PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION IN THE WORKPLACE GETTING THE WORD ACROSS BY J.D. MCHENRY | CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Getting through to people is one of the most difficult parts of the job for many supervisors. This cannot be taken lightly because no single aspect of a supervisor’s job can contribute to career success as much as being an effective communicator. Since communication on the job is so important, it should be promoted and encouraged at every opportunity. In order to do so, supervisors need to be aware of the barriers to effective communication and how to overcome them. They must continually seek and practice ways to keep communication channels open. Being informal and available to discuss almost any problem has proven valuable. Supervisors need to know
different aspects of communication such as how to promote upward communication, how to carry on a conversation, what to do when they aren’t being informed, how to avoid over-communicating, how much people should be told and how to deliver bad news to employees.
COMMUNICATION IS A MAJOR
PROBLEM IN AVIATION Aviation supervisors typically do not communicate well, so misunderstanding often occurs between personnel. For example, supervisors often wait until the last minute to notify employees. This creates confusion and inefficiency in the workplace. Many employee problems result directly from lack of communication or direction from their supervisors. Employees feel a lack of personal value created by the company when they are not
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properly informed. This ultimately de-motivates the employees. Most importantly, supervisors need to be good listeners.
GIVE YOUR POSITIVE PERSONALITY
WHEN COMMUNICATING Personality plays a major role in spoken communication. In some situations, the impact of personality can be more important and lasting than the words we use. There is a great deal of evidence that suggests that the way we project ourselves to others determines to a large extent how successful we are in communicating. Personality can be difficult to
define, perhaps because it includes so many aspects of us. It is the type of thing we feel but have trouble putting into words. However, one point is quite definite — we cannot adopt someone else’s personality. Our personality must be our own. We must develop and perfect
our own best self. This includes our way of speaking and listening. Our mannerisms, our smile and our handshake are all part of our personality. It pays to reflect a positive attitude and an optimistic viewpoint. The degree of enthusiasm we display in front of others at least partly indicates how successful we are at promoting our positive personality.
USE HUMOR WHEN
APPROPRIATE We need to recognize that humor can complement and augment our personality. The right use of humor can create goodwill, increase
our acceptance, break the tension of an embarrassing situation and promote teamwork and cooperation. Of course, humor must be used thoughtfully and in good taste. Before we include humor in our conversation, we need to make sure it is suitable for the occasion and that nobody will be offended.
REFRAIN FROM ACTING SUPE-
RIOR Having a friendly way about us counteracts any tendency we might have to be overbearing or demanding when we seek cooperation. By refraining from acting superior, we can prevent barriers from coming between ourselves and our people. We can still give our image the attention it deserves. We should maintain a confident view of ourselves as people who are growing and improving in diverse areas, including the vital areas of our personality.
VERBAL IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE
COMMUNICATION Two findings of a Bureau of National Affairs survey of 219 big and small manufacturers and other businesses were: 1. The most effective employee communication techniques are verbal.
2. The first-line supervisor is the key link in the communication process. The survey results also reveal that among downward communication techniques, nearly all companies use the bulletin board. Then come supervisor’s meetings, followed by company publications and meetings of employees in small groups.
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