Communicating in the Workplace in Complicated Scenarios

By Pramila M Mathew

Business Communication entails all kinds of situations and scenarios that involve communication. Some may require inter-department memos, or emails to certain groups or even meetings among department heads. While most of these are simply day-to-day affairs for the efficient functioning of the company, there occasionally arise difficult situations that require tactful communications. And these are not always easy to conduct or be a part of. Confronting an employee or even a department head on an issue or problem is not pleasant and must be done with the greater good of the employee and company in mind. There is a significant amount of communication skill that is required to navigate through difficult conversations in a smooth and tactful manner. In this article we will examine three such requirements for handling difficult conversations with ease:

• Affirmation: The worst manner to start a difficult conversation with an employee is to pounce on them with the issue as soon as they step in the door. It is very likely that the employee might already be apprehensive coming into the meeting, having his or her guard up. In such a situation it is not good to begin on a negative note. One of the most efficient communication techniques is to begin by affirming the individual. Voicing your appreciation for their work, their values and their worth to the company set the platform for having a probing conversation. This puts the employee’s mind at ease as they feel validated in their roles within the company and gives a sense of belonging.

• Address the issue, not the person: Often when a person is being confronted on an issue, it is easy to get personal and make the person feel like they’re being attacked instead of their actions being addressed. This is a crucial aspect in communication strategies to having confrontational conversations. It is always necessary to check one’s motives and intent before beginning such a conversation to make sure that our emotions are in check and that we get to the bottom of the issue instead of simply lashing out at the employee. People often tend to take their work seriously enough that they might sometimes not make a distinction between their work and themselves. Such situations are even trickier because when their work is criticized, they subconsciously feel like they’re being criticized. At such times, it may be necessary to make the distinction for them and help them see that it is their work or error that is being addressed and not themselves, their personality, character or integrity. This helps bring the focus on the issue and makes the conversation conducive to dealing with the nuts and bolts of the issue itself.

• Encouragement & Support: It is of paramount importance to end on a good note. Once the issue has been addressed, it may be necessary to affirm the employee a little bit more. Encouraging them to not feel down because of the problem but rather keep their head up and continue giving their best is a healthy strategy. It is even better to come alongside them and offer continued support and coaching whenever they need to help them walk through this issue but also walk along side them. This gives the employee a sense of not feeling alone in dealing with everything but also be encouraged by peer support. The goal at the end of such conversations must always be to uphold the employee’s self-esteem while helping to sharpen and improve their skills without harming their confidence or self-worth. This is an essential and good communication skill when handling difficult conversations.

Hence for increased and sustained productivity, it is imperative for organizations to conduct Communication Skills Training for all levels of employees.

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