Say Goodbye To Communication Barriers In Organizations

In a recent survey 3500 organizations were asked "What is holding you back?" the #1 answer was: Trust. Let's take a look at ways you can build trust to avoid communication breakdowns and build high performance.nnRespect & Consideration for Others: Often times we can get so caught up in our own goals, objectives and agendas that we can forget the impact of our actions on others. To build trust with others it is important that you take actions that reassure them that their needs and conce s are given consideration and are respected by you. Does that mean you always do everything they want? Not necessarily. But that if you are going to take an action that will have a negative impact on them that it is communicated quickly, openly and dialogue is encouraged to enable them to search for solutions that any challenge you've thrown their way may be overcome.nnBe Loyal to People who are Absent: How do you feel when you know or get the inkling that people are talking about you behind your back? What does that do to your relationship with the parties involved? Talking about others when they aren't around - no matter the justification - never does anything to enhance relationships and build strong communication channels. Be committed to being loyal to absent parties, and if you do need to discuss their performance you are do so in the context of coaching (or being coached) in how to have a conversation with that person. When you do this people will know that they can rely on you to be loyal.nnHave the Right Attitude: There is no worse feeling than feeling that you are being judged. To have effective communication you must lose any negative judgments you have about a person and/or situation and come more from a place of curiosity. "I wonder why this person might be behaving this way". When you send out a vibe that you have a positive attitude toward someone they will simply 'get' it. Your attitude will dictate whether the other person feels understood and consequently heard. You bust barriers when you adopt an attitude of approval.nnGet Alongside People: Regular close contact is essential for good communication. Be accessible and know about people's conce s and you will build a strong foundation of trust. Keep yourself aloof - mentally, physically and emotionally and you will very quickly build doubt, suspicion scepticism and wariness.nnKeep Promises: It takes just one broken promise to lose the trust of another. This can be as simple as not getting back to somebody at 1.00 pm on Friday as you had promised. Unfortunately our everyday language is filled with the potential for broken promises. "I'll get back to you" "Maybe we can get together next week". Rather than fall into this trap be specific, set a time, then deliver to that time. Under-promise and over-deliver. nnAgree Norms: Differing expectations of what is/is not acceptable within your team is often the cause of much friction. To smooth out some of these disagreements, develop with your team a set of guidelines/norms that they will use to hold each other accountable. Norms define boundaries and enable people to hold open and frank discussions when someone isn't performing to the expected standard.