How To Deal With Poor Communication In the Workplace

So, you’ve recognized the signs of poor communication. You realize the potential effects it can have if left unchecked and are prepared to do something about it.

If so, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, you’ll find out how to deal with poor communication in the workplace, whether you’re a poor communicator or someone else is. In either case, you’ll find five practical tips you can apply right away to improve communication for everyone involved.

How To Deal With Poor Communication If You’re the Poor Communicator

Congratulations if you recognize you’re part of the communication problem you’re experiencing in the workplace! This isn’t always easy to do, as it requires self-awareness to acknowledge and accept that you’re part of the problem. Let’s take it one step further, though, and look at some practical ways to deal with your poor communication habits and improve your communication skills.

Create a Development Plan

Becoming a better communicator is a lofty goal, and it can feel overwhelming without a plan. So, to give yourself a much-needed sense of structure and clarity, start by creating a development plan. This living document outlines the specific steps, resources, and support you will need to take to achieve your goal of becoming a better communicator.

Solicit Feedback

You likely have some idea of the things that are causing you to communicate poorly at work. However, we can be unnecessarily critical of ourselves, so always solicit constructive feedback from your teammates, boss, and colleagues before you move forward. Their feedback may corroborate your thoughts or point to areas of improvement that haven’t yet been considered.

Attend a Training Program

Once you know exactly where you need to improve, you can work on finding the communication training program that’s right for you. For example, if you’re a leader who needs to begin communicating with the confidence and conviction of someone in your position, a program such as Niagara Institute’s best-selling program, Speaking as a Leader, would be ideal because it’s tailored to audiences with similar goals.

Ask For Coaching

In an ideal world, all bosses would act as coaches for their employees. However, this isn’t always the case, so if you want it, you will have to ask for it. Tell your boss about your goals, show them your development plan, and then ask them if they’d be willing to provide you with in-the-moment feedback and coaching going forward based on what they observe and the goals you have defined for yourself.

Seek Out the Support of an Accountability Partner

Is there a coworker you work closely with day-to-day who wants to see you thrive but is still willing to be honest with you? If so, see if they’d be willing to be your accountability partner. This means they would hold you accountable for your actions, progress, and commitments by offering suggestions, feedback, and gentle (but firm) pushes in the right direction.

How To Deal With Poor Communication If Your Employee Is a Poor Communicator

If you lead people and notice that one of your direct reports struggles to communicate effectively, it’s your responsibility to come alongside them and help them improve. To give you an idea of how to deal with poor communication in this scenario, here are a few things you can start doing today as their leader.

Have An Honest Conversation

As soon as an employee starts to suffer from the effects of poor communication, you need to step in. If this is the first time you’ve had to address a communication problem with said employee, start with a casual face-to-face conversation where you can privately and honestly discuss your observations and concerns. Your goal is to help your employee realize there’s an issue and get them thinking about ways they can correct it.

Offer In-the-Moment Coaching and Feedback

Once your employee is aware of the situation, observe their day-to-day activities as much as you can without interrupting them. If they demonstrate poor communication, follow up with them shortly after in private and provide them with constructive feedback and practical coaching. On the other hand, if they make a positive change or improvement, give them kudos afterward so they know what they should be doing and feel encouraged to keep it up.

Help Them Get Approval for Training

If you believe a communication skills course could accelerate your employee’s development and give them the support they need to improve, look into what it will take to make that happen. Once you know when you’ll have the budget and how much you’ll have to spend, spend some time with your employee researching and comparing potential courses until you find the one that’s just right for their needs and goals.