Communication and Professional Behaviours

Now that you have established the communication requirements of your identified work activities, you can work on your next order of business. The third stage in your process involves facilitating workplace communication; it is at this point where you execute plans for applying communication strategies in the workplace.

There are sub-steps involved in facilitating workplace communication. Begin by using interpersonal skills to build relationships with team members and clients alike. As you do, you must also facilitate respectful interaction. Likewise, you must then facilitate respectful communication amongst others, considering the needs of those from diverse backgrounds.

Along with these steps, you must also use problem solving and decision- making skills to resolve any communication challenges that you may encounter along the way. Finally, you must obtain confirmation on the outcomes of communication challenges to ensure issues have been resolved.

Build relationships

The first order of business involved in facilitating workplace communication is using interpersonal skills to build relationships with team members and clients alike, In doing so, you must also facilitate respectful interaction with those you communicate with.

Interpersonal Skills Defined

By definition, interpersonal skills are the traits you need to interact with others. There are many interpersonal skills that will help you better interact with others, but those most relevant in the workplace are further discussed below.

Having and developing such skills is especially important as you need to build meaningful relationships with both fellow employees and clients alike. Being able to do so would help you work on your endeavours better, and this is especially important for the organisation’s long-term growth.

It is equally important that you use interpersonal skills to facilitate respectful interactions with others. The workplace should be accepting and being equipped with interpersonal skills will enable you to make your organisation more welcoming to all.

Using Interpersonal Skills for Effective Participation

As a general rule, interpersonal skills should be used in every workplace interaction you have. One particular kind of interaction, however, is highlighted as it is a fundamental workplace activity. This activity is your workplace discussions, which are the exchanges you have regarding business matters. It is important that you display interpersonal skills when you engage in workplace discussions, as doing so will enable you to effectively participate in this activity.

Guidance in using interpersonal skills for effective participation in workplace discussions includes:

Engage in active listening

Active listening means giving your full attention to whoever is speaking. This is an interpersonal skill that shows how much you respect and care about what the other person is saying. The most fundamental way through which you can engage in active listening is through being attentive instead of passive. Along with this, useful techniques in demonstrating active listening include:

• Asking probing questions
• Using funnel questioning (asking general questions first, then moving to more specific questions as you go along)
• Seeking answers to open-ended questions to encourage a free flow of thoughts.

Provide feedback

The third and final skill you need to develop is the ability to provide effective feedback. For senders and receivers of messages, feedback is an important way to keep yourself in check. Sometimes, you may think that you are able to communicate effectively when you are already being misunderstood. To lessen such instances and also make sure that you and those you communicate with are on the same page, you must learn to provide effective feedback during discussions. Guidance in doing so includes:

• Concentrate on behaviour displayed rather than personality.
• Note both good and both points.
• Provide feedback during an appropriate time in the discussion.
• Share feedback with a respectful and well-meaning tone.
• Specify areas that require attention or improvement.

Using Interpersonal Skills for Relationship Building

Along with the skills listed above, there are a number of interpersonal skills that will help you build meaningful relationships with team members and clients alike. In using these, you will recognise the value of being respectful as you interact with others. This is something that will enable you to interact more effectively.

Guidance in using interpersonal skills for relationship building includes:

You can demonstrate these skills by trying to eliminate any biases you have as you interact with teammates and clients alike – something especially important to do when with others who have different cultural backgrounds. By being open and adaptable, you are also able to display respect to those you are with. In the long run, these skills will enable you to build healthy relationships.

Activity

What are your own strengths and weaknesses dealing with interpersonal relationships at work? Share your thoughts and experiences (good or bad) in the forum and don’t forget to comment on what your classmates say.

The next order of business in facilitating workplace communication further highlights the importance of respect in communication. It is vital that your organisation is genuinely welcoming to employees and also clients of different backgrounds. The way you communicate in the workplace will show how well you welcome people from different backgrounds, so it is crucial that you promote and facilitate respectful communication at all times, giving special consideration for the needs of those who come from diverse backgrounds.

Cross-Cultural Communication

Diversity in people’s cultural backgrounds is a result of the key differences in race, gender, sex, religion, age, among others. Of particular interest are differences in terms of race or nationality. When people from different cultures interact and attempt to share or exchange information with each other, cross-cultural communication takes place. Understanding the principles and techniques associated with this concept will help you facilitate respectful communication effectively.

Principles of Cross-Cultural Communication

The principles that underlie cross-cultural communication highlight the fundamental differences among cultures. These significantly impact how a person communicates, so awareness of these will help you communicate more effectively and respectfully. Two key principles of cross-cultural communication include:

IMPACT OF HIERARCHY

High value on hierarchy

• Low autonomy
• Passive

Low value on hierarchy

• High autonomy
• Active

This principle looks into hierarchy, specifically in terms of how it is defined or understood and how it ultimately influences communication. As with context, different cultures’ perspective on hierarchy is seen along a scale.

Cultures that place a high value on hierarchy have low autonomy and high passivity. These cultures are heavily reliant on structure and likewise compliant to authority figures. Most, if not all, high-context cultures are also hierarchical. An example of such a culture is China. People from hierarchical cultures are more passive and submissive to authority; they are more likely to accept rules and status quos.

On the other hand, cultures that place a low value on hierarchy have high autonomy and are very active. Such cultures value independence and self-reliance, so they are very confident and dominant in their communication style. They would likely be vocal and assert their individual concerns more openly. Low-context cultures such as the USA often place low value on hierarchy.

This principle considers the influence of hierarchy and its definition among different sets of cultures. This assists in understanding how to properly interact with someone in the workplace. Learning the value of hierarchy on culture will assist in identifying how to best express gratitude or respect to your peers depending on their culture and the hierarchy they use when communicating.

OPENNESS

Low level of openness

• Listens more than they speak.
• More critical of others' views

High level of openness

• Speaks just as much or even more than they listen.
• More willing to accept others' views.

The openness principle concerns one’s willingness to be open when communicating and is shown in the way one provides as well as receives information throughout an exchange. As with context and hierarchy, openness among different cultures is seen along a scale.

Cultures that exhibit a low level of openness tend to be more closed off. They are usually more active listeners than speakers, less willing to share and speak up. Those from high-context and hierarchical cultures often display a low level of openness when they communicate.

On the other hand, people with a high level of openness are assertive and proactive. They speak just as much or even more than they listen. Likewise, they are more willing to accept what others have to say. This does not necessarily mean that they automatically agree; it simply means they are more open to the fact that others may have views that oppose their own.

The principle of openness will help you set better expectations in your communication efforts. This will enable you to determine how to adjust to the person you are communicating with.

More specifically, acknowledging this will help you decide on how you will engage with the other party (i.e., Will you encourage them to speak more?).

