Improving Communication in the Workplace
During my library scavenger hunt I was able to find a book that directly related with my topic of communication. In the book, “Business and Industrial Communication,” it goes into detail about many different things that relate to communicating properly within the workplace. The book was published in 1964 and although it may be old, it still has plenty of valuable insight that one can gain from reading it. The main focus of this blog entry will be to give some useful tips and tricks on ways to become a better communicator in business.
One of the first pieces of advice author Charles W. Redding states is “ No matter what we say or how we say it, no one else gets quite the meaning we intend from the words we use. By the same token, we never get quite the meaning anyone else intends” (Redding, pg. 442). In other words what the author is trying to convey to the reader is that often times communication opens up room for misinterpretation. He is saying that although it may not be necessarily intentional, it is a common thing for people to interpret messages and words differently than others. This applies directly to when you’re speaking to someone and you’re trying to convey a message to them with a specific purpose. Although it is obvious to you as to what you’re saying and what you mean by it, but it is not always obvious to your audience. Redding is trying to emphasis the fact that you may never actually know what the meaning is behind what a person is saying. Miscommunication and misinterpretation of messages is perhaps one of the largest and most common errors that occur in communication.
Continuing on from the first piece of advice that I mentioned Charles W. Redding gave in his book, is the importance of making sure the organization to whom you’re speaking with is all on the same page. As I just said, miscommunication and misinterpretation are two very common things that occur in communication that can lead to problems if they’re not addressed properly. It is crucially important, especially within a business to make sure that messages are clear and concise. On page 443 in the book, “Business and Industrial Communication,” author Charles W. Redding states, “An important function of communication within an organization is to make known or bring to light misunderstandings and misapprehensions before they develop into serious problems.” In other words, what he is saying is that if the internal organization of a business has people not fully understanding what is going on or has misinterpreted a message, it can cause the business to become susceptible to serious problems. This is why he is stressing the importance for an organization to bring it to their attention if they feel people are misunderstanding things. The longer an organization waits to resolve these issues that stem from miscommunication and misapprehension the more severe they can become. This is why it is effective and helpful to communicate to everyone within the organization clear and concise messages that allow for everyone to be on the same page and fully understand the purpose.
I know that I’ve personally encountered numerous scenarios where I haven’t understood what someone has tried to tell me or they were unable to fully understand me properly. Charles W. Redding gives plenty of advice on how to resolve and prevent communication problems in business but they also can be applied to relationships and everyday life. There is a lot more to communication than most people think and I am enjoying learning more and sharing it with the rest of you.
