Effective Communication in the Workplace for Newbies! Part 1

(Hi All…This is a guest post from our intern Tunde’ Aideyan.  In a few months scores of new college grads as well as well as others will be entering the workforce for the first time.  Tunde’ advises new grads, millennials/gen y and others on how to effectively communicate in the workplace from his own experience as well as from our publications. Enjoy this 3 Part Series!)

As a recent college grad whose starting your first job, it is very essential to have effective communication skills. This can be challenging for people new to the work environment, but with practice and an understanding of communication, anyone can be a successful employee.

 

Effective communication begins with verbal interactions. An intricate process is followed when two people interact verbally; a message is sent to a receiver, the receiver then interprets the message and responds to the sender. The difficulty with verbal communication is that messages sent can often be interpreted as angry or aggressive, which is completely unproductive in the workplace. For entry level employee and recent graduates, it is important to practice techniques that will allow for a smooth relationship with other employees and supervisors. The following are some techniques for effective verbal communication;

 

• Talk in a calm tone

• Always listen to the speaker

• Listen to everything the speaker has to say before responding

• Ask questions in order to understand the speaker fully

• Listen!

Verbal communication is successful when the message sent is the same message received. Therefore it is important to ensure that messages are not hostile or aggressive when sent. As a newcomer to a work environment, having ineffective verbal communication skills can decrease productivity, and hinder success. Having good verbal communication techniques is the opening to good employee relationships, and many managers consider this essential for their company. It is very critical that all employees in a workplace are as productive and effective as possible, and having good verbal communication can make this a possibility.

 

4 Tips to Beat Workplace Stress| Video

Overwhelmed by stress? Watch Neca C. Smith as she gives you 4 easy tips to manage stress in the workplace and at home!

What’s Stressin’ You at Work? 3 Causes of Workplace Stress

On-the-job stress costs American businesses and corporations billions of dollars. Yet each year as the costs grow so does the amount of stress. Stress by definition is the normal physical response to events that make you feel threatened or out of balance in some way. It happens when our body’s physical & emotional reaction to circumstances or events frighten, confuse, endanger, or excite and place demands on the body. With that definition in mind, it’s helpful to note that stress can only begin by our response or reaction to the source of the stress…NOT the stressor itself. Here are 3 common causes of workplace stress:

Career Concerns: In today’s economic climate uncertainty about the status of one’s employment regardless to the industry seems to be top of mind. Worry and anxiety creep up and add to the existing stress.

Work Roles: In addition to the economy being uncertain it has also increased the workloads for many workers. What took an entire department two years ago, is only staffed by two people now. Playing more than one role is not only stressful but exhausting.

Interpersonal Relationships: When the work environment consists of low morale, lack of team work and lack of support from management, just the THOUGHT of coming in to work can begin to wear one down.

So you ask, how do you handle these stress sources? Instead of snapping…Begin by changing your perception in order to decrease your stress. If career uncertainty is your problem, start to think about what is certain in your life or how you were able to successfully navigate other unstable periods on your life. If your workload is unrealistic, tell yourself that you are doing all you can and the best you can given the situation. Many an individual has allowed workload to consume them and in turn their health has suffered the consequences. And lastly, if difficult work relationships have been the main causes of your stress, a fresh change in your perspective of your team or co-workers may reduce daily frustration.

How do you handle workplace stressors??? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Goal Setting for Team Building | Video

Have you ever wondered where to start when it comes to improving the work relationships on your teams? Watch Neca C. Smith as she gives you the first principle in building cohesive teams!