In a hyper-connected and hyper-mediatised world in which every image, every act, every gesture is analysed, commented on and criticised, it is interesting, even frightening, to note how little communication in the world of work is actually valued or taught at management level.
How many “casting errors”, frustrations and failures are reported every day by employees or managers at intermediate levels as a result of communication errors worthy of a beginner…
Let’s be a little provocative and say that the world of work is becoming bipolar: on the one hand, it advocates integration, inclusion and partnership, and on the other, it forgets the most basic communication codes, some of which are listed below:
• Carefully prepare for a difficult meeting with your staff.
• Before taking a decision with far-reaching consequences, seek advice or guidance
• Exchange with a ‘sparring partner’ to ensure the content and form of his or her communication
• Before any personal communication, find out about the current situation of the person or group and their past challenges
• Never communicate important HR information before a weekend or holiday
• After a necessary introductory phase, do not beat around the bush for 20 minutes
• Always look for a solution that allows everyone to keep their face and come out with their heads held high
• Treat your staff and/or colleagues with empathy, charisma, and respect
• Communicate information in the right order of priorities and people
• etc.
If these few points speak to you or better are your daily life, you are certainly part of the 80% of managers with an empathetic and inclusive approach. If this does not speak to you, you may belong to that category of people who consider the operating account as the holy grail, absolute efficiency as a mantra and a sense of collegiality at work that is at sea level: it does not matter, because everything can be learned!
Communication in the professional world is very subtle and responds to a number of principles already mentioned.
However, under the pretext of efficiency and effectiveness, it is often considered possible or even normal to spare certain communication steps because “everyone should know the situation”: what a mistake!
Even the most unsophisticated employees are very sensitive to their working environment: hiding the truth or trying to make it look good only makes the situation worse. It is the duty of management to take responsibility for choices and to communicate them. Not everyone can do this, but Human Resources - when they are still HR and not administrative departments - must help and support these steps.
Looking at many work situations, it seems that the more interconnected the world is, the less it speaks and understands each other. Let’s hope that the younger generations will rediscover the few relational bases that make companies strong: products are copied, culture is learned and lived.
Have a nice week, good thoughts, and good reading.