5 Common Communication Mistakes and How They Hurt Productivity
When it comes to running your business,
productivity is the name of the game. Ideally, everyone would perform
perfectly, on time, every time; but we don’t live in a perfect world. In fact,
there are dozens of small things throughout the day that can affect
productivity, but some of the rarely considered mistakes involve communication.
Communication is the key to any business
relationship, whether it be staff-management communication or communication
with a client. Here are five common mistakes and how they could be hurting your
productivity.
1. You Forgot To Edit That Email,
Didn’t You?
Let’s say you’ve sent an important email with
price changes and meeting times to dozens of employees, who are supposed to
share that information with their team. A few hours later, you suddenly
remember that you got some of the information wrong, and now you’ve circulated
it to a good portion of your staff.
Editing anything you write is extremely important to conveying information to the reader in an accurate manner. If you forget to edit an email such as the one mentioned above, you’ve just created chaos within the office.
Incorrect information requires an edit after
the fact, a revised email, and time taken away to track down all the employees
who read the first email to be sure they have the new, correct information.
Time is money, and when you’re spending it trying to fix your unedited emails,
you’re hurting productivity in a major way.
Do yourself a favor: proofread and edit all of
your emails for accuracy before sending them.
2. Your Presentation Is Messy and
Unorganized
In the same vein of disorder as unedited
emails, are unedited, unorganized presentations. Imagine this: You’re giving a
large presentation to your management staff about the new year and all the
important changes you expect to enact in the coming months. Policy changes,
marketing strategies, the whole nine yards. You get up to present, and you’ve
got a bunch of scribbled notes and a dry erase board. This is not effective
communication.
When you give an unorganized presentation,
you’re essentially revising it as you go. Not only does this prevent a clear
message from reaching your audience, but it also takes more time, causing
disengagement and boredom among your staff.
Presentations are time-consuming, and a bit usually boring to some extent. Adding disorganization to the equation will only have a negative impact on your productivity. Some staff may not understand the new information, some people may altogether “tune out” and stop paying attention entirely.
Creating engaging and easy to understand
presentations is not difficult. You can use PowerPoint or other software to
organize your ideas into an effective presentation, and always double check
your work for accuracy and consistency.
3. Avoiding In Person Discussions
About Sensitive Issues
If you’re in management, odds are you’re going
to come across a conflict in the workplace, or an employee who’s having
personal issues. While these can affect productivity on their own, avoiding
them or hiding behind an email to address them can be even more harmful.
If an employee is underperforming because of
personal issues, you’ll probably begin to notice a drop in productivity. As a
manager, you should also be empathetic about the issues. A candid, in-person
talk with the employee can help identify the issue, and give you both the chance
to brainstorm ideas on how to fix it.
Using an email or conference call service can seem impersonal in some cases, or give the impression that you’re keeping the issue at arm’s distance. This could cause further loss of productivity. Caring for your employees can go a long way in ensuring your business performs at maximum efficiency.
4. You’re Not Actually Listening
A good listener is invaluable in any setting,
not just in a relationship. In the workplace, a good listener is able to
identify key issues quickly, relay accurate information, and inform the correct
people of tasks and problems.
Being an effective listener means focusing on what you’re being told, and absorbing the information. Miscommunication can cause the wrong information to be delivered (sometimes to the wrong person as well), causing confusion among your staff.
In addition to false or incorrect information
circulating, not being a good listener can often lead to overlooking what may
be important topics. When an employee raises a concern, there’s probably a good
reason for it, and it should be taken seriously.
Listen to the details, to their tone of voice, to what others have said about the issue. Everyone’s input is valuable, and when you truly listen, you can solve issues much fast. This means more productivity and happier employees. That’s a win-win.
5. Reacting, Rather Than Acting
When Facing Stressful Situations
It’s easy to get caught up in emotions when
something stressful occurs or bad news is given. The easy thing to do is react,
to lash out or react to the stressor in a way that is not altogether
professional or healthy. It’s important to remember that action is always more
effective than reaction. It conveys a message of confidence and discipline to
your coworkers and staff when you act on this issue in a clear state of mind.
This approach gives you better control of the
situation and sets a good example for others. If you’re always reacting, losing
your temper or letting your emotions get the best of you, it can cause morale
to drop, and thus productivity to drop as well. Being a leader means being
disciplined and motivated to address problems correctly so that they’re solved
the first time.
Communication Will Always Be
Essential
Good communication will always be essential to
running a healthy business. Sending a clear, organized message in an effective
length of time can mean the difference between great communication and the
wrong information being delivered. Take your time, mind your words, and
remember to discuss sensitive topics in person.
The post 5 Common Communication Mistakes and How They Hurt Productivity appeared first on Entrepreneurship Life.
