at a place that sells service. Patience is the first thing that you keep in mind while conversing with your customer. The customer is most of the time not sympathetic to your position and your work and can be extremely difficult to deal with. This can turn out to be a big challenge for you. It takes a person good speaker to convince a customer and the only key to success here in proper communication.
Good communication skills are something that will help you survive and thrive at your work place, creating a better work place that is easy to work in.
