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Poor Communication Can Impact Work Culture and Performance

February 15, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Regardless of the industry or the type of job, finding someone who feels their boss does not communicate well with them is more common then you may think. Ask ten friends and I am confident that you will run across someone who feels that their boss is not responsive to their needs. Some feel like their boss does not listen to them, or does not value what they have to say. This can affect the bottom line of the department, business or organization. How? Well the employee who feels this way may feel disconnected and not put forth their best effort at work. They may feel that what they do at work does not matter or make a difference. This ultimately results in the employee not being as productive or motivated as one whose supervisor is interested.

If you are the boss and your staff feels this way, you are having an adverse impact on the revenue of the company. This can be a major problem especially if your business is in a highly competitive market. How do you make a course correction in your behavior? Slow down. A number of times there is a breakdown in communication between people because one is processing information faster than the other. Talking to the other person in passing may be perceived as rude or uncaring. I recommend that you stop and take the time to engage the other person. Do not interrupt them, let them complete their thought. Practice active listening by summarizing the conversation which will allow for better communication.

If you are the employee and you feel like your boss is not doing a good job of communicating with you, you have a few options. Set up an appointment to meet with your boss to discuss improving mutual communication. Remember communication is a two way street and works best when both people are willing to meet each other half way. If your boss is too busy to meet with you, write down the idea or issue and send it to them in an email with suggested times you are free. You never know when a meeting is cancelled and your boss, knowing your availability may ask you to come in at a moment’s notice. This way you are prepared because you previously sent the email.

Being aware of the other person’s needs, expressing the desire to improve communication and taking positive steps to improve communication are the signs of a good leader. Regardless of your position, boss or employee improving communication will be to your advantage and will have a positive impact in the workplace culture of your company.
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Filed Under: Business, communication, Leadership, Relationship Tagged With: , , ,

Can We Trust What You Say?

December 6, 2010 by Leave a Comment

When you tell someone that you are going to do something do you do it? Can you be trusted?

This might seem like a strange question to ask but it gets right to the heart of developing a good working relationship. When you work with someone else in your office, on a team or with a customer you want to establish a trusting relationship. One of the best ways to do this is by keeping your word.

When I was a little boy my Great Grand Mother, Lily Lace taught me the importance of doing what I said I would do. She said, “People will see that you do what you say and they will trust you.” These words of wisdom I have proven to be true throughout my life and I thought that it was important enough to share with you.

Too many times you will run across people that say, “I’ll call you later.” And never do. Or “I’d be happy to help you with that tomorrow” and they cannot be found when you need them. Some might argue with me that this is an issue of being dependable. I believe that they are only half right. Being honest and dependable is part of it but, it all begins with one word, trust.

Can we trust what you say?

If the answer is yes, you are on your way to establishing a trusted work relationships. If the answer is sometime, then we need to work on that. Why? Because people do business with people that they know, like and trust. If people do not trust you they will not do business with you. This means that if you only do what you say you will do sometimes that people will not trust you in the long run. Is this worth losing business? If your answer is no, then I would suggest that you consider coaching to help you in this process.

Why get coaching?

Just like with any behavior change, if you are serious about making a permanent change in a short period of time that you can sustain over the long haul then you need to have a coach. This person will keep you on track and provide the support and encouragement to be successful.

At Inspired Communications LLC we provide coaching and support for this and a number of leadership and management challenges. If you are looking for coaching in this or another area please complete our contact form with the best time to reach you and we will start the conversation.

Filed Under: Business, Leadership, Relationship, Team Work Tagged With: , , ,

Communicating To Your Team

December 2, 2010 by Leave a Comment



Effective communication among work team members is vital to the team’s success.  This is a well known fact, but what is not well known is how to be successful in communicating.  Too many times we get caught up in the task at hand or the aspect that we plan to play that we may miss opportunities to collaborate with the entire team.  Before we move forward lets address a few issues.

Who is in Charge?

The Team Leader holds the key and sets the tone of how team members will conduct themselves and communicate with each other. If you are the team leader it is recommended that you establish the ground rules in the beginning.  Setting expectations up front will minimize pit falls as the projects proceeds.

What Are The Rules?

Communication rules need to be set at the first meeting.  If you are a leader who values innovation and creativity then I would recommend that you tell team members what you are looking for from them.  It is recommended that you tell all team members that they need to respect each other’s opinions.  Too often there may be a team member with great suggestions but they might feel unsure that their ideas will be welcomed.  Telling team member what you expect and what are the limitations will help to frame the communication rules.

When Do You Obtain Feedback?

Touching base on a regular basis is suggested but what is regular.  Different people need more or less supervision depending upon their knowledge and behavior style.  As a team leader you are empowered to ensure you understand team members and what they need to be successful.  Regular conversations are the best way to accomplish this.  As you travel through the Storming, Forming, Norming stages of team development you can use communication to guide your steps to the Performing stage of team development.  Behavior styles are the key to knowing how best and how often to communicate with each team member.  Some people need a lot of information before they feel comfortable moving forward, others just want to know the ultimate goal.  Did I mention that your behavior style plays a role in how people respond as well?

We will discuss behavior centered communication in a future post. Communication is a key to developing an effective team.  Communicating in the way each individual prefers is the best way to ensure good communication.

Filed Under: Business, Leadership, Team Work Tagged With: , ,

Your Body Speaks Even When You Do Not

June 17, 2010 by 8 Comments

Did you realize that more than 70% of our communication is nonverbal?  In fact I read an article which said that a recent UCLA study suggested that up to 93 percent of communication effectiveness is determined by nonverbal cues.  What does this mean to you when making a first impression?

As you approach someone they will be watch your facial expressions, eye contact, posture, hand and feet movements, body movement and placement.  All of this happens in less than 30 seconds and people will make a value judgment of who you are and what you are capable of doing long before the first hello.   With this said let’s talk about:

Eye Contact – Depending upon your culture or upbringing how comfortable you are making eye contact with a stranger will vary widely.  If you plan to be successful in business then you need to be willing to talk to new people.  Having good eye contact is crucial to developing a meaningful and trusting relationship.  People want to do business with other people who they trust.  When you do not keep eye contact with someone who you are speaking with it gives the impression that you have something to hide.  So if you are someone who does not maintain good eye contact when speaking to someone new what should you do?

I recommend that you practice.  Where? Everywhere, at the supermarket, in the cleaners, at the ice cream shop, any place that you find people you do not know and that you share something in common with.  What do you share in common?  The location where you are and what you are doing there.  That can be the opening of the conversation, “Did you see any great sales in the circular?”, “I usually come to the cleaners on Wednesday because they give you 20% off did you know that?” , “I love their Butter Pecan  Ice Cream what is your favorite?”  Practicing will make you more comfortable and give you a chance to become more aware of your eye contact.

Another suggestion is to think of the new people you meet as potential new friends not strangers.  These are potential new friends who are willing and able to work with you but you just have not met them yet. I read an interesting post by Marlene Green entitled “We have the power to change our conversation” and thought you would enjoy reading it as well.  Please feel free to share what has worked for you in developing better eye contact when speaking to new people.

Filed Under: Business, Interview, Relationship Tagged With: , , , ,