Miscommunication is a relatively common issue in the workplace. It
may develop as a result of ineffective communication, which results in
misconceptions and animosity on both sides of an issue or topic.
It has the potential to be damaging to both workers and businesses.
According to business professionals, the following are examples of workplace miscommunications and how to resolve them.
Communication is a messy business. Words can create clarity and
disaster—from healing wounds and clearing up misunderstandings to
blasting zingers and poking bears. Nobody truly knows how words will
land.
As many of us return to the office or in hybrid work environments,
our communication may become clunky. In these last two years, everyone
has changed due to different experiences, including social disconnection,
political polarization, and general malaise.
Miscommunication is bound to happen – because we are all human. The “human suit” that we all wear tends to be highly reactive: it easily takes things personally and makes up stories, especially when we feel awkward, negative, and/or defensive about our opinions.
You may get your feelings hurt, become confused by someone’s behavior or attitude, and find yourself in a breakdown.
Your human suit needs attention to prime itself to show up optimally.
How can you manage yourself and your conversations to best communicate
and connect with people in the workplace?
It all starts with you. As a contributor to the relationship, you
have a choice about how you show up. Focus on being optimal with your mental, physical, and spiritual health—it goes a long way in being connective.
Optimizing your brain and mind’s ability to perform exceptionally when under this stress is crucial.
Focus on:
- eating well
- getting sleep
- drinking water
- taking breaks for lots of fresh air and exercise
- and commit to practicing gratitude
Be sure to have a support system outside your office, where you
can process your worry or concern without censorship. Your health is a
determinant of how well you can manage and communicate well through this
return-to-work season.
We all wear a pair of headphones that “interpret” information and judge it to understand how it impacts you and others.
To avoid breakdowns, zero in on the quality of your listening.
Be aware of your biases, agendas, perspectives, and judgments
and choose to suspend them in service of the relationship. Place aside
external and internal distractions, such as smartphones and watches, and
your mind’s chatter and desire to interrupt.
Remember, listen and silent have the same letters — close your mouth and open your ears.
Start sentences with “tell me about” to open the other and
speak about what’s top of mind for them. They often will share details
that are meaningful to them, and that’s where you can better understand
what’s important in their perspective.
Minimize the pressure of asking too complicated questions. Often too
much emphasis is placed on language to do the hard work. Quality
communication and collaboration begins before you speak.
Show up with a clear and self-imposed mandate to be present, and
listen and speak with others using curiosity and care. Phrases like “tell me about” and “share with me tend” to yield great interactions.
Our human suit is a complicated piece of machinery and can be quick
to judge. Why? When communication is unclear, our bodies become
uncomfortable and signals to our brain that “trouble” is brewing.
This “worry” hits your prefrontal cortex, and then hijacking hormones attack your brain’s ability to:
- process creatively,
- collaborate effectively,
- and communicate openly.
The uncertainty of what is happening is fueled by a biological chemical cocktail that often sends the brain to fight, flight, or freeze mode, impeding your ability to be present, to listen, and be curious.
To communicate best, interrupt your judgment by becoming radically curious and taking a deep breath. Ask:
“What do I need to know or explore here, to better understand
what is actually happening and how I might use my evolved thinking as
opposed to defensive thinking?”
With self-awareness, you can gain
control of your cognitive thinking by breathing in through your nose for
five seconds and exhaling out your mouth for five seconds.
Repeat several times.
By doing this, you are optimizing your executive function, allowing
your brain and tongue to gain control over potential breakdowns.
Miscommunication will happen at work, especially with people who are
different from you. You can choose to access these tools to change the
energy and outcome of the conversation.
Most of the time, it takes just one willing person to bridge the gap between breakdown to breakthrough.
Your professional relationships are worth learning these intentional
skills. It takes a special kind of fortitude to look in the mirror and
assess how you are engaging with people in these times.
You’re giving a presentation at work, and one minute into it, you
look up and see half your audience checking Instagram. This is workplace
miscommunication at its worst because not only are you not communicating effectively, and you’re not even connecting.
The solution?
Tailor your communication to your audience.
Everyone fits into one of twelve learning and communication profiles (aka
Inner Genius Archetypes),
and they’re easy enough to tap into and energize others with, whether
it’s piquing interest by hitting someone with the facts right up front
or inspiring another when you tell them a story to communicate the big
picture.
Most people blindly communicate in
the way they want to be communicated to— that’s the mistake. Leaders
tailor their communication to other people’s learning and communication
preferences and get the desired results each and every time.
Remember the presentation where the leader began by talking about
herself, the activities she did that morning, and the great restaurant
she was at the night before, never previewing the benefits and
advantages of what she would be presenting, and everyone was in rapt
attention? No, we don’t either.
One of the most annoying examples of workplace miscommunication is
assuming your co-workers want to hear about every detail about your
life. Talking about yourself drains energy, wastes time, and inspires no one (not even your cat you keep talking about).
So knock it off, command the room, capture attention right up front, and lay out your plan innovatively and powerfully.