Techniques for Cross-Cultural Communication

With these principles in mind, there are useful techniques that would help you communicate cross-culturally. These include:

DEVELOP CULTURAL AWARENESS

It is essential that you develop cultural awareness before you even communicate cross-culturally. This means having an open mind and remembering that the conventions you have been accustomed to are not the only ones that exist. Prejudices, stereotypes, and assumptions regarding different cultures should likewise be disregarded. Along with having the right mindset, it is also important to have sufficient knowledge regarding the culture of those you will communicate with. To aid you, you may undergo cross-cultural training and/or take time to research on different cultures.

PRACTICE ACTIVE LISTENING

As previously explained, active listening enhances communication. There are many differences in the communicative behaviours of parties who engage in cross-cultural communication, so the importance of active listening is further reinforced in this context. It is crucial to pay attention to both verbal and non-verbal cues while you communicate. Avoid dominating the conversation and encourage fair turn-taking. Use verbal cues to indicate that you are actively listening to the person speaking and ask questions or clarifications on what is being discussed. Likewise, use nonverbal cues like leaning in and nodding to indicate that you are interested in and paying attention to the speaker.

BE CAREFUL WITH YOUR USE OF LANGUAGE

The way you use language can make or break your cross-cultural communication act. Remember that words may hold different kinds of meaning, the denotation (i.e., the literal or dictionary definition) and the connotation (i.e., meanings associated with the word based on personal and cultural context). To avoid misunderstanding, use simple words and avoid language that is vague or ambiguous. It is also best to avoid slang and use humour with caution as these may be interpreted differently.

OBSERVE NON-VERBAL ELEMENTS

It is important to be mindful of how you say what you choose to say. Along with the nonverbal cues that demonstrate active listening, use a professional tone and voice while speaking. Moreover, speak slowly and clearly. This generally indicates sincerity and respect. You can also maintain eye contact and use gestures with caution, as certain non-verbal cues may bear different meanings across cultures.

Many businesses in New Zealand are looking for ways to include more Māori culture in their practices, including their communications and media strategies (Tauwhitinga Maori: Maori Communication Strategy and Practice | University of Canterbury, n.d.). Understanding how to communicate respectfully and inclusively with Māori and Pasifika people in the workplace is crucial for fostering positive relationships in the New Zealand business environment. Māori and Pasifika cultures are deeply rooted in traditional values and relational networks so an approach which understands and respects these traditions is crucial.

Māori Communications

Build rapport through greetings and introductions

Whakawhanaungatanga is an important concept when working with Māori in a business context and describes relationships and who people are. Developing this from the start of a relationship is important to build trust and open communications. Some key questions are: (Tagi, 2024)

• Who am I?
• Who are you?
• Who are we?

Multi-generational thinking

Those who have come before us and those who are to come after us are important to consider when thinking about a Māori business context. “Ka mua, ka muri” is a proverb which means “walking backwards into the future” and suggests looking to the past for guidance for the future.

Kotahitanga

This concept is about “leaving no one behind.” Togetherness and unity are crucial, and in business this means including all members in participating in decision making and emphasises that everyone has something important to bring to the table. This results in a less hierarchical structure and may involve external parties such as iwi and the wider community in the process.

Hauora

In recent times modern society has embraced wellbeing as an important concept, but Māori have always had a holistic approach to wellbeing. It is based on four “dimensions”: spiritual wellbeing, physical wellbeing, mental wellbeing and family wellbeing, and these are woven through business practices and dealings (Tagi, 2024).

Pasifika Communications

Communication in Pasifika contexts is often indirect and relies on non-verbal cues and shared understandings (Embracing Communication: Understanding Boundaries in a Pasifika Context I the WesWes Network, n.d.). This can create unity and harmony but is also able to lead to misunderstandings when expectations are not made clear. An example of this, where Western expectations differ from Pasifika expectations is in a scenario where a colleague borrows a co-worker’s personal belongings without asking for permission. In a Western context this would be seen as a crossing of boundaries and inappropriate, whereas Pasifika cultures emphasise communal sharing and generosity.

As with Māori, Pasifika communities also seek input from all stakeholders, acknowledge diverse perspectives and embrace collaborative decision-making. They also both place great importance on relationship-building and personal connections.

In your efforts to facilitate respectful communication with people from diverse backgrounds, you must practice sensitivity when communicating with individuals with special needs.

Remember as you look at some of these particular considerations that you should always try to keep the conversation as normal as possible, while accommodating the needs of those involved.

Communicating with individuals with visual impairments

Visual impairments will include a variety of conditions that can create a range of degrees of visual ability. For this reason, you would ideally:

• Provide signs and images that are clear and easy to read – consider the font, size and location of any visual communications.
• Speak clearly and at an appropriate volume so you can be easily understood.

When communicating with individuals who have visual impairments, you must be as direct as possible. The importance of using the right tone, speed, and volume in speaking is also reinforced as oral communication is the main way through which you will be understood. Specific guidelines include:

• Identify yourself as you speak; do not assume that the visually impaired person you are speaking to will automatically recognise you through your voice.
• Keep your speech relaxed, clear, and natural, making use of regular everyday language.
• Do not avoid talking about topics that relate to sight. This will keep your conversation natural and normal and make the person you are communicating with feel like an equal.
• Use specific language when giving directions; do not just say that something is ‘over there,’ and instead say exactly where it is (e.g., ‘on your left’).
• Use body language as you speak; it will affect the tone of your voice and aid the visually impaired person in understanding you.
• When communicating in a group:
  • Directly address the visually impaired person before speaking to them
  • Introduce everyone who is in the group.
  • Do not leave a conversation without saying so.

Communicating with individuals with hearing impairments

Hearing impairments can also be in degrees of impact, but it is always best to speak clearly, make sure people can see your face in case they are reliant on visual cues such as lip reading and do not speak too fast.

When communicating with individuals who have hearing loss or hearing problems, you must first ensure that the place where you communicate accommodates their needs. A quiet and well-lit room is ideal for such an exchange. It is also advisable that you have a pen and paper or a handheld device on hand so you can write down anything that is not understood through verbal communication. An additional skill, sign language, may also be necessary for you to learn so you can better communicate with them.

Specific guidelines include:

Start by identifying the topic or matters to be discussed.

• Speak at a normal but considerate pace as speaking too slow may be considered condescending.
• Ask the person you are speaking with if they would like you to adjust your speaking speed so they can better understand you.
• Speak a little louder than usual but do not shout. This will help you enunciate words more clearly.
• Speak clearly but do not overexaggerate your lip and mouth movements; contrary to popular belief, this makes speech-reading more difficult.
• Maximise the use of non-verbal cues (i.e., body language and facial expressions) as this would help the person who is hard of hearing understand you better.
• Remember to pause from time to time so that the person you are speaking with can catch up and ask questions.

