Examine Staffing: The Misunderstood

Avoiding pitfalls in communication

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Strong communication is essential in most professions, but especially in healthcare, where there is little room for error. The key is to know the pitfalls in communication and learn how to avoid them.

Misunderstandings can result from a variety of causes. Sometimes, the other person just isn't listening. Sometimes, the speaker isn't coherent or clear. Or sometimes, a person might be distracted – not uncommon among people in high-pressure and stressful jobs.

Such "miscommunications" are very common and happen to most people all of the time. The problem is that in some instances – such as for people working in critical professions like healthcare – there is little room for error. You can't do much about other people's shortcomings.

But, on the plus side, most of these "miscommunications" – whether they occur face-to-face, by phone or in writing – are easy to head off. The key is to know the pitfalls and how to avoid them.

Clear Communication

Joan Schramm, owner of Momentum Coaching in Annapolis, Md., lays out the critical importance of good communication in the workplace. "Coworkers are together eight or more hours per day, five days a week. That's nearly as much time as we spend with our families! And that makes good communication a must because it makes it easier to get along with others, improves morale and helps get the job done. Poor communication can result in conflicts, high turnover, botched jobs, lost accounts and missed deadlines – all things that mean lost revenue for the company. So if we can't communicate with one another at work, we're lost!"

"Good, clear communications are important because clarity is one of the most important drivers of individual and team performance," adds Matt Gurin, vice president and client manager for the Hay Group, an international management consulting firm based in Philadelphia.

Gurin says people generally make communications gaffes when under pressure, or because they don't know any better. "The pressure to get results is so overwhelming that they will say anything to win; or, they aren't aware of and in control of their own emotions, thus, [they] say or do regrettable things under stress. But anger has to be watched and managed. It's insidious and can project messages that you don't want to send. Sometimes, even when you say something while angry, your people get the wrong idea. For example, you might be angry at your lawyer. But your coworker senses the anger and thinks it's directed toward him."

Author Steve Wille agrees, saying, "Only negative can come from negative." The co-author of the workshops "High Performance Project Teams" and "Thriving on Conflict," Wille is also an author of numerous workshops for the Team Skills Institute and Tough Teams LLC, based in Denver.

Wille identifies the three characteristics that most often get in the way of effective communication. "Defensiveness, disrespect and a destructive attitude are the big three," he says. "Before people open their mouths or send e-mails, they should ask themselves, "What good can come out of such behavior?' and "What [do I] want to accomplish?' The times when I spoke in anger, I got nowhere, even though it might have felt good at the time. When I think things through, it got me somewhere."

At the opposite end of the spectrum, timidity can also be an impediment to understanding. "The only way to get clear, honest communication is to encourage it, even if you don't like what you hear," says Wille. "I have seen problems that everyone knew about, but no one wanted to talk about in a constructive way that could have made a difference."

Not being aware of one's environment is another common "landmine," according to Schramm. "Clients have often told me how common it is for people in the workplace to ignore their surroundings. They might talk too loud, make inappropriate comments, insert themselves into situations they're not part of or step over certain lines. For example, I had a client whose boss would have long, intensely personal telephone conversations that were loud enough for everyone in the office to overhear. She didn't want to know these personal details about her boss' life, but worried about offending her boss by letting her know. We worked out a way for her to politely let her boss know that people in the office could overhear her."

"It was a simple thing," Schramm says, "but if the boss had given any thought to her surroundings in the first place, an intervention wouldn't have been necessary, and everyone would have been spared a lot of embarrassment."

E-Mail Etiquette

A blessing in some ways – and increasingly used for all kinds of communications – e-mail can also be a bit hazardous. For instance, e-mails are easy to overlook. They can even become confusing over time as messages and replies go back and forth.

Schramm characterizes e-mail as a potentially "huge problem," citing its susceptibility for fostering misunderstandings. "When someone communicates by e-mail, the recipient has only words to go on, with no facial expressions, body language or voice tone to indicate exactly what the writer means to say. Therefore, it's easy to unintentionally offend the person on the opposite end. It's perfect for answering specific questions or giving directions, but a poor substitute for personal communications. It should never be used to counsel, reprimand, layoff or fire someone."

Good managers and workers, Schramm adds, don't rely on e-mail to get important jobs done. "To managers and supervisors especially, I stress their need to practice "MBWA' – "management by walking around.' Get out of your office and walk around. Look people in the face when you talk with them. Hiding behind e-mail doesn't benefit their companies, or themselves."

Gurin calls e-mail the single greatest facilitator of poor communication and advises his clients to be careful with it. "E-mail has become a crutch and is often used when a call or face-to-face [communication] is more appropriate. People can't see your face or body language as you're typing. But that face-to face interaction is especially important when you're dealing for the first time with someone from another culture."

Without that personal or direct component, Gurin adds, it's also very easy to let emotions override reason. "Consider the example of a disgruntled employee or colleague who dashes off an emotional response to a personally irksome message. Once sent, there's no way to un-send [it]."

Self-Awareness

Awareness, Gurin insists, is the key to becoming a better communicator. "Be aware of the image you're projecting," he begins. "Talk to people, not about people! Way too much interpersonal friction results from talking about people or about what they've heard someone else say. As in journalism, verify information, and try to go directly to the source for it."

Gurin also urges people to be aware of their personal biases and how they can poison their perspectives. "When reading or listening, be aware of your own [biases] that could affect your perception of the message. Are you expecting to get upset because the messenger is a "jerk' or a "liar'? Emotional intelligence is about self-management in relationships. When upset, take a breath, go for a walk or vent to a friend before responding. Don't put yourself in situations where you know you might explode. Employees never forget angry outbursts."

Wille emphasizes another invitation for misunderstandings – getting lost in one's own individual concerns rather than the good of the team. "Listen to others with empathy and respond to their feelings in the same way. Always think logically before you talk, and try to encourage the same in others," Wille says.

Also keep your eyes open, Shramm advises. "Look for warning signs. When giving instructions, for example, don't assume that others understand everything you say. Look for non-verbal clues and ask questions to make sure they're with you. If you're a worker, don't assume the boss has thought of everything. If you have a better idea, or if you can foresee a potential problem, tell the boss. Just be prepared to recommend a solution."

Planned communications are also the best, Gurin says. "Take a few minutes to outline your message and key points before you write or speak, and then plan your response to any critical questions. Blathering on, particularly in response to a question, will make people tune you out or question the integrity of your message."

Communication Flow

In healthy organizations, says Schramm, communications need to flow both ways. "Managers have an obligation to make sure their workers know that they are open to suggestions, questions and comments at any time. They need to provide effective, frequent feedback to the workers and need to actively solicit feedback from the group. Annual performance evaluations won't cut it. People need to know how they're doing all the time. And communication needs to flow from the bottom up as well as the top down. Otherwise it's a lecture, not a communication."

Above all else, Schramm adds, always be honest. "Nothing is gained by making people guess what's going on. Be upfront and honest about any problems, and equally open about giving praise and recognition."

— Christopher J. Bachler is a freelancer based in Pennsylvania. Questions and comments can be directed to editorial@rt-image.com.