Effective Communications – Communicating with Groups
by Brett Newberry
For managers to be effective in organizations they must have good communication skills. Effective communication improves efficiency and productivity in the workplace, which ultimately impacts the bottom line. Unfortunately, many managers do not have any significant training in this area. Many business owners and managers feel that these skills are overrated and unnecessary. However, if these skills are developed and used properly, then the manager will add value to the organization in some way. I am going to provide you a checklist that should help you deal with your employees or co-workers and improve their work environment.
Clarify the purpose of the communication at the outset. Is it a meeting to make decisions, a briefing session to impart information, or a brainstorming session to generate new ideas? Some tasks are done better in groups, while others are best left to individual or written communications.
Set a time limit, even for an informal encounter, even if it is an unwritten one. Be realistic about what you can expect to achieve within the group. You need to always be sensitive to the pressures on other people’s time.
Group communication works best when all the people present have a legitimate reason for being there, have something to contribute to the discussion, and have an interest in the outcome. Postpone a discussion if the right people can’t be present; delay is better than an inconclusive debate.
For most group discussions, five is recognized as the optimum number for effective debate and decision making. In a group of this size members can adopt different roles, and a single member can be in the minority without undue pressure to conform.
If you are leading a group, make clear what people’s roles are, why they are there, and what they are expected to contribute. As a member, define the contribution you expect to make and your authority for making it. Make clear whether the authority is personal (a function of your own position) or vested (you have been asked to speak on behalf of someone else).
If you have agreed to be part of a group, be active in it. Take full responsibility for its success or failure, be energetic, and make positive contributions. If you have nothing to contribute, admit it and step down – don’t waste other contributors’ time.
Take up a clear position on issues, but be willing to listen to rational argument and be prepared to change your mind. If you do, explain why. Groups work effectively only if participants are open to new information and different points of view. Give all members the opportunity to speak, even if you have doubts about the likely wisdom of their views. Don’t put your own ideas ahead of the group’s overriding objective.
Speak slowly, clearly, and directly in short sentences. Structure your arguments logically. Think what you are going to say, say it, and summarize what you have said. Link your comments to what has already been said by other contributors.
Use gestures to reinforce your key messages and nonverbal signals to convey attitudes and expressions. Make eye contact with each member of the group. Use non-threatening but positive body language and convey an impression of calm and confidence.
Even if you believe the group is making the wrong decision, stay calm and don’t become emotional defending your own ideas. Stress points of agreement and minimize areas of disagreement with a view to finding a way forward.
The key to effective group communication is mutual respect. If you believe someone is wrong, criticize the idea, not the person.
It is important that you bring the communication to a conclusion. Casual encounters in particular often take longer than necessary because the purpose of the communication and its agenda are unclear at the outset.
Until next time,
The Business Doctor
