Speak up: Why you should finally have that awkward workplace conversation

Left alone, painful but necessary conversations tend to fester – only growing and changing into something more damaging and less resolvable.

The natural inclination, said Geoff Flemming, managing director at Crucial Dimensions, is to avoid awkward interactions.

“It goes back to the old caveman fight or flight thing,” Mr Flemming explained. “When there’s something awkward, confronting, or tough to deal with, the human response is to avoid or ignore.”

Effective communication in the workplace is not just about knowing what to say; it means knowing what a business cannot afford to ignore. In building the confidence to bring difficult topics to light, having a clear, evidence-based set of communication skills is invaluable.

Today, we’re sharing what, over the 11 years of work in the field, Mr Flemming has noticed effective business communicators are getting right.

Communication as an investment

Communication and workplace productivity scale together. Well-connected teams, said McKinsey, can expect productivity gains of 20 to 25 per cent. Similarly, organisations with clear, effective communication strategies are 3.5 times more likely to outperform their competitors.

Better communication has also been linked to:

• Increased employee engagement.
• Enhanced motivation to work.
• Fewer workplace conflicts.

Each of the above benefits contributes to other, deeper business goals and performance metrics. Increased engagement, for example, means lower turnover, fewer stressors on mental health, lower presenteeism and absenteeism, stronger ambassadorship and brand reputation, and easier recruitment.

“Timely and effective communication, delivered through appropriate multiple channels, offers leadership the opportunity to demonstrate honesty, empathy, and a strategic plan. It provides managers and employees with the facts they need and rebalances the total value proposition, which retains and motivates top talent,” said researcher Monika Zajkowska.

It’s no wonder, then, that experts are troubled by the evident lack of effective communication in businesses today. According to Gallup, only 13 per cent of business leaders are considered effective communicators by their employees.

So, what are business leaders doing wrong, and what should you keep in mind when building an internal communication strategy?

1. “Fish stinks from the head down.”

Mr Flemming, now managing director with oversight responsibilities for hundreds of trainers and employees, once delivered communication training sessions himself.

In his first session, the chief executive of the contracting company shot up from his seat, raised his hand and said: “I need this at least as much, if not more, than anyone in my organisation, so I need everyone’s help here today.”

“Yeah, I’d say we had their attention for the day,” said Mr Flemming. “What I’m saying is that top-down always works well. Why? Because seeing senior influencers in a business even attempting to use new skills has a very large impact.”

While a culture of open and effective communication is best handed down from leadership, it’s important to remember it is not a one-way street. Effective communication is dynamic; the magic arises somewhere between its delivery and its reception. This requires well-packaged, thoughtful sharing and active, respectful listening.

“Effective communication in the workplace is not just relaying information to a team member but explaining it in a way they understand. The receiver also focuses on gaining the entire meaning of the conversation and makes the other person feel heard and understood,” explained Christiana Jolaoso for Forbes.

2. Make safety a priority.

Increasingly, Mr Flemming said, people are realising the business benefits of building a safe work culture. A culture of safety is one in which employees are willing to raise their hands and voice their opinions despite the associated risks. Among companies with strong cultures of safe communication, Mr Flemming said, employees tend to report having “peace of mind around speaking up”.

“If I can speak up, I’m engaged, I’m happy. I want to participate. I can comment early, I don’t have to wait for problems to arise. And they see their profitability increase because everyone’s helping to create what the business really wants,” he added.

3. No end unto itself.

Communication is not always the end goal. Rather, it should be the first step in creating effective, enfranchising change, said Mr Flemming. Often, leaders will gauge employee sentiment around a particular business function and will refuse to act on the results if the outcome is undesirable.

As noted in a recent HR Leader article, employee feedback is only as good as the measures taken to act upon it.

One way businesses are proving their investment in employee feedback is by bringing workers into the fold in crafting their ideal working day. For some companies, said Mr Flemming, it’s clearly productivity first. Others, though, are letting communication drive productivity. “Employees who feel heard will love you more, they’ll hang around more, they’ll be better contributors, and the business will make more money,” he said.

Nick Wilson

Nick Wilson is a journalist with HR Leader. With a background in environmental law and communications consultancy, Nick has a passion for language and fact-driven storytelling.