Conflict at work can lead to all
sorts of awkward situations. Misunderstandings can arise from the simplest of
mistakes and if you do not handle them delicately, things can snowball.
On a day-to-day basis, you are
dealing with different types of personalities, whether it is your employees,
suppliers, clients or contractors. In addition, if you are the boss or manager,
it is important to keep everybody on the same page.
Communication plays a big role
when you are trying to keep everyone in the loop. Follow these tips to keep
things running smoothly avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings.
Plan regular meetings
When you are dealing with people
on a regular basis, it is a good idea to schedule meetings with them to keep
updated on any happenings. Even if it is just a casual chat over coffee, making
an effort to nurture your work relationships will help you in the end. If they
are a supplier, there could be things brewing on their end that might affect
you. Having regular meetings keeps everybody in the loop about changes or
problems that might be cropping up. Surprises are one of the biggest culprits
of misunderstandings so make sure you are forthcoming as well.
You might want to send out
regular progress reports and email updates as well if you are working on
something large or long term.
Seek Input
If you need to make an important
decision about something, try to get input from people that are directly
affected by the decision. The more opinions you have, the greater understanding
you will have of any issues that might arise. You do not need to go overboard
asking everybody’s opinion but if you think that, someone might be upset with
your choices it is better to be upfront. If you are planning for big changes,
make sure you get input from people during the initial planning stage as well.
Manage expectations
Some of the biggest
misunderstandings seem to arise when expectations are not met. While you can
have an idea in your own mind, another person’s perceptions can be completely
different. Make sure to be clear in your communications. If you discuss
something over the phone, follow it up with an email so you have something in
writing. If you are delivering something to a client, make sure they understand
exactly what they are getting. You might think its overkill going over every
detail but take into account that other people will have different priorities.
It all comes down to closing the expectation gap. The more aligned you are
about what is going to happen and the end result, the less room there’ll be for
any misunderstandings.
Be mindful
Sometimes we can be caught up in
our busy lives that we miss things. We also forget that others have busy lives
too. Be aware that misunderstandings usually stem from small events. Focus more
on moving forward rather than assigning blame. It is also a good strategy to
avoid overreacting. Having an emotional response is natural but many of the
times unnecessary. People are not
generally out to get you or trying to be difficult. Take a realistic look at
the situation and be mindful of the other person.
Communication, particularly in
the workplace, is a complex interaction. When misunderstandings do occur, it
can cause tension and generally affects productivity. Keeping everybody on the
same page about your expectations and what is happening in the office can help
you avoid any unnecessary awkwardness.
It is not always easy handling
these kinds of situations and prevention is the best cure. Managing a business
ultimately comes down to nurturing relationships so follow these tips to become
a better communicator and avoid any communication mishaps.
Maki is a
feature writer for Project Manager, a provider
of online project management software to customers in more than 100 countries.