Communicating with culturally and linguistically diverse communities

You should also be aware of the culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD). These are the people in the country whose first language is not English, and this section provides practical guidance in communicating with and about them. Guidance in communicating with them includes:

• Greet and address the CALD people you speak with politely, pronouncing their names properly. Failure to do so may come across as offensive.
• Speak clearly and enunciate your words properly.
• Use simple words but do not oversimplify your speech as it may come across as rude.
• Avoid the use of slang and filler words as well as jargon and acronyms.
• Present information in small chunks. This will help avoid confusion as you communicate.
• Provide examples and stories that can illustrate and clarify your points.
• Stay relaxed and open as you communicate. Raising your voice does not increase understanding, and it may be misconstrued.
• Do not pretend to understand what they are saying. Acknowledge that there is a language barrier, but do not make it an issue.
• Repeat what you understand and likewise seek confirmation from them as you communicate to ensure that you are on the same page.
• Be attentive and respectful at all times.

Communicating with individuals with disabilities

When communicating with individuals who have disabilities, you must make an effort to know the proper ways of doing so. There are a lot of misconceptions in this regard, and you must be aware that what you deem acceptable might actually be wrong.

General Considerations

When communicating with individuals who have disabilities, you must remember to:

TREAT THEM AS YOU WOULD TREAT OTHERS

It is easy to forget that persons with disabilities are just like anyone else. To make them feel included and accepted instead of isolated and differentiated, you must keep this in mind. This means that you should treat them with the same level of respect that you would treat everyone else.

SPEAK DIRECTLY TO THEM

One common mistake people tend to do is talking about people with disabilities and avoiding talking to them directly. This is disrespectful and should be avoided. Assume that they are fully equipped to understand you and communicate with them directly. This is especially important to remember when you are communicating with those who have accompanying persons. The accompanying person is there to aid the person with a disability in understanding what you are trying to say, but they should not be treated as messengers.

USE APPROPRIATE LANGUAGE

It is important to use respectful language as you speak to people with disabilities. Avoid offensive and vague or ambiguous words that they may misinterpret. Specific terms you must avoid include those that are considered fundamentally patronising and offensive (e.g., retarded or disabled). Instead of using these, make use of acceptable and politically correct terms (e.g., mentally challenged, differently-abled).

OBSERVE AND USE NON-VERBAL SIGNALS

Just as it is with other communication activities, the non-verbal elements of an exchange make up a huge part of your message. Pay attention to how body language displayed by the person you are communicating with to ensure that you are on the same page. If something is unclear to you, do not be afraid to ask them about it. Likewise, use non-verbal signals appropriately. Be mindful of your use of gestures and way of saying things.

BE PATIENT

One important tip that is fundamental in your communication with persons who have disabilities is to remain patient throughout your exchange. Patience is something that will help you better communicate with persons with special needs. This is because it may take a little bit more time to try to understand what they are saying and to have them understand what you are trying to say.

Another key step you must undergo in the process of facilitating communication in the workplace involves using problem solving and decision-making skills to resolve communication challenges you may face along the way.

The communication challenges you may come across concern about the various problems that you would encounter in the workplace. These are matters that you will be able to resolve by means of effective communication. More specifically, addressing these issues will require you to use problem solving and decision-making skills.

Logistical Communication Challenges

Communication challenges come in many forms. Logistical communication challenges relate to the challenges around accessibility to information being shared. This may include access to technology, equipment and the constraints that come with that.

Access to technology

Not everyone has access to the same systems. This could include systems or software.

You may be sending a file through email and the recipient does not have the required program to open the file. This will limit their ability to receive the message and may require you to convert to a different file type that they are able to access.

Access to equipment

Similar to technology, not everyone has access to the same equipment. This could stem from differences in operating systems (mac v windows, apple v android etc.) or physical access to add on equipment such as printers and scanners.

This could create an issue if you need someone to sign and return a document. If they do not have access to a printer and scanner, instead of emailing it to them you may need to post a copy of the document for them to sign and return via the post.

Technical difficulties

Then there are times where everyone has the required systems in place, but for a variety of reasons they just cannot use them.

This could be due to poor planning, for example, your mobile phone could be flat, and you are unable to make an urgent call to a teammate. In this instance, you could source another phone and call them, or physically go to them for a face-to-face conversation.

Alternatively, it could be a systems limitation such as trying to email a file that is just too large. In this case, you may need to rely on saving the file to cloud-based storage (OneDrive, SharePoint, Dropbox etc.) and share access or save it to a physical storage device (USB or external hard drive) and provide the device to the recipient.

Conflict Resolution

The first communication challenge you would experience in the workplace involves conflict. Conflict refers to an argument, dispute, or clash between or among parties. Such is further characterised by a higher level of seriousness or gravity than most disagreements and cannot be fully avoided in the workplace. To resolve these, you must undergo conflict resolution. This is the process through which parties who are in dispute reach a resolution. There are different types of conflict, and those of particular concern are team conflict and client conflict.

Team conflict

As the name would suggest, team conflict refers to disagreements that occur within work teams. The most common types of team conflicts and the subsequent techniques to address them are discussed below.

LEADERSHIP CONFLICT

This conflict arises when the team leader’s style does not match with the needs and/or personalities of team members. The fact is that different leaders lead differently, and team members would have personal preferences as to the kind of leader they want or the kind of leadership style that would work for them.

Conflict resolution technique: you must be aware of your leadership style as well as the differences in the preferred styles of your members. Likewise, you must accept these and make the necessary adjustments to your style so that you can accommodate the different needs of your members.

RELATIONSHIP CONFLICT

Perhaps the most common type of team conflict, relationship conflict is a result of differences in personality, style, and taste. It is known for a fact that you will not get along with every person you meet, but this type of conflict is especially taxing due to the context where it occurs. When relationship conflicts occur within work teams, it can ultimately ruin the flow and dynamic of the team. This would make it difficult or even impossible for the team to achieve the goals it is set out to do.

Conflict resolution technique: as much as possible, it is best if those who are directly involved in the relationship conflict would sort things out among themselves. Find common ground and try to establish shared experiences and interests that could salvage your relationship. Should the conflict persist or worsen after such attempts, it is advised that a manager step in and help sort things out.

TASK CONFLICT

Task conflicts directly concern the work that is assigned to employees. These can come up from disputes related to dividing up resources, differing opinions regarding protocols and interpretation of facts. Among the different conflict types, this may seem like it is the most straightforward and easiest to resolve. However, task conflict usually has deeper roots and more complex than you would expect. This is especially true when other issues may have already compounded, and task conflict is simply the final straw in a long-brewing tension.

Conflict resolution technique: it is advised that this type of conflict is resolved by means of seeking the help of managers or supervisors who can help mediate and keep everyone on track.

VALUE CONFLICT

This type of conflict is a result of differences in each individual’s core values, such as those associated with politics, religion, ethics, etc. Value conflict can arise in the context of work decisions and policies that would require members to make use of their values. Such conflicts can potentially increase sentiments of distrust and alienation among team members if left unresolved.

Conflict resolution technique: Instead of aiming for a resolution, this type of conflict seeks mutual understanding and respect between and among employees who share different values. This is because the nature of values makes it quite impossible for parties to truly adjust with each other. Instead of forcing beliefs on one another, employees must simply accept that they have different values. Moreover, universal values shared among employees should be highlighted so as to establish common ground despite the inherent differences.

WORK STYLE CONFLICT

As it is with leadership styles, there are also differences in work styles of team members. Each person in your team would have preferences on how they accomplish tasks. Members may have different methodologies and priorities when it comes to working, and this may lead to clashes among members that would lead to other types of conflict, such as task conflict (if, for instance, the difference in working style would greatly impact how a task is accomplished).

Conflict resolution technique: Much like resolving leadership conflict, work style conflict can be resolved by recognising the differences in each member's style. Work with and around these by finding ways in which you can collaborate and accommodate each other as you work towards shared goals.

Client Conflict

Client conflict is something you cannot completely avoid. In the context of this discussion, the conflicts of concern are communication challenges that you may encounter when dealing with clients. The most common of these include:

CONFLICT DUE TO MOTIVE

This conflict is a result of a difference in the reasons that underlie your decisions. Most of the time, the motives that underlie your chosen actions are hidden; likewise, it is common to assume that the other party shares the same motives that you do. However, the truth is that you and your client may have different rationales for making the same choices that would concern and affect you both.

Conflict resolution technique: You and your client must willingly open up about your motives. Although you will likely find that you do not have the same motives, this will help you know where you stand and adjust to one another accordingly.

CONFLICT DUE TO POOR MANAGEMENT OF EXPECTATIONS

Perhaps the most common source of client conflict is poor management of expectations. Too often, it is tempting to promise that you can deliver the requests and cater to the wants of your clients. However, the desire to please a client may blind you from considering your actual capacity to deliver what they seek. As a result, failure to manage expectations may harm your reputation and lessen the likelihood of getting additional referrals.

Conflict resolution technique: You should set clear expectations and gain sign off before commencing to reduce this and when conflict does arise, redo this step and update as needed.

Tempting as it may be to promise that you can satisfy a client's every request, remember that it is always better to under-promise and over deliver.

CONFLICT DUE TO PRIORITIES

Sometimes, your priorities and that of the client are not aligned with one another. While you may be focused on trying to accomplish more urgent and pressing tasks, your client may be more concerned about the projects and the outputs they are expecting from you. This causes conflict because you and your client are progressing with different outcomes in mind.

Conflict resolution technique: This is a classic example of client conflict that may be resolved through proper communication and realignment.

Competing priorities need to be addressed and solutions agreed before proceeding.

Techniques in Resolving Face-to-Face Client Conflict

Along with the above-mentioned techniques, there are useful techniques you can use in resolving client conflict that occurs in face-to-face settings. These include:

Use the right verbal cues

Be mindful of the language you use as you try to resolve client conflict. The situation already has negative connotations and possible tensions among those involved and saying the wrong words may lead to heightened conflict and misunderstanding. Phrase your statements carefully, using words that are more neutral and less aggressive. It is also best to stick to facts and avoid focusing on opinions that may further aggravate the situation.

Use the right non-verbal cues and body language

Using non-verbal cues appropriately will help you resolve client conflict more easily. Avoid raising your voice or speaking aggressively; stay calm and collected at all times. To further encourage clients to be open with you, maintain an open stance and use positive body language such as leaning in, nodding your head in agreement. This would increase their willingness to sit down and talk about the problem at hand rather than being angry about it.

Listen and allow everyone to speak

Actively listen to your client to avoid further miscommunication. In doing so, it may be helpful to use signals that indicate your understanding of what they are saying. You may also restate and summarise points they have said and confirm if that is what they meant to say.

Likewise, it is important to give the client their fair share of time to express themselves. Avoid talking over them and allow them to explain their concerns. As they do, continue to actively listen and be open to what they have to say.

Come up with solutions

Do not just passively accept your client’s concerns; respond accordingly. This means showing empathy and apologising when necessary and trying to offer solutions to address the complaints. At the end of the day, conflict resolution aims to solve the problems raised by your clients. It is imperative that you come up with concrete options that may help address their concerns. Even though you are not fully capable of resolving the issues they have raised, you must still provide them with options and guidance on how these can be addressed.

Activity

Think about a conflict which happened (or could happen) at your workplace for any of the causes discussed above. How was it resolved and what was the outcome? Could it have been handled differently for a better outcome? Share your thoughts in the forum and comment on what your classmates have to say.

Risk and Hazard Communication

Communicating potential risks or safety hazards may not be the most pleasant of tasks. However, it is imperative that you handle these matters well and manage them effectively.

Challenges in Risk and Hazard Communication

The biggest challenge in communicating risks and hazards in the workplace is that they are so subjective. One person may identify something as a potential risk that another would not consider a problem.

This may mean that some serious risks are overlooked, while on other occasions the cost or complexity of the required rectifications outweighs the benefits of addressing the risk or hazard.

Resolving Work Health and Safety Risks

Along with the challenges and techniques discussed above, there are communication techniques you can use to resolve the work health and safety risks you may encounter in the workplace. These techniques must be in line with the processes included in the work health and safety risk management process, which includes:

RISK ANALYSIS

This is the identification and analysis of potential issues that can occur in the workplace and negatively impact employees, projects as well as the workplace itself.

IDENTIFICATION OF CONTROL MEASURES

This is the determination of the different initiatives and/or protocols that can prevent and/or eliminate a risk or hazard you face in the workplace.

IDENTIFICATION OF PERSONS RESPONSIBLE FOR RISKS

This is the determination of the key personnel whose job is to ensure that risks are properly addressed and resolved.

In line with this process, communication techniques for resolving work health and safety risks include:

HEALTH AND SAFETY IN THE WORKPLACE CONSULTATION

Consultation with workers regarding work health and safety matters is required for all organisations. Moreover, it is an effective way to manage potential risks or safety hazards. In consulting with workers who may be affected by the risks, you empower workers to communicate their concerns and suggestions in resolving these risks. This is efficient because workers who are in direct contact with and/or are affected by risks will be able to provide practical advice and opinions based on their experience. Such would help in creating more effective control measures.

HAZARD REPORT FORMS

It is imperative that your organisation provides employees with a formal means of recording and reporting hazards they may encounter in the workplace. This comes in the form of hazard report forms to be filled up once a hazard has been identified.

COORDINATION MECHANISMS

It is important to coordinate the procedures you have agreed upon for eliminating and minimising risks. This will help ensure that everyone who is concerned and/or involved can perform their duties effectively. In coordinating with relevant personnel, you must:

• Sufficiently explain the reasons and steps involved in managing the risks.
• Clarify the duties assigned for each personnel and make sure that everyone is aware of the tasks involved with these duties.
• Ensure that personnel are fully equipped with the necessary skills and materials that would enable them to perform their duties.
• See to it that all control measures help each other rather than fight each other.

Unethical and Inappropriate Communication

Two other communication challenges you may face in the workplace is the occurrence of unethical as well as inappropriate communication.

