Thoughts on: communication

By Chuck Morris

No one would talk much in society if they knew how often they misunderstood others.

– Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

Communication is key to everything we do in our life! Be it at home or in the workplace, transferring ideas from one person to another is vital to progress. How that is accomplished sometimes leaves a lot to be desired, however. Many of the different methods of delivery are affected by a number of crucial factors. For example, a person whose demeanour is controlled by emotion may try to get a message across before they have all the facts themselves; they are only responding the way they do because of passionate feelings about the topic. Conversely, there are many people who may be an expert within their field who have absolutely no skill-set to engage an audience with any type of discourse, let alone the topic they may need to be discussing. 3958 Myrtle Street Phone: (604) 435-1313 Fax: (604) 435-7677 Email: bursales@rsl.ca Vancouver 132 West 2nd Avenue Vancouver, BC V5Y 1C2 Phone: (604) 872-7521 Fax: (604) 872-7460 Email: vansales@rsl.ca

Look around you and think about the interaction between you and those to whom you report; and then evaluate how communication works between you and those who report to you. Is it open and is it fair? Do you involve staff when you communicate with them; or is your delivery more like you are directing them to do something? Effective communication, even if it is in the form of directives to staff, can be delivered in a fashion in which staff feel relaxed, as opposed to being on guard for the entire duration.

The way you communicate is affected by a multitude of factors. Has your day not gone as well as you had hoped? Did your idea for improvements just get the nod from the CEO? Do you typically come

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Distributing Refrigeration,Air-Conditioning, and Heating Parts and Equipment to the HVAC and Refrigeration Trade. Now think how delivery of an important piece of information may sound to others when it could be affected by one of the mood-altering changes suggested above. It would sound different each time. Would the message be clear to your audience? It might; but I daresay it could be filled with ambiguity – especially if one of these affected your train of thought minutes before addressing staff.

Look around your workplace and you will discover many forms of communication taking place on a daily basis. Take note; how often do we witness non-verbal communication, a wink, raised eyebrow or grunt; informal communication such as idle chatter or whispering to one another; formal communication such as at a board meeting, a letter written in a style that is evident it is meant to be formal; communication through body language, crossed arms.

We need to know the differing styles of communication and we need to know how it affects others. We must understand the smallest of nuances when communicating because those tiny little voice inflections, the slight grimace, hesitation, hedging on delivering the “real” message can all affect the final outcome. That outcome had better be the one that was planned for. If it is not, you have failed.

Usually communication is in response to a series of events. That could be an idea from yourself, senior management, new government directives or legislation, or a response to staff. Whatever that communication is, it is absolutely imperative that you understand what it means before you craft any sort of response. Covey’s Habit no. 5: “Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood” (from The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People) screams out at all of us an easy resolution to delivering a great message or response. Understand

what it is that is being said. Decipher the message, clear away any of the other bad habits or nervous habits people use to cloud what they are trying to say. Then deliver your piece of communication in a killer fashion. You would be surprised how effective this is and it allows you to build even a better relationship with those who are the recipients of your message. But wait; there is more.

Sometimes, in certain circumstances, communication to engage others should be done on a regular basis. Even if there is little new information to pass on, it shows you are trying to keep them engaged. That in itself will cause some of those listening or reading to take on more, to become a little more involved. Why? Because they can see you are trying and you are sharing with them; relevant information that pertains to them. This works not only within the workplace but also within associations or other groups with which you may be involved. Keep everyone informed on a regular basis; this keeps them engaged and committed.

Some people are a little shyer and may be reluctant to speak on a regular basis. Encouragement and helping them with facts can make them more comfortable. Certainly when one is well-versed with a topic, he or she should feel much more comfortable addressing others. Don’t forget a great tool to use if you are asked a question you cannot answer: “I’m sorry I don’t have an answer for that right now, but I will obtain it and get back to you later today (or tomorrow).”

As leaders, it behooves us to keep information flowing to those who need it and to those who need to remain engaged. You can do it and you can do it effectively. Though it helps, you don’t need to belong to the Toastmasters or Dale Carnegie clubs to learn how to deliver your information. All you need to do is practise, watch how others do it, read up on methods that may assist you. But: remember to communicate on a very regular basis. It will help you and it will help your target audience!

About the Author

Just over 30 years ago, Chuck Morris entered the world of facility management in the K-12 education public sector. With his trades background and certification in some specialty areas, he already had a good grasp on what makes a building ‘tick’. Identifying opportunities to expand his knowledge almost immediately, Morris firmly entrenched his work life with continuing education, building upon his ability to understand new systems and how to incorporate these into the life of a facility.

Morris worked his way through the ranks and was soon managing departments; then he moved into a director of operations position. During those years, he recognized the need to share information with his peers as some of them were struggling with problems for which others already had developed solutions. Morris was invited to run as a director with the provincial association formerly called the School Plant Officials Association of British Columbia (SPOA B.C.) and now rebranded as the Educational Facility Managers Association of British Columbia (EFMA B.C.). He spent seven years on the executive and was the president for the 2007-2008 term.

Always pushing to share information, Morris is a big advocate of building confidence in his staff by teaching and coaching them as part of succession planning. Morris believes in sharing as much information as he can with his peers around the province. b

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