What is inefficient/ineffective communication? Ineffective communication can create short-term and long-term hostilities, as well as decreased work productivity. We often don’t think about the communication process while doing it, but paying more attention to how you send and receive information can eliminate problems and improve relationships.
Any interruption or failure in the process can create ineffective communication. Language is an obvious example; If you, as the sender, speak in a language that the receiver does not understand, the communication fails. Writing a message to a person who has difficulty reading is also ineffective communication. These are called barriers, and not all of them are so obvious. For example, if you have an idea but lack the confidence to speak up, that’s a barrier. Body language, like slouching in a chair to look bored, is also a barrier.
REMOVING BARRIERS
Removing barriers will increase your chances of communicating effectively. Both senders and receivers must pay attention to others in the process, making eye contact, listening carefully and avoiding distractions. By being an empath, you are imagining what it is like to be in the other person’s situation, which helps the communication process. Stereotypes, generalizations and inaccurate perceptions are also barriers and are more difficult to remove as you need to be aware of them. Seeing and listening to others can help you gauge your stereotypes and perceptions in relation to others and help you improve your communication.
THE EFFECTS OF INEFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONS ON BUSINESS
Communication is a fact of life, especially in the workplace, where teamwork, technology, and remote work are becoming more common. For a company to thrive, meet deadlines and exceed goals, there must be strong relationships and communication systems. When communication breaks down, so does business. When stress, unmet expectations, broken relationships, low morale, dissatisfied customers, family problems, health issues, and a smaller bottom line become chronic issues in the workplace, poor communication can be the root of the problem. The effects of ineffective communications in the workplace are as follows:
1. WORKPLACE STRESS – High levels of stress in the workplace are a big sign of communication issues. Poor communication can create a feeling that everything on your to-do list is urgent, leaving you and others feeling rushed, tense, overworked, and with little or no sense of humor. Good communication brings about a sense of stability and predictability, but poor communication or unhealthy communication introduces a sense of fear that causes tension, which is counterproductive to efficiency.
2. UNMET EXPECTATIONS: Lack of communication causes unfulfilled expectations. Teams miss deadlines, clients miss appointments, and people on a project don’t seem to know what their roles are. When employees have trouble determining what their priorities should be, they often make the wrong choices and end up disappointing their superiors. Without clearly communicated expectations and priorities, it’s impossible to know where to start and how to complete a project efficiently.
3. RELATIONSHIP BREAKDOWN: Your previously positive relationship may feel strained, so when you walk past your co-worker or boss’s cubicle, you may want to hide away, rather than sit down and have a friendly conversation to find a solution . You may even feel a sense of uncertainty about pursuing conflict resolution for fear of how it might affect your job security. It is also common to feel a sense of insecurity or lack of accomplishment in carrying out daily tasks, and all of these emotions slow down productivity in the workplace.
4. LOW MORALE: When people are dealing with intense emotions, they spend more time than usual on emotional management. Productivity declines and morale is replaced by a sense of relief that you’ve gotten through the day. Survival mode in the workplace can be a real problem. When business relationships are damaged beyond repair, trust is gone, making it difficult to work together to meet deadlines. When people miss deadlines, they tend to feel bad about performance. This vicious cycle prevents teams and companies from reaching their true potential.
5. DISSATISFIED CUSTOMERS: Dissatisfied customers can be a sign of poor communication. When teams miss deadlines or appointments, superiors tend to become frustrated and stressed, as do customers. If your client was counting on phone service to start before their grand opening and your installation team missed the deadline, your client could be out of money. If your legal team is not fully prepared to present a case in court and is throwing it together at the last minute, the ruling may not be in your client’s favor. When nursing staff miss a deadline, it could mean that a patient doesn’t get medication or a bath on time.
6. FAMILY STRESS: Employees who are stressed all day go home stressed and exhausted, which impacts their families. Instead of having a spouse or parent who is energetic and grateful to be home, the family is stuck with someone who has so many emotions to unload from the workday that one night is barely enough time to get it all out. Employees may begin to feel guilty or even experience conflict at home due to their level of tension and stress. This stress stays with them when they start the next day at work and it can be difficult, if not impossible, to get by.
7. HEALTH: Employees who are stressed all day go home stressed and exhausted, which impacts their families. Instead of having a spouse or parent who is energetic and grateful to be home, the family is stuck with someone who has so many emotions to unload from the workday that one night is barely enough time to get it all out. Employees may begin to feel guilty or even experience conflict at home due to their level of tension and stress. This stress stays with them when they start the next day at work and it can be difficult, if not impossible, to get along.