Unethical Communication in the Workplace

One kind of communication that is looked down upon is unethical communication. This is communication that is immoral, encouraging deception and manipulation of messages. The most common manifestations of unethical communication in the workplace include:

SELECTIVE MISQUOTING

This is twisting someone’s words or ideas by taking parts of statements out of context. The resulting passage becomes problematic because its meaning, now separated from the original context, changes. Selective misquoting is often done to create false support for a claim or to make the original communicator of a statement lose their credibility.

PLAGIARISM

Plagiarism is taking someone else’s thoughts, ideas, or words and presenting them as your own. It is a form of stealing often done to make one seem intelligent, reliable, and/or praiseworthy. Aside from being illegal, plagiarism is an unethical form of communication that would actually reduce rather than build one’s credibility in the workplace.

LYING

In the workplace, lying comes in many forms. This may be as small as misreporting progress on certain tasks or as big as concealing important matters. Lying makes it difficult to build trust within the workplace and makes one lose their integrity.

Inappropriate Communication

Along with unethical communication, another problematic form of communication within the workplace is inappropriate communication. This is a type of communication that involves negative and/or unwanted messaging that is potentially harmful toward receivers. Common manifestations of inappropriate communication in the workplace include:

USING AGGRESSIVE LANGUAGE

This is expressing your thoughts, ideas, or opinions aggressively. Forms of aggression would include being sarcastic, using harsh tones and words, and showing condescension towards those you are communicating with. Using aggressive language is likely to intimidate those you are speaking with and scare them away, keeping them from truly speaking their minds and being open about their actual thoughts for fear of how you would react.

USING RACIALLY OFFENSIVE LANGUAGE

This involves using language that is meant to offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate others on the basis of race. Racially offensive language includes racial slurs, jokes, or comments that belittle or stereotype certain racial groups, especially minorities and inappropriate or offensive terms.

USING GENDER-INSENSITIVE LANGUAGE

This involves using language that is meant to offend, insult, humiliate, or intimidate others on the basis of gender. Gender-insensitive language would include sexist jokes, comments, or remarks that promote gender stereotypes.

Resolving Unethical and Inappropriate Communication

To counter unethical and inappropriate communication, there are key techniques you can use in framing your communication. These are:

FRAME TO ACHIEVE A CLEAR PURPOSE

All your communications must be aimed at achieving goals. Moreover, it is important that these goals are made clear, especially to you. You will be more confident about how others will receive and react to your messages if you yourself are sure about the purpose of your communication.

FRAME THE MESSAGE TO THE AUDIENCE AND SITUATION

Along with recognising and making the purpose of your communication the basis of your communications, it is equally important to consider the audience and the context of your communication. Knowing your audience would help you better understand the style and language you must use to effectively send your message.

The same is true for the situation. Consider how much time you have, the urgency of your communication need, the type of media you would use to convey your message. Sufficient understanding of your audience and situation would help you frame your messaging better, leading to more effective communications.

FRAME TO BUILD CONTENT UNDERSTANDING

Finally, remember that your messaging should ultimately aim towards understanding. The end-goal of your communications would always be to send messages that would be understood and accepted by its receivers. It is, therefore, essential to balance grounding your communications on a clear purpose with ensuring appropriateness with your target audience and situation and ultimately aiming to promote understanding of your content.

Challenges and solutions for presenting

When you are conducting a presentation, there may be challenges that you are prone to experience. These are circumstances that will prevent you from delivering your intended message clearly and concisely. There are many reasons for such challenges. They may be caused by the very environment where you are presenting, the materials you are using to supplement your presentation, and/or you yourself as the presenter. The most common challenges you may face while presenting include:

POOR USE OF BODY LANGUAGE

When you are not communicating properly with your body, it can affect the overall delivery of your message. No eye contact, being stiff, stuffing hands in your pockets, presenting with low energy or playing with markers does not make it look like you are engaged in the presentation and will in turn make it hard for the audience to engage. It will be harder for your audience to keep engaged when you look bored with the topic you are discussing.

Technique to resolve this challenge: Ensure that your body language supports your verbal language. Make use of proper hand gestures to indicate key points and maintain an open stance at all times. Do not be afraid to move around as you present. You should also be mindful of how you use your facial expressions. Show enthusiasm through these and maintain eye contact with your audience as you present.

RAMBLING

In truth, rambling is nothing more than the result of a lack of preparation. When you ramble, you look like you do not know enough about the material you are presenting. It can also distract from the message you intend to share with your audience. This, in turn, prevents the audience from understanding the main ideas or the key takeaway of the topic.

Technique to resolve this challenge: Prepare well for your presentation. Ensure that you truly understand the information and/or instructions you are to discuss. Moreover, find the time to rehearse the flow of your presentation so you have an idea how it should go. You do not have to memorise your material word per word, but you need to have a key understanding of everything you will communicate to avoid rambling.

DIFFICULT QUESTIONS

Of the communication challenges that you can experience while presenting, perhaps the most intimidating is having to deal with questions you cannot answer. Communication should encourage discussion; however, this leaves it open to questions that may be beyond the knowledge of the presenter or scope of the presentation.

Technique to resolve this challenge: The truth is, you cannot fully prevent difficult questions during your presentation. However, you can sufficiently prepare for these. When you plan for your presentation, list down all the possible questions that may be asked of you and try to formulate answers for these. If this still proves to be insufficient, do not fret. It is okay to not have the answer to every question. Admit that you do not know the answer to an audience member's question, note the question, and tell them you will get back to them once you have done further research on the matter.

Activity

Have you had to give a presentation at your workplace? Describe in the forum how the circumstances of one occasion and any challenges you experienced. Comment on some of your classmates experiences too.

Challenges and solutions for signage and visual prompts

You may also experience challenges when using signage in the workplace. This is often a result of such signage lacking clarity or visibility in the presentation of their intended message. Common challenges you may face include:

POSITIONING

Signage cannot always be clearly seen from certain positions or points of view. The position of the sign determines how clear it is to the audience. Too high, too close on a sharp angle or somewhere that reflects light will all reduce the audiences ability to see the sign/message.

Technique to resolve this challenge: Before you finalise the position of your signage, ensure that they can easily be read and understood by employees. Test out different positionings for your signage. In doing this, you make seek help from employees who can test these out and give their feedback.

CONTRAST OF SIGN AGAINST THE ENVIRONMENT

In relation to the position, you must also be mindful of the environment you put your sign in. If the sign blends too much into the environment, then the audience is unlikely to notice it.

Technique to resolve this challenge: Do an inspection of possible locations where you can place your sign. As you do, note the possible elements that may keep it from being properly seen. Remember that your signage needs to get others' attentions and not be overlooked for it to be effective.

CLARITY OF TEXT

Perhaps the most critical challenge you can face with signage concerns the text that is being shown. Text can refer to the way the information is presented, and the words used. If the font, size and styling is too small, too pale or too detailed for the space or distance that the sign covers the audience may not be able to read it. Likewise, if the content is too confusing or vague in terms of the language, they will not understand what they are seeing.

