Plan communication with the supervisor

Choosing the right way to communicate is crucial for meaningful interactions in any situation. It’s not just about sharing information; it's about connecting with your audience in a way that resonates. By understanding the context of your message and the needs of the people you’re communicating with, you can select a method—whether it’s face-to-face, written, or digital—that enhances clarity and engagement. A thoughtful approach can help prevent misunderstandings and create a more positive and productive environment for everyone involved.

Appropriate methods for communication about wellbeing

Selecting the right method to communicate about your wellbeing is important to ensure your message is clear and respectful. Methods such as face-to-face meetings, emails, or phone calls can be used depending on the situation. A face-to-face discussion is often best when discussing personal matters like wellbeing, as it allows for more open, two-way communication and immediate clarification of any concerns.

Enterprise and initiative

Enterprise involves using creativity and problem-solving skills to improve processes or find new ways to accomplish tasks. It means thinking ahead and being innovative to enhance efficiency.

Initiative is about taking action without waiting for instructions. This means recognising what needs to be done and stepping up to complete tasks or address issues independently.

Together, enterprise and initiative demonstrate responsibility and a willingness to contribute positively to your role and the overall workplace environment.

In the workplace, it is important to understand your responsibilities and take initiative in fulfilling your role. 

This means knowing what is expected of you and taking proactive steps to meet those expectations. For example:

• Understanding role requirements: Be clear on your tasks and duties within your job. Ask for guidance if you're unsure of what’s expected.
• Taking initiative: Don’t wait to be told what to do. Look for ways to improve processes, offer help to colleagues, or find solutions to problems on your own.
• Meeting deadlines: Manage your time and prioritise tasks so you can meet deadlines and complete work efficiently.
• Adapting to new challenges: Be flexible and willing to learn new skills or take on different tasks when needed.

By identifying your responsibilities and taking initiative, you show you can work independently and contribute positively to the workplace. This helps you meet role requirements and supports overall workplace wellbeing.

Learning Activity

Methods for communicating with a supervisor

When communicating with a supervisor, you can use different methods based on the situation. These might include a formal email, an informal conversation, or scheduling a one-on-one meeting. The method should suit the nature of the issue—an email might work for a quick update, while a more serious concern might require a private discussion. It’s important to be clear, direct, and respectful, ensuring your supervisor understands the message without miscommunication. Preparing beforehand and being mindful of your tone and body language can also help in maintaining professionalism.

Why Communicate with a Supervisor

There are many reasons to communicate with your supervisor, such as:

• Clarify expectations: To ensure you fully understand your responsibilities, deadlines, and goals. This helps avoid confusion and ensures you are meeting job expectations.
• Request support or resources: If you're struggling with your workload or lack the tools to complete tasks effectively, speaking with your supervisor can help you get the assistance or resources you need.
• Provide updates on progress: Keeping your supervisor informed about your progress on tasks or projects ensures transparency and allows them to give feedback or adjust priorities if needed.
• Address workplace issues: Whether it's a conflict with a colleague, workload concerns, or issues with the work environment, bringing up these challenges early helps find solutions and prevents problems from escalating.
• Seek feedback: Regularly requesting feedback helps you understand how you're performing, where you can improve, and what you're doing well. This is crucial for personal development and career growth.
• Discuss career development: Communicating your career goals and aspirations allows your supervisor to guide you, offer opportunities for professional growth, and help you develop skills for advancement.

When to communicate with a supervisor

The timing of communication is essential. It's important to speak with your supervisor as soon as an issue arises, before it escalates. For ongoing matters, regularly scheduled check-ins or team meetings can be a good opportunity to discuss progress or concerns. If it’s something more urgent or personal, requesting a private meeting outside of these times may be more appropriate. Knowing when to bring up an issue helps in addressing it promptly without letting it impact your work.

The importance of communicating with a supervisor

Effective communication with your supervisor is crucial for a healthy and productive work environment. It ensures that you receive the support you need to manage your workload, improve your performance, or address concerns. Clear communication also strengthens the relationship between you and your supervisor, fostering better teamwork and mutual respect. When challenges are discussed openly, it’s easier to find solutions, reduce stress, and maintain personal wellbeing.

Example:

If you’re feeling overwhelmed with your current tasks, it's important to communicate this early to your supervisor, who can offer support or help prioritise tasks. Delaying this conversation may lead to increased stress or errors at work.

Appropriate style of communication

Using an appropriate style of communication is key when discussing wellbeing. A calm, respectful, and professional approach helps ensure that your concerns are taken seriously. Assertive communication is often the most effective style for expressing your needs while respecting others.

Communication styles

There are three (3) main communication styles, each with its advantages and disadvantages:

Passive

A passive communication style involves not expressing your thoughts, feelings, or needs clearly. People who communicate passively tend to avoid conflict, often allowing others to take control of situations. While this can maintain short-term peace, it can lead to frustration or misunderstandings because their needs may not be addressed.

• Advantages: Passive communication can prevent immediate conflict or tension in difficult situations, as the individual tends to go along with others’ decisions. It may also make it easier to listen and observe others' opinions without interrupting.
• Disadvantages: However, this approach can cause your concerns to be overlooked or dismissed, leaving issues unresolved. Over time, this can build resentment or stress, as your needs remain unexpressed and unmet.

