Communication: The Key To Success

One of my biggest bugbears in FM is communication. The companies where communication is the priority are the ones that tend to retain their customers. Let's take a look at where communication goes wrong and how to put it right.

There are three main areas where communication breaks down:

• Interpersonal
• Interdepartmental
• Managerial

Okay, let's dig in.

Interpersonal

When people fail to communicate properly with each other it's down to either failing to listen or failing to make the message clear.

Listening

How many times have we seen that thing (usually in a comedy setting) where a wife asks her husband if he heard her, then he dozily repeats it back in bullet points? It's particularly funny when it's hilariously wrong. When you're a customer service professional on the helpdesk or as a coordinator, it's not funny and can cause massive problems. Mindtools.com has an excellent listening infographic. Download, print it off and hang it on the wall. Main points:

1. Pay Attention - be aware of what they're saying and what it means
2. Show That You’re Listening - encourage the speaker to continue - focus on what they're saying
3. Respond Appropriately - be respectful whether you agree or not
4. Defer Judgment - wait till they've finished speaking before you comment
5. Provide Feedback - ask questions to clarify where appropriate

Actively listening to what people say and ensuring you understand what they mean is the key to excellence in communication.

Make the message clear

People have different styles of communication. I'm pretty blunt and like to make sure people understand what I'm saying to them. I usually follow up each call with an email to ensure we're all on the same page. The trouble with verbal communication is that there's no record of what's been said. That way, if there's a difference of opinion, I've got the email record to back me up. There are five styles of communication, each of which affects the way you come across and how your messages are communicated:

1. Assertive - Respecting one and others' rights when expressing demands and needs. Example: "Can you close the blind, please? I can't see my screen properly."
2. Aggressive - Demanding and uncompromising - "Close that flippin' blind, man. That glare is lasering my eyes out!"
3. Passive-aggressive - whiny and blaming - "Don't close the blind on my account. If I lose my sight, I suppose I can sue."
4. Submissive - "Sorry to be a nuisance but I need to move, someone left the blind up."
5. Manipulative - "Someone left the blind up and I can't move from this desk. I don't suppose you could help me out here?"

The most desirable is assertive because it enables the most effective communication. While you won't always get what you want you'll be able to compromise without losing face. It's what I aim for every time. The funny thing is, many people believe they're assertive when they're really one of the other four. Why? Lack of self-awareness.

Like many other women I want to lose weight and feel great. I've joined a slimming club and counting my Syns, etc. So far I've lost half a stone despite my chocolate Hobnobs habit. I can't help it, they're crunchy and so nice with a cup of tea. If I open a packet, I can't just have one. I must have another, and another, and just one more...

I told Wendy about this, and she said, "Ama, are you sure you want to lose weight? It seems to me that you want Hobnobs." - How To Find Clarity Within, by Ama Okoro for Clarity Within 

I've discussed this on Linked In as "the story and the message."

Now look again at your profile. Does it illustrate your message? Get rid of anything that contradicts your message so that what you say and what's on display match up. - The Story and the Message, by Wendy Cockcroft on Linked In

I can't stress enough the importance of what you're saying and what you're displaying needing to match up. If people can't take you seriously, they won't take you at your word. They will argue, contradict, and resist because they don't believe you - they have no reason to.

Clarity

If the person you're talking to doesn't ask questions to clarify what is required of them, it's worth asking them to repeat what you've said. Be aware of their communication style; if they're anything but assertive you'll have to follow up to see how they're doing as they may have misinterpreted what you told them. Some people won't just accept what they're told, they need to understand what is being asked of them and why. If you don't know more than what you said and you're repeating what someone else said, you may find it's easier to put the person you're dealing with in touch with the third party. I hate being the middleman so I routinely ask people to deal directly with each other and copy me in rather than using me as a conduit. It really does make life easier for me.

Interdepartmental

In my Linked In post, Three Keys to Effective Communication I wrote,

So far in my working life I've learned we need to:

1. Decide on what needs to be done and who needs to do it
2. Ensure we have everything we need to get the job done
3. Ensure that everyone knows what's going on

If, for whatever reason, we fail on any of these points, things can go wrong. Result: work not done and everyone is annoyed.

Where interdepartmental communication is concerned, this is vital. In some workplaces, the departments are enclosed and self-contained so they don't tend to communicate well with others or keep them in the loop. This is why the engineer who attended the coffee machine at Talk Talk didn't tell the Helpdesk staff that a quote should be raised for repairs with new parts and why it took six weeks for her to advise me that she never looked at the report, she just filed it. Had she sent me the report when I asked for it, I'd have had the coffee machine fixed within a couple of weeks. As it was, I had to virtually wrestle her for it. My own workplace at the time was little better. The Snot Problem was not just prevalent, it was enforced. I routinely defied instructions to leave it to others to do things since they weren't being done, and I had little time for passive aggression with our clients. If a thing needed doing, I'd do it myself. It got things done.

Coordination

Coordinating interdepartmental communications requires a good working relationship with at least one person in each department and with management staff to smooth the way when something needs doing and it's just not happening. Again, duplicate all communications in writing to head off a "He said, she said" situation. I've always been careful to cultivate good working relationships with "go-to" people in other departments so I've got help when I need it. If you want to be the nexus of the communications regarding any particular situation, be prepared to make a record of everything that happens so you can turn to it in the event of a complaint. If you ensure you are copied into all emails on the subject you'll be able to compile a report on demand.

Managerial

There is a variety of management styles. I prefer the Servant Leader myself. The authoritarian "My word is law," the Visionary "It'll be great when...", the carrot and stick Transactionals, the "Let it be" Laissez-faire and the "Come on, keep up" Pace Setters annoy me because they tend to be unconcerned with any issues the workers bring up. They expect them to sort things out themselves, as if not having the authority to do so doesn't matter.

Communication tends to break down when the manager just isn't interested in doing any actual management of the workers, i.e. he won't listen.

Don't "let it be"

Each management style has its place and is excellent in the appropriate setting. However, management styles can and do impact on communication. The self-awareness I mentioned earlier comes into play; if you're a manager, what sort of manager are you? I know there's a fair amount of overlap as it's hard to cleave to any particular style. As a manager myself I aim for "Servant Leader" but frequently practice Laissez-faire (and occasionally Authoritarian) according to the circumstances. If a worker has a question or query, can you answer it? You can only let it be when the workers know what is expected of them and are busy doing it. If they don't, don't leave them to it, figure out with them what needs to be done. Be there for them when they need you.

Learn the job

One of my biggest beefs at one of my jobs was managers marching up to tell us what to do when they had no idea of what we actually did. I asked on several occasions for someone to come and sit with me to learn what I actually did all day. Promoting from within would close that gap but not all companies do that. Communication tends to break down when workers have little confidence in you because they think you don't understand what's involved in doing the job — and you're not interested in understanding what they do from their point of view. It's also important not to bluster; people can tell when you don't know what you're on about. If you don't know, admit it and find out the answer.

As a manager I've done my best to learn from the examples — both good and bad — of the managers I've worked with. I've tried to avoid the mistakes and do the things I know they got right. I'm firm but fair with my team and help them out as and when required. As a result, our clients feel the security of knowing that everything is in hand and they don't have to worry about anything. Our workers know what is expected of them and they're happy to ask questions as and they arise. This has a positive knock-on effect on our customer service delivery because we're getting things done; I've had no complaints so far.