Technique to resolve this challenge: Before you even produce a sign, check the text you want it to display. Ensure that this is clearly phrased and understood by seeking feedback from other employees. Present the text to them and confirm if their understanding of it is the same as your intended message.

Communication Outside of Workplace Policy

You may find yourself engaging in communication outside of the workplace policy. This would include instances where your communication is considered a fundamental violation, although it is not specified in your policy. Among the communication challenges discussed, these may be the most difficult to deal with because there are no clear guidelines for addressing them.

Perhaps the most common example of communication outside workplace policy involves personal communications of employees that do not concern work matters. This may include the use of one’s personal social media to engage in problematic communication (e.g., spreading false news, using profane language, fighting with co-workers) and communication challenges that would occur outside of work hours and/or office premises between and/or among employees.

Due to the nature of this communication challenge, the resolution to be done would vary across organisations. To better understand this challenge and how to resolve it, the following examples are put forth:

Employees complaining about working through social media

This communication challenge occurs when employees use their personal social media accounts to post complains about work. This proves to be an issue because the kind of complains they publicise can destroy the image of the organisation to outsiders, including potential and existing stakeholders.

To resolve such a challenge, organisations can opt to implement organisational training to educate employees on social media etiquette. This is because some employees may not be aware of the proper way to behave online. Organisations may also develop policies for the use of personal social media. This would further limit the occurrence of such incidents.

Employee conflict outside work

When colleagues in the same company have personal issues outside of work, this communication challenge arises. This may be the most difficult problem to deal with among the various challenges that are outside of organisational policy, as the organisation cannot deal with conflict outside of work – be it job-related matters or office.

The organisation can, however, step in if such conflict affects current working conditions. If in case the conflict does affect the work environment and culture, there are a number of resolution methods the organisation can implement. These would include mediation, grievance hearing and disciplinary hearing. Additionally, the organisation may opt to implement organisational adjustment to separate the conflicting parties.

Ultimately, it is up to the organisation to deal with such instances accordingly. The approach that will be done to address these may be a bit unconventional. You may need to think outside the box and work with existing resolution techniques meant for situations that you have prepared for.

The fourth and last step of enabling workplace communication is to receive a confirmation on the outcomes of communication problems. This is to ensure that issues have been sufficiently resolved. Although there is no one strict way for confirming that communication challenges have been sufficiently resolved, there is a general process for doing so.

Steps in this process include:

1. Summarise the challenge encountered.
   Once your communication challenge has concluded, you must be able to sufficiently summarise what happened. In doing so, it is important that you take note of key points such as the persons involved, the date/s when it occurred, the events that transpired, and the subsequent outcomes of the challenge. For the most part, this step is done formally by means of preparing a report or formal document that outlines the details of your communication challenge. However, the level of detail required in this step may change depending on the severity of the challenge.
2. Finalise resolution technique.
   Once you have documented the communication challenge that took place, you now finalise the technique you will use to resolve this. The previous section outlines the different techniques you can employ for the challenges you can face. In accomplishing this step, you may find it necessary to seek the help of relevant personnel. For instance, the selection of your techniques may be made with the employees directly involved in the challenge as well as a third-party consultant. You may also need to seek approval from superiors if the technique you are to employ has a larger scope or additional requirements.
3. Enact resolution technique.
   After you have finalised the resolution technique you are to use, you can now enact this. This step is the heart of your process as it will be the point where your issues are resolved. Make sure that in doing this step, you are able to sufficiently address the concerns of the parties involved and follow the proper guidance in enacting your technique.
4. Evaluate the resolution.
   Your work does not end once you have enacted your resolution techniques. To be sure that you have indeed resolved the issues and overcome the challenge, you must evaluate the resolution technique that was employed. This would entail seeking feedback from all those involved in the communication challenge. Reach out to them and ask them how they feel about the way the matter was handled. Further, let them know that they can open up about any concerns they still have so these can be resolved.

Summary

• By using interpersonal skills effectively, you can build relationships with team members and clients as well as facilitate respectful interaction.
• Facilitating respectful communication among others requires paying special attention to the requirements of individuals from diverse backgrounds.
• Individuals with special needs or disabilities must be given special consideration.
• To resolve communication challenges, you must employ techniques that will require you to use problem-solving and decision-making skills effectively.
• Once your communication challenge has been addressed, you must effectively resolve it and confirm that the issues it involves have been addressed.

Complete the following short quiz on cultural communication (6 questions)

Monitoring and supporting team communication is the fourth and last stage of implementing communication techniques in the workplace. Your effort does not end with the implementation of your ideas, as it does with any undertaking. You must make an effort to thoroughly analyse your communication efforts in the spirit of continual development. You must next consider how you can further improve your results and how you can give direction and help to others based on your findings.

The process of monitoring and supporting team communication involves four subsets. You begin by ensuring that all communication is consistent with legislative and organisational requirements. Then, you will provide performance feedback and additional support to others when such is required. Along with giving feedback, you must also seek feedback and assistance from others to improve your own communication techniques. Finally, you must collate and report any important information and unresolved issues to relevant superiors to ensure that all problems you encounter are sufficiently addressed.

Legislative and organisational considerations

The first step in monitoring and supporting team communication involves ensuring that all communication is consistent with the necessary requirements. These requirements come in the form of your organisational and legislative requirements which were introduced earlier.

The process of ensuring that all your communication is consistent with both internal and external requirements is straightforward, and it involves three key phases. These are:

Planning for Communication

As with any undertaking, it is vital that you start your process right. Sufficient planning will enable you to be on the right path. As you brainstorm ideas for different communication initiatives, ensure that you give time and consideration to the different requirements you have in place.

It was explained earlier that organisational requirements must be the foundation for your communication practices. The most effective way of making sure that your communication is aligned with these requirements is by actively planning your communication with these in mind from the very beginning. The same is true for your legislative requirements. From the onset, you must make it a point to adhere to the different guidelines provided by such and avoid any violations.

Plan Execution and Monitoring

It is not sufficient that your planning is done in alignment with your requirements. As you execute your different communication practices, keep them in check. This means actively monitoring them to ensure that they are properly being implemented. Sometimes, your planning may be sufficient and free of issues. However, in the process of your execution, you may find that some points are lost in translation.

As you monitor your communications, challenges that you may or may not have originally planned for may also arise. You must address these as they come. It is once again important to remember your requirements as you resolve these issues. Everything from your actual communication practices to your processes and techniques for addressing any issues must be done in accordance with both internal and external requirements.

An issues log is a good way to identify any issues or risks identified during the planning or execution of any communication. This can be used to capture both risks and actual issues, as well as identify potential solutions and track the status of any actions required to resolve them.

Issues can be escalated by anyone in the communication process but should be done centrally and by someone who will take ownership of the processes around resolving the issues. This does not mean they need to address the issues, rather that they update the log and check in with the individuals assigned responsibility for their resolution on a regular basis to ensure issues are addressed.

