Yes, you may have heard it before. Communication at work is all-important, you need to think before you talk, blah de blah. There are a few things though that self-help books and career manuals don’t tell you which will help you at work.
Know When to Keep Mum
Getting involved in office politics or bitching about your arrogant colleague may be a good stress-buster and tension reliever. But don’t spend countless hours chatting about things that you have no control over. Focus on your work, and socialise all you want after work hours. An advertising media professional Shweta Pariat, recollects, “I had a boss who was egotistical and never listened to our inputs. It resulted in the team discussing the issue at length, as proposals were falling through. I really found it hard to focus on the work when there was so much ranting going on, but I plugged in my iPod and just went at it.” She continued to give inputs to the management, and eventually, her opinions came to be valued – where they mattered most. It helps to be ‘Switzerland’ and keep your nose clear of gossip or politics in the workplace forum.
Be clear, simple, direct, and honest
Don’t try to show off that vocab you learnt late at night pouring over The Economist with a dictionary. Don’t try to obfuscate your meaning with high-handed words; they only sound more intelligent to your own ears and often deter others from asking important questions. Try to state complex issues in the simplest common linguistic denominator so you get through to everyone. Try to be as direct as possible while covering all the facts. Remember that people have their work to complete, and time is a very valuable commodity at the workplace.
There are never good enough reasons to be dishonest about the time you overslept or forgot to do something – in the long run, it makes more sense to own up to your mistakes and ensure that they do not occur again. If you do happen to lie and get caught, even a small issue can lead to grounds for dismissal. Honesty is the best policy, honestly!
The client is always right
Your clients are often nincompoops who will usually lead you on such a merry dance that you will want to thwack them on their heads or send some equally rude emails. But no matter what, you have to be unfailingly polite and pleasant, whether writing emails, speaking on the phone, or discussing your work in person. They are allowed to rant, rave, and even curse, while you have to smile affably with the composure of a British butler. Even if your client is behaving in a manner that is inappropriate, keep in mind that your work requires you to be on their good side. Consider that they may be pushing your buttons as a means to expedite their work. At the end of the day, it’s only the results that matter.
Don’t tackle an issue with another issue
If a colleague or manager is raising a problematic issue with you, it is often tempting to retort with other problems that the management needs to tackle. Don’t defend yourself by going on the offensive – it may work in sports, but at work, this can lead to your worst nightmare. It is really important to keep issues separate when you are in a heated scenario. Otherwise, stacking up issue upon issue will have a snowball effect and soon become an avalanche that you cannot emerge from. Instead, confront and resolve a particular situation before tackling others.
Air problems in a professional manner
The best workplace communication takes place when people have space to air their issues, from the petty to the more grievous. Speaking about your problems makes them easier for everyone to handle and to think of a common solution that works.
Communication like this creates a flat organisation instead of a hierarchical one. At Big Picture, an advertisement filmmaking company, all the employees sit together at the end of each month and discuss each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Members can defend themselves if they feel a particular point is not accurate, and suggest points of improvement for others. This allows for individual members of the company to develop both professionally and personally. Take the time to speak to your colleagues and confront them if there is some issue on your mind instead of beating around the bush.
Follow these pointers and you will find that your work will flow a lot more smoothly than ever before. Whether you suffer from foot-in-mouth disease or verbal diarrhoea, just remember to take a pause, count to five, and think before your speak, and your workplace communication will improve by leaps and bounds.
Don’t defend yourself by going on the offensive – it may work in sports, but not a corporate office
Volumn 1 Issue 2
