Best practices in workplace communication and effective communicator skills

Communications

As its most basic function of receiving coded messages, listening is a necessary component of communication in the workplace. Without listening, communication is a one-way street; a message is orphaned without an audience. Listening is a critical enough component of communications to warrant its own professional journal, the International Journal of Listening. To listen means much more than to hear, or even to take notes during a lecture, or even to respond. Listening entails a cluster of activities, attitudes, and cognitive states that create conduciveness to communications effectiveness. Listening is the cornerstone of effective communication in any workplace environment, and the most important skill of effective communicators.

There are many different types of listening behaviors, and some are more effective than others in certain situations. Effective communications depend on an understanding of what not to do, as well as what to do to foster listening behaviors. Rester (2012) identifies seven specific listening responses that have been deemed categorically ineffective. These ineffective listening behaviors include interruptions, inserting unrelated comments, focusing on the self, discounting, blaming, evaluating, and giving advice. When one of these types of listening behaviors manifests in an interpersonal interaction in a workplace setting, conflict often arises. The actual source of the conflict can be traced to the ineffective listening strategies employed by one or the other colleague. However, leaders might be unaware that poor listening is a culprit. This is why leaders must create active strategies to encourage listening in the workplace. The strategies to encourage listening could include formal training and seminars on how to develop effective listening skills. Other strategies include timely targeted interventions when employees exhibit unproductive listening behaviors. Creating a collaborative and supportive workplace environment may be the best thing managers can do to ensure that listening is integral to workplace communications.

In organizations with hierarchical structures, listening can be especially important for promoting productivity. Lynch (2011) found that students engage in different listening behaviors when listening to a lecture vs. listening in a classroom that encourages dialogue. While both lecture and dialogue methods are effective for learning, the listening strategies necessary will be different in each scenario. In a workplace with frequent small group or team meetings, employees are challenged to listen to the contextual and subtextual cues of all members. This is especially difficult for domineering members of a team who prefer to talk rather than listen, and who squelch dissenting opinion via subtle or overt intimidation. Leaders need to take charge of each meeting, by observing the body language of shier members of the group. Shier members of the group often have a lot to contribute, and need a supportive and encouraging audience that will listen to ideas in a nonjudgmental way. In large groups, employees will be more engaged in one-way communications in which the speaker issues a report and there may be some time for a question and answer session in the end. Listening in large group meetings entails common sense behaviors like avoiding using smartphone and portable computers except for recording or note taking. One-way communication necessitates note taking, which is essentially a form of listening.

Effective listening strategies include probing for information, feeling responses, and paraphrasing (Rester, 2012). Probing for information means clarifying any misunderstood point. One of the greatest mistakes coworkers make is being too impatient or afraid to ask for clarity, and then later deliver a poor product that does not meet specifications. Effective listening demands more, not fewer questions. An employee who asks questions is an employee who is listening effectively, whether in a large group meeting or a small team meeting. Managers also need to listen to employee concerns and complaints in nonjudgmental ways. Managers who listen to employees encourage two-way communications when necessary. Using effective listening strategies in all situations, the entire organizational culture can become more supportive, which improves workplace morale and subsequent productivity (Bergeron & Laroche, 2009). Listening is key to communications, and communications is key to effective workplace and organizational effectiveness.

Listening is especially important in workplace settings involving direct sales and customer service. In a survey of 400 buyer-seller dyads, Bergeron & Laroche (2009) found that customer perceptions of seller listening is strongly associated with customer satisfaction, purchase intention, propensity to recommend the business via word-of-mouth, perceived trust, and actual sales performance. Therefore, listening is not only the most important component of effective communication. Listening is also one of the most important components of productivity and success. Framing listening as a strategic competitive advantage, managers can motivate their teams.

Diversity places unique challenges on leaders and employees. Listening to a diverse team of employees means becoming knowledgeable about different cultural communication styles and nonverbal patterns. This may entail a targeted cultural sensitivity training program for all employees, emphasizing cross-cultural communication and listening strategies. Listening cues will vary from culture to culture, just as they will vary from person to person. Understanding cultural variations in listening cues and behaviors can create a more harmonious workplace environment. Much of the misunderstanding related to cross-cultural differences in communication is related to listening. For example, Amsberry (2009) found that some employees lack effective listening strategies when working with people who speak English with a foreign accent. The accented English causes some employees to tune out without tuning into the other person. Employees need to cultivate more patience, so that all colleagues are treated equally and listened to with respect. The primary means of improving listening skills in cases where one person has an accent is to practice (Amsberry, 2009). Effective listening also depends on asking questions for clarity, and paraphrasing what the person said to minimize confusion and prevent misunderstanding. Listening is about taking into account context and culture, and transmuting the understanding into productive action that promotes productivity in the company.