The types of information typically captured in an issues log. includes:

• Issue number:
  A unique tracking identifier.
• Issue/Description:
  A short description of the issue.
• Risk/Priority:
  A risk and/or priority indicator to identify how important the issue is.
• Raised by:
  The person who identified the issue or risk.
• Owner:
  The person responsible for resolving (or managing the people responsible for resolving) the issue.
• Actions:
  The steps that are required to resolve the issue.
• Status:
  The current status of the issue as updated by the Owner.
• Open date:
  The date the issue was raised.
• Closed date:
  The date the issue was addressed.

A basic example of an issues log is found below:

ISSUE LOG
ID	1
ISSUE	Signage on Safe lifting procedure around the office is too small – employees cannot read it so are not following it.
RAISED BY	WHS Officer
OWNER/RESPONSIBLE	Assistant Manager
SOLUTIONS/ACTIONS	Pring larger posters to ensure visible from general office floor
STATUS	Checked the size needed to be visible from the general office floor. Confirmed the approval to put in poster order with Manager. Engaged with external printer to get posters reprinted. Should be received by xx/xx/xx
DUE DATE	1 week.

Evaluation

Finally, to make sure that your communication initiatives are consistent with your requirements, you must evaluate them. This is especially important when the communication activities you engage in involve projects and/or events that have a clear start and endpoint. You must go over everything that took place and determine if every aspect of your communication remained relevant and consistent with the necessary requirements.

During this step, you must also look into points for improvement and possible violations that have been made. Assess these and try to determine the reasons they occurred. Using this knowledge, develop ways to realign your communication and avoid further inconsistencies.

Performance feedback and additional support

The next order of business in monitoring and supporting team communication involves providing performance feedback as well as additional support to others when required. This is especially necessary when you have employees who are underperforming or would themselves take the initiative to improve their performance.

Providing Feedback

Feedback is a reliable way of making employees aware of their performance. If you are able to give effective feedback, employees will not only be able to assess how well they were able to communicate and fulfil the tasks required of them but also recognise how they can further improve.

To make sure that the feedback you provide is effective, key techniques you can take note of include:

Give feedback in a timely fashion

Give feedback at the right time. As a general rule, feedback is meant to be given immediately after the task or activity you are evaluating has been completed. This will enable employees to clearly remember and understand the points you are referencing in your evaluation.

In some cases, however, you may need to delay providing feedback. This would include situations when conflict and other challenges arise. During these times, it is best to give your feedback a day or two after the disagreement to ensure that everyone has had time to calm down and reflect on what has happened. By doing so, you ensure that the feedback you provide will be met with more openness.

Provide detailed feedback

Do not be afraid to give employees detailed comments regarding their performance. Highlight what went well and what can be improved, while ensuring that the feedback you provide is well-grounded and fair. It is also important to be proactive in your feedback. This means giving clear guidance and suggestions for the employee to improve their performance.

Take time to develop feedback

Do not make feedback for the sake of complying with requirements. Put sufficient effort into formulating your feedback and evaluating the performance of your employees. Though it is a tedious and time-consuming task, remember that the feedback you provide will enable employees to understand how well they have performed and how they can continuously improve. Take the task seriously and make time to develop your feedback.

Treat feedback as a continual process

Recognise the value of not only giving feedback but receiving it as well. Seek feedback on your feedback. Ask employees how they have understood the points you were trying to make and recognise how you can further improve the quality of the feedback you. Treat feedback as a continual process for both you as the provider and employees as the receivers. That way, the feedback you provide gets better as time passes just as their performance does.

Activity

Think of an occasion you had to give feedback and when you received feedback at your workplace. How did it go? What was your reaction to receiving feedback? What was the reaction of the person you gave feedback to? Share your experiences in the forum and comment on your classmates’ posts.

Providing Additional Support

Along with providing feedback, other ways through which you can provide additional support for others include:

Training initiatives

Perhaps the most fundamental way of providing support is through training initiatives. The kind of support training provides relies on formal and technical knowledge that would enable employees to improve their performance. There are different ways through which you can provide training to employees. Some of the most widely used methods include:

Formal instruction

This method involves a lecture-style learning method where trainees would be situated in a classroom setting. They would receive training from an expert who plays the role of the teacher.

On-the-job training

This method requires trainees to learn the skills and knowledge involved in a task by actually performing the task required of them. They will be guided by an expert and will have actual first-hand experience in performing said task.

Simulation

This method is similar to on-the-job training. However, instead of actually performing the set tasks, employees will work on tasks similar to those they will actually encounter in the workplace.

Self-directed learning

As the name suggests, this method relies on the trainee’s ability to learn the necessary skills and knowledge required by teaching themselves. Employees will be provided with the necessary materials (i.e., manuals, supplementary videos) and will be empowered to learn about these at their own pace.

Coaching

Coaching is another way through which you can provide support for employees. It involves a short-term development process that follows a structured and formal approach to helping an employee develop. Since coaching is mainly concerned with performance, it focuses on the required knowledge, tools, and opportunities that will enable employees to improve their communication.

The timeframe for coaching is usually six months to a year, and coaches usually have a specific goal set for their coachees. In this case, the goal is to improve the communication of employees. The selection of a coach is made on the basis of their area of expertise, which is an area where their designated coachee needs support.

One key technique you have to note in using coaching as a method of providing support for employees is establishing SMART goals. These must directly concern the performance of the employee and aim to improve such in a set timeframe. Using the SMART criteria to form goals is ideal as it will help you strike a balance between aiming high and being realistic. This will make it easier for you and your coaches to maintain a reasonable and consistent pace yourselves.

Mentoring

By definition, mentoring is a long-term process that follows a rather informal approaching in developing for an employee. It follows the format of generalised advice and guidance for career development, with a specific focus on the areas where an employee needs additional support. Mentoring usually involves a senior and experienced mentor and an inexperienced and promising mentee. The former provides support for the latter through the knowledge, advice, skills, and expertise the mentor imparts.

Mentorship is beneficial not only for the mentor and the mentee but also for the company where the mentee will practice what they are being taught. At the minimum, relationships between the mentor and the mentee would last for a year. If the mentor and the mentee are well-matched, their relationship can last a lifetime. Through mentorship, employees can develop not only in terms of their communication but also holistically. This benefits their professional career, the teams where they work, and the organisation that they are a part of.

Feedback and assistance from others

The process of monitoring and supporting team communication also involves seeking feedback and assistance from others so that you yourself can improve your own communication techniques.

Seeking Feedback and Assistance

As mentioned, feedback and assistance are invaluable in improving performance in communication engagements. This applies not only to employees but also to you. Given this, you must be open to seeking feedback and assistance from others as well.

Seeking Feedback

Seeking feedback means reaching out to relevant personnel who can help evaluate your communication techniques. There are different methods through which you can seek feedback. This may be done through informal means such as asking the relevant personnel about their opinions on the way you talk. It can also be done formally, through face-to-face meetings, calls, written evaluations, etc.

The most important thing to remember in seeking feedback is that you be fair and unbiased as you receive it. The goal of feedback is to help you assess your performance, and you should accept the views held and comments made by others so that you can improve your communication techniques.