Assertive

Assertive communication is about expressing your thoughts, feelings, and needs clearly and respectfully, while also acknowledging the rights and needs of others. This style is balanced and encourages open, honest dialogue, making it the most effective approach for the workplace.

• Advantages: Assertive communication allows you to express yourself directly and respectfully, ensuring that your needs are heard. It promotes a healthy balance between advocating for yourself and considering others' perspectives, which helps build trust and mutual respect in relationships.
• Disadvantages: One possible disadvantage is that if assertiveness is misinterpreted, others may see it as being overly demanding or confrontational, even though the intention is respectful.

Aggressive

Aggressive communication involves expressing thoughts and needs in a forceful or hostile way, often without regard for others' feelings. People who use this style may come across as domineering, which can escalate conflict and damage relationships.

• Advantages: In some cases, aggressive communication can draw immediate attention to a problem and result in a quick response, as others may feel pressured to act. This can sometimes seem effective when there is an urgent need to address an issue.
• Disadvantages: However, aggressive communication typically leads to negative outcomes, such as damaging relationships and creating hostility. It often causes others to feel defensive, making cooperation difficult, and can harm your professional reputation in the long term.

Strategies to deal with negative responses

When you receive a negative response to a discussion about your wellbeing, it’s important to remain calm and use problem-solving skills to address the situation. Here’s a strategy to manage such a response:

1. Stay calm: Take a deep breath and avoid reacting immediately.
2. Listen actively: Understand the other person’s point of view and clarify if needed.
3. Acknowledge the response: Show that you have heard their concerns or objections.
4. Restate your position assertively: Reiterate your needs clearly but respectfully.
5. Seek a solution: Ask how the issue can be resolved or if there’s a way forward.
6. Reflect on the situation: After the conversation, think about how the response may impact your next steps.

Managing negative responses professionally helps you maintain positive workplace relationships and ensures that issues are addressed without unnecessary conflict

 

A communication plan is a structured outline that details how information will be exchanged between individuals or groups to ensure that everyone involved is informed and aligned. It includes strategies, methods, and timelines for communicating key information, helping to manage expectations and avoid misunderstandings.

A communication plan outlines:

It ensures that the right people receive the right information at the right time, facilitating smooth collaboration and decision-making

Plan relevant content for communication including strategy for dealing with a negative response

To plan relevant content for communication, focus on the key message, target audience, and appropriate channels. Create clear, consistent messages that align with your organisation's goals, ensuring your content is concise and actionable. 

For dealing with negative responses, stay calm and professional, acknowledge the issue, and offer constructive solutions or alternatives. Craft responses that show empathy, and follow up to demonstrate your commitment to resolving the issue. Incorporate feedback loops to measure communication effectiveness and adjust future strategies accordingly.

Example:

In a company, the management decides to implement a new remote work policy aimed at enhancing work-life balance.

1. Key message: The policy announcement states, "We are introducing a new remote work policy to enhance work-life balance."
2. Target audience: All employees.
3. Communication channels
   • Email: To announce the policy and provide details.
   • Intranet: For access to the full policy document and FAQs.
   • Team Meetings: To discuss the policy and address any questions.
4. Response to negative feedback
   • Acknowledge: Management acknowledges concerns about the change.
   • Provide Solutions: They will hold Q&A sessions to address questions and gather feedback.
   • Follow-Up: They will review feedback regularly and make adjustments as needed to meet everyone's needs.

How to Create a Communication Plan?

Creating a communication plan involves several steps:

1. Communication method: This outlines how information will be delivered (e.g., email, meetings, intranet) and the purpose behind each method.
2. Description/purpose of communication: This provides a clear explanation of why the communication is being made, including its goals and the context surrounding the message.
3. Objectives/key messages: This defines what the communication aims to achieve, highlighting the core messages that need to be conveyed to the audience.
4. Frequency: This specifies how often communication will occur, whether it's a one-time announcement or regular updates.
5. Audience: This identifies who the message is intended for, ensuring that the communication is tailored to the right group.
6. Owner: This designates who is responsible for creating and delivering the message, ensuring accountability in the communication process.

Let’s take a look at the following example:

Staff member: Julie Havelock, Supervisor

Communication Method	Description / Purpose Of Communication	Objectives / Key Messages	Frequency	Audience	Owner
Electronic email announcement	To notify staff of new Flexible Working Hours Policy	Explain the policy, highlight benefits, and provide clear instructions on how to follow it.	One-time with reminders as needed	All employees	Julie Havelock and HR Team
Face to face staff meeting	Discuss concerns and gather feedback on policy changes.	Address concerns, provide solutions, and maintain open dialogue.	Weekly during transition period	HR Team	Julie Havelock
Company intranet notice and updates	Provide detailed policy guidelines and resources.	Ensure easy access to policy details and support information.	As needed. Update as changes happen.	All employees	HR Team
Feedback	Collect employee feedback	Evaluate satisfaction and identify areas for improvement.	One month after policy implementation.	All employees	HR Team

Why is a communication plan important?

