Learn to Communicate Effectively in the Workplace with Laurie Brown

There is no question that effective communication in the workplace is essential for reaching company goals and achieving success. Learning effective communication skills can change not only how you work together, but also how you work with other departments. The following tips will help you learn to communicate effectively in the workplace.

1. Clear Direction for Tasks. When you delegate assignments, effective communication makes the difference between accomplishing tasks according to specifications and failing to complete projects properly. Consider the questions that will help the person doing the job be more efficient:
   • What does success look like?
   • What is the time frame?
   • What is the priority?
   • What resources are available?
   • Who do I need to keep in the loop about progress?

2. Positive Reinforcement. Another element of effective communication in the workplace requires providing positive reinforcement for a job well done. This has a huge impact on building strong, respectful relationships. Positive reinforcement has three elements:

   1. Timeliness – let the person know as soon as the event occurs
   2. Should be specific
   3. Should address the impact the event will have

   Overall, you want to deliver five pieces of positive reinforcement for every corrective comment.

3. Effective Feedback. The point of effective feedback is to clearly convey what you need or the changes that are required. Your co-workers and employees have to understand your meaning and know what is expected to follow through and get things done. When giving effective feedback, always allow the person receiving the feedback to give their point of view first. Plus, it also needs to be timely and specific, and point out the impact. Lastly, when you provide feedback, be sure to offer solutions as well.

When to Choose Email, Phone or Face-to-Face Conversation to help communicate effectively

When you are providing feedback, greater context enhances understanding. This is why sensitive issues are best dealt with in person, because you have visual cues with gestures and facial expressions, as well as vocal tone and verbal details. The next best option is the phone, but gestures and facial expression are eliminated which normally add a lot to comprehension.

Email is a last resort for feedback and should only be utilized for the simplest information since the only aspect of communication in this method is verbal. Without tone of voice, miscommunication is common because people tend to assign their own meaning to messages when context is limited.

Benefits of Effective Communication in the Workplace

• Work more efficiently
• Complete more projects
• Increase productivity
• Improve group problem solving skills
• Create a team atmosphere
• Build strong relationships
• Boost employee moral

"Her openness and honesty as well as willingness to assist in many complementary areas (effective video/teleconferencing, tone, posture, stress management etc.) makes her a real pleasure to work with. She has made herself available to support and provide feedback on day-to-day issues/questions during our time together. I fully recommend and endorse her services."
—Joe Dizazzo, Regional Chief Executive, Latin America Crafts at Coats

Learn to communicate effectively in the workplace with Laurie Brown

When you need to improve communication, turn to Laurie Brown. Her outstanding training programs for effective communication will help your team or employees learn methods to facilitate better communication including how to convey your message, listen properly, and ensure understanding.

Laurie's programs for effective communication in the workplace are perfect for breakout sessions or in-house training and will positively impact how your people work together and relate to each other.

Contact Laurie now at (248) 761-7510 for Your Next Conference or Training.