Seeking Assistance

You can seek assistance through training and coaching as well as mentoring. The different training methods may be helpful in improving your communication techniques, especially if the guidance you require is quite technical. On the other hand, coaching will help your performance-driven needs while mentoring will develop not only your communication techniques but your overall performance as an employee.

In seeking assistance, it is important to keep an open mind. The people who will be providing you with assistance are experts in their respective areas of fields, and they know what they are doing. Do not be afraid of having the tables turned and being the one who requires guidance. Developing your communication techniques is an ongoing and continuous process that everyone should engage in.

Relevant Personnel and Sources

There are both relevant personnel and sources that can help you improve your communication techniques. The personnel you can reach out to include your colleagues, supervisors, and experts. Colleagues can give you reliable feedback on your communication techniques as they experience working with you first-hand. Supervisors can do this and also provide assistance as necessary. Experts who may be from within and outside the company are also key persons who can provide you with guidance in enhancing your communication techniques.

On the other hand, the sources you can use to assess your communication techniques may include both human and physical sources. The personnel above may be sources of key information that would enable you to develop your communication techniques. Along with them, however, you can work on your techniques by seeking relevant materials, guides, documents, etc. that can provide clear and easy to follow instructions on how you can improve your communication.

Collate and report outcomes

Collecting and reporting any essential information as well as unsolved concerns to the appropriate individuals is the final step in monitoring and facilitating team communication. Collating is the process of gathering all essential information - in this case, information about difficulties that arise during the communication process. These are matters worth reporting to relevant superiors who can help you address these.

Evaluating Communication Processes

Evaluating communication processes would involve looking into documents and seeking insights from others involved in the process. The first would involve reviewing the different records you have of the different communication processes you have in place. In checking these materials, you must seek issues and challenges experienced, patterns or trends that may have emerged, etc.

Along with this, you can also evaluate your processes by seeking feedback from employees. You can ask them regarding their experiences with the different processes you have in place informally or use formal methods for doing so.

Three ways through which you can formally collect feedback are:

• Administer surveys.
  This is particularly useful for when you need to reach out to a lot of people. If your process involves many people and you would like to find out the feedback of as many people as you can, this is the ideal method. Surveys are, however, limited to closed questions. This is because seeking responses to open questions from a large number of people is inefficient. The responses you would receive from this method would be numerical, and you will need to analyse these results statistically. Surveys can be administered by giving out physical or digital/electronic forms to your target audience.
• Schedule interviews.
  Interviews are an effective way to evaluate communication processes by means of seeking in-depth feedback from those involved in the process. Unlike surveys which are mostly restricted to closed questions, interviews allow you to have free-flowing discussions where employees can open up about their experiences extensively. However, you must carefully select who you will be interviewing as this task can be time-consuming. You cannot plan to interview everyone as this would be inefficient. Interviews can be both face-to-face or aided by technology (i.e., video or phone interviews).
• Hold focus group discussions.
  A third method of obtaining feedback is through focus group discussions. This method is similar to interviews as it allows you to reach out to key persons and seek their in-depth insights on the processes that they are involved in. The main difference is that you'll have a group of people get together, and instead of just asking them questions and interviewing them, you'll encourage them to talk to one another about their ideas(i.e. engage in a group discussion).

Additionally, you may also find it useful to seek third-party help in evaluating your communication processes. This is especially important for the processes which may be more complex or too difficult for you to assess on your own (e.g., due to biases towards the process). Insights from a third-party may provide fair and unbiased assessments of your communication process, allowing you to establish key information with more ease.

Identifying Areas for Improvement, Important Information, and Unresolved Issues

As you evaluate your communication processes, you are not merely looking back at everything and making a summary of what has been accomplished. There are key findings which you are paying close attention to and seeking out. These are your areas for improvement, important information, and unresolved issues. Though the three are closely related, there are fundamental differences among them.

Areas for Improvement

Areas for improvement refer to the parts of your processes that you can further develop to promote more effective communication. These include parts where you have already performed satisfactorily but can still improve further as well as parts where you simply did not meet your goals. Areas for improvement usually concern the performance of employees. The employees themselves may need to improve their performance to develop the process or the systems and mechanisms they work with need to be improved so that the employees can perform more effectively.

Important Information

Important information refers to findings that are vital to your process. These include data that would affect your processes positively, negatively, or in a neutral manner. You may have found causal relationships or possible correlations among different factors involved in your processes, for instance. This information needs to be properly noted and documented so that you can further investigate it and find out if it can be used to your advantage to improve your processes.

Unresolved Issues

Finally, unresolved issues refer to the different challenges you have faced along the way that you were not able to resolve. The truth is, not every issue you encounter can easily be addressed. However, this does not mean that you just let them go once your processes or activities have concluded. You must acknowledge them and attempt to understand them. This is done to determine if anything can still be done to try and resolve them and/or prevent or lessen their occurrence in the future.

To effectively identify areas for improvement, you must simply be keen on your evaluation of your communication processes. Pay close attention to findings that may be of interest. Take time in your evaluations and carefully assess all the information you have. Moreover, it may once again be useful to seek third-party help. Personnel who have areas of expertise that may be relevant to your endeavour may help make your process more efficient, and there may be particular processes that are more difficult to assess than others. Do not be scared to seek help, as necessary.

Collating and Reporting Information to Relevant Supervisors

The final output of your evaluation process is a formal document that summarises all of your findings. This document would highlight key findings and insights that would help others make a meaningful assessment of the communication processes you have in place.

To create this document, you must effectively collate key findings from various materials. These include records and reports on your processes, feedback from employees, and insights from third-party consultants or experts. Moreover, you must also incorporate proof and documentation of your processes through photos, actual sample materials used in the process, and other forms of evidence that would substantiate your findings. It is important that your collated findings highlight key points that need to be given attention. Finally, you may also provide recommendations for improvement in your report.

Once you have collated your findings, you can then report these to the relevant supervisors. These would include your direct officers as well as other superiors who have the power to make decisions or take the necessary action to improve your communication processes. The act of reporting your findings is, in itself, a communication practice. It is, therefore, crucial that you effectively present your information and keep in mind the different strategies, techniques, and tips outlined in this manual.

Summary

• You must ensure that your communication practices are aligned with legislative and organisational requirements.
• To effectively provide support for others, you must be ready to provide them with feedback on their performance and also additional support.
• Likewise, you must be open to seeking feedback and assistance from others to improve your own communication techniques.
• The support and assistance you can give as well as receive may come in the form of training initiatives, mentoring, and/or coaching.
• You must sufficiently evaluate your communication processes to determine how well these were executed and how they can be further improved.
• Your findings must be collated and then reported to relevant supervisors so that the necessary actions may be done to develop your communication processes.

Complete the following short quiz on communication processes (2 questions)

You’ve come to the end of this topic, well done! Before moving on to the next section be sure to complete all the exercises and go back over any linked videos and articles if you need to.