A communication plan is important because it helps ensure that everyone is on the same page, minimising the risk of confusion, delays, or conflicts. By defining clear communication methods and expectations, it improves efficiency and supports better decision-making. It also ensures that important updates or concerns are shared in a timely manner, preventing problems from escalating due to lack of information.

When is a Communication Plan Used?

A communication plan is typically used in projects, teams, or work environments where multiple people need to collaborate and share information. It is especially useful for large projects with many stakeholders, ensuring that everyone remains informed and aligned on progress, deadlines, and key decisions. Communication plans can also be used in workplace wellbeing initiatives, such as when communicating wellbeing concerns or feedback with supervisors.

Communicate with your supervisor

Communicating with your supervisor is essential for several reasons, especially in a work environment where collaboration, support, and guidance are critical.

Some key reasons for initiating communication include:

Communication Plan for discussing wellbeing with supervisor

Plan Relevant Content for Communication

Before communicating with your supervisor, it’s important to plan the content of your discussion. This includes thinking about the factors impacting your wellbeing, selecting an appropriate communication style, and preparing for potential negative responses. This preparation ensures you express yourself clearly and professionally.

Factors that May Impact Wellbeing (Positive and Negative)

Identify the specific factors affecting your wellbeing, both positively and negatively. Positive factors could include support from your team or a flexible work environment. Negative factors might include heavy workload, stress, lack of breaks, or difficult working conditions. Understanding these factors helps you communicate them effectively to your supervisor.

• What: Clearly explain how these factors are influencing your work and wellbeing.
• Why: It ensures your supervisor understands the root causes of any concerns and can offer relevant support.

Appropriate Style of Communication

Choose a communication style that is assertive. This allows you to express your thoughts, needs, and concerns in a respectful and direct manner without being passive or aggressive. Assertive communication helps you maintain professionalism while ensuring your voice is heard.

Consider the following steps when using assertiveness:

Appropriate Method of Communication

Select the right method to communicate your concerns. For personal or sensitive discussions like wellbeing, face-to-face meetings are often the most effective.

This method allows for immediate clarification and a more open, honest conversation. If a face-to-face meeting isn't possible, a video call would be the next best option, followed by a well-structured email.

Strategy to Deal with a Negative Response

It’s important to plan how to handle a negative response professionally. If your supervisor reacts negatively or dismisses your concerns, stay calm and focus on problem-solving. Have a strategy in place that allows you to respond constructively.

• Steps to handle a negative response: 

1. Stay calm: Take a deep breath and avoid reacting emotionally.
2. Listen actively: Understand your supervisor’s concerns or reasons for their response.
3. Acknowledge their viewpoint: Show that you understand their position, even if you disagree.
4. Restate your concerns: Politely and assertively repeat your key points, explaining why the issue is important.
5. Propose solutions: Offer possible ways to resolve the situation or suggest a follow-up meeting to reassess the issue.

This strategy helps keep the conversation productive and reduces the chances of conflict escalating. It demonstrates your professionalism and willingness to find a mutually beneficial solution.

Let’s take a look at the following examples:

Dealing with negative responses, whether in the workplace or personal settings, requires calmness, understanding, and strategic approaches.

Example	Scenario	Possible response
Negative feedback from a Supervisor	Your supervisor criticises your work, saying it's not up to the standard expected.	Listen Actively: Allow the supervisor to finish without interrupting. Acknowledge: "I understand your concerns, and I appreciate the feedback." Clarify: "Could you explain which areas need improvement? I want to ensure I fully understand." Respond: "I will focus on these areas and ensure the necessary changes are made."
Customer complaint	A customer is upset about a product or service not meeting their expectations.	Empathise: "I’m sorry to hear that you’ve had this experience. I can understand your frustration." Ask Questions: "Could you tell me more about what went wrong?" Offer Solutions: "I’d like to offer you a replacement or a full refund, whichever you prefer." Follow-up: Ensure that you follow through with the agreed solution.
Disagreement with a colleague	A colleague disagrees with your approach on a project.	Stay Calm: Take a deep breath and avoid reacting emotionally. Respect Their Opinion: "I see where you're coming from. I hadn’t considered that perspective." Ask for Collaboration: "How can we work together to find a middle ground?" Remain Open to Feedback: Be willing to adjust your approach if needed.

The next Communication Plan example outlines the steps an employee can take to engage in a constructive conversation with their supervisor about their current workload and its impact on their wellbeing. 

Staff member: Tom Jefferies, Sales Person, Marketing Team

Communication Method	Description / Purpose Of Communication	Objectives / Key Messages	Frequency	Audience	Owner
One-on-one meeting, followed by a follow-up email.	Address workload	Address concerns about workload. Highlight the importance of wellbeing. Propose potential solutions.	As needed, but at least once per quarter or when workload significantly increases.	Direct supervisor and potentially HR if additional support is required.	Tom Jefferies, Teresa Smith (Marketing Team Supervisor) and Patricia Jones (HR Team)

This communication plan ensures preparation for a meaningful conversation with a supervisor about your wellbeing.