At Hunterskill Recruitment, we aim to match independent people with job opportunities that are just right for you!
We are the first port of call for many employers who are looking for the perfect candidate, and with our blog, we aim to provide you with the tools to help you stand out from the rest.
It’s difficult to understate how invaluable, and intriguing to potential employers, the qualities of independent thinking and self-motivation are – however, almost all businesses heavily rely on the values of cooperation and teamwork – you can’t provide an efficient service when everyone’s best interest is themselves!
Ask any employee in any industry what the biggest cause of failure in their job is, and you’ll hear the same thing: poor communication. In fact, 86% of employees and employers cite poor workplace communication and collaboration as the main pitfall of productivity.
However, by improving communications, cultivating workplace collaborations and practising both group and independent cooperation techniques, businesses can increase their productivity by an estimated 25%, as well as positively affect morale and job satisfaction – what have you got to lose?
In the spirit of useful communication, we’re going to keep this simple and concise, and run through a few techniques both you and your team can work on together, and independently, to bring your teamwork to the next level!
Devote More Time to Listening
You may have heard the phrase ‘good listeners make good speakers’, and the fact of the matter is this sentiment couldn’t be more true in a workplace environment. Communication is not a one-way street, and while some people may be good at suggesting ideas and designating tasks, if it falls on deaf ears it’s worth nothing!
Active listening is also extremely useful when in order to develop and cultivate trusting communication between collaborators – if a co-worker or team member feels like another member is not listening, they will inevitably be less motivated to achieve goals!
Listening is a very important skill, and we will probably touch on this in a more in-depth post in the future, however here are a few tips to help improve listening – you may also be interested in our guide to body language
- Be Attentive – Often it is important to prioritise appearing to listen to the speaker, as much as actually listening! You may be considering every word, however, many people close up when they think they are not being considered – be open and maintain a listening stance
- Reflect and Consider – Communication is not a race, and responses do not have to immediately follow a person’s point. Sometimes you may have a valid reason for a healthy disagreement, however, allow yourself and the other party to evaluate what was just said, and give time to provide a fair and measured response
- Be Clear – It is imperative to effective communications to keep points concise and clear – while an idea or suggestion may make sense in your head, others may need a little more context to use that information well – don’t be afraid to ask for clarity, and most importantly do not make a request for a clearer explanation personally!
Establish an Environment of Trust
Ideas without execution are fundamentally worth noting – the actions that follow listening are just as, if not more important than the act of listening to itself. Colleagues and co-workers need peace of mind knowing that their ideas are being taken seriously, so an environment of positive action can be cultivated. Be honest, if you say you can do something, do it! Don’t be afraid to say you can’t achieve something right now, being honest goes a long way.
Freshen Up Your Feedback Skills
Over time, the idea of criticism has turned into quite a negative one at that. You may have heard the phrase ‘constructive criticism’, and while this is a cornerstone of effective workplace communication, it is important to understand how to give effective feedback, without incorporating the crippling aspects of poor communication, here are a few tips:
- Make feedback a conversation – Allow others to suggest their own feedback first, and then follow with your own. You may find that others have very similar ideas, opening the door to working on them together.
- Suggest actionable solutions – There is no point making a suggestion if it is unattainable, and can make team members feel less confident, or trapped. Make sure your ideas on how to improve are actionable and realistic, and improvement should follow!
- Keep it friendly – It is unrealistic to expect that work-life will not sometimes be frustrating, or grow a bit tedious, but this is not to say that one should let that bleed into their communication skills. Criticism is best received when it is posed in a fair and friendly way, everyone wants to improve, and friendly feedback not only inspires improvement, but studies show that others exhibit similar behaviours, leading to a safer, friendlier workspace.
Congratulations! If you’ve come this far, we’re sure that you have been able to find a few new talking points to share with your team and improve your team’s efficiency and workplace communication.
Remember, change takes time, and don’t try to rush anything – good things come to those who wait (and concentrate!). We hope you stay tuned for another selection of handpicked Hunterskill Tips and Tricks – and if you’re looking for a new job opportunity to apply your newfound professionalism, let us help you discover the right opportunity!
And as always, good luck!