How Effective is Your Workplace Communication?

Problems with workplace communication are regularly regarded as a major organizational issue in employee surveys. Effective communication can be nearly impossible to achieve when organizations don’t focus on improving the quality of workplace conversations.

 

A global survey has rated workplace miscommunication as the NUMBER ONE cause of workplace inefficiency. While the U.S. leads the way, Canada solidly holds down the #5 spot - Canadian business owners say that better than 1 in 4 business communications are miscommunicated in one way or another. Here are the comparative statistics:

 

USA 53%

United Kingdom 50%

Australia 46%

Asia 48%

Canada 28%

Source: Organizations That Matter Survey

 

Translated into dollars and cents, these huge inefficiencies can cost billions.  Don't let the ‘rumor-mill’ and misperceived instructions dominate the conversations within your organization and cause massive inefficiencies. Your staff (and your bottom line) can benefit from learning critical skills for enhanced workplace communication, such as:

• Learning how to dialogue for clarification
• Discovering how to set specific, measurable, agreed upon, realistic and time framed goals
• Recognizing how co-workers see the world and how they interpret information presented to them.

 

Grab your calculator.  What would a 5% improvement in workplace efficiency do for your bottom line? And a 10% improvement? 

 

Developing the capacity for effective workplace communication can start today! Contact COACH David now! 

 

 

Business Coach David Green

ActionCOACH Lethbridge

actioncoachdavidgreen.com

 

 

So taxing!

It's tax time. And while most people agree that having good roads, health care, and social programs are important for the well-being of our society, it doesn't make the bottom line of income tax reports any more cheerful.

So while accountants put in countless hours to make sure you get the most out of your income, what hours are you putting in to make sure you get the most out of your income?

A friend of mine was recently brought to the realization that his current standard of living was completely self-imposed. In spite of earning an above-average living and maintaining a below-average debt ratio (meaning, he makes good money and doesn't have any house or car payments), he was still ending each month with nothing left in his bank account. And complaining loudly about it. And mourning the fact that his lifestyle was not more like mine (ha!). So we talked about it. And he realized he made more money than I did. Yet, I own a home and a couple of vehicles and have twice the number of children he does. We manage to eat and have clothes and enjoy some entertainment and manage all of our household and business expenses. So what is the real difference between us? CHOICE. That is all.

You can afford what you want to afford. You can live the way you want to live. You can make your income work for you to achieve the lifestyle you desire. So put in some time to decide what you really want to do, lay out a plan to achieve it, and exercise a little self-discipline. Make your money work for you.

And don't worry about the tax man - it can be a win-win if everyone is doing their part to responsibly manage money.

I told them they did a good job. I think.

You can't underestimate the value of a great team that synergizes business activity into a living, morphing organism of sustainable success. Do you know the secret to that success? It can be summed up in two words: effective communication.

Are your team members on the same page? Do you even know if they are? Maybe they are and they just don't speak the same language. Maybe they're not and they still don't speak the same language. And maybe they are misunderstanding you, the goals of the business, or other key concepts that daily affect their ability to contribute to the success of the company.

There are 98 common ways of saying, "You did a good job." How do you say it? How do your team members understand it? Do you think you're being supportive and congratulatory when in reality your team feels your encouragement is meagre at best? Are your staff meetings and team-building exercises successful or are they more an exercise in frustration? Do they build your team or do they seem to exacerbate differences instead? How well do you and your team members really communicate?

When a business owner and staff communicate effectively together and with one another, the result is a cohesive operation that runs seamlessly. Even when problems and obstacles arise they can be dealt with quickly and efficiently. Positive energy, creative thinking, and ambition thrive in this kind of environment. When everyone feels heard, understood, and supported, they can put forth their best efforts in the workplace and know that these efforts are appreciated and rewarded. Everyone gives and takes and supports the business functions from their individual positions. It all comes together. And great things happen as this synergy places the business and everyone in it on the road to success.

If you find that your team is continually struggling to understand each other, that your staff is lacking in motivation, that you don't seem to be able to find common ground on which to build common understanding, or you're constantly frustrated with efforts to connect, it's time to call in a Business Coach. And not just any Coach - one that has experience with mediation, with strategies to build and enhance communication, and expertise in a variety of team settings (including corporate human resources, small business staffing practices, society and board function, and even government and municipal affairs). Team building is no easy task and you need an experienced Business Coach to make sure that the best is brought out in every member of your staff.

Take action today and start enjoying the synergy that will result in success. For you and everyone on your team. Call David Green today.