Is Ineffective Communication Leading To A Toxic and Unhealthy Environment? : Recognizing Our Roadblocks, Faulty Assumptions, and Communication Bias That Lead to Lower Productivity and Disengagement

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Effective communication skills can be challenging to develop, and they take conscious effort and ongoing practice to improve. During chaos, crisis, and turmoil our communications skills can be tested and if not focused on, can lead to negativity, distrust, misunderstandings, conflict, and increased disengagement.

Research is showing that many leaders admit they were underprepared for the level, the needed consistency, and the new mediums required for communicating during the pandemic. The resulting lack of communication caused fear among employees, decreased productivity, and reduced engagement. Going forward, leaders who continue to focus on effective communication are far more likely to have successful and engaged teams.

Why you should Attend: Successful leaders know that strong, effective communication skills can create a sense of stability and predictability, lower stress and anxiety, and build trust and creativity. The key is to recognize what effective communication looks like, and how to deliver and connect during times of change and challenge.

By focusing on the necessary communication skills you will be able to develop a productive, collaborative, and respectful work environment.

Discover how to effectively communicate with your team as they respond to challenges, and cope with change. Create a communication strategy that ensures employees are clear about what is expected of them. Learn to choose the most effective strategies that will help your team stay engaged, balance uncertainty, and build resilience.

Areas Covered in the Session: Key Messages:

• Leaders who know how to effectively communicate during uncertain times will have teams that thrive through challenge and those who fail to address communication needs will struggle to be productive, service their customers, and be competitive
• Everyone has a communication bias
• Every word has a different meaning to different people, and these are colored by people's values and background
• It is difficult to get total clarity
• A leader can mitigate stress and the unknown with genuine, authentic, consistent, and more frequent communication
• Communication with employees needs to be increased during times of crisis
• Even the most self-motivated employee needs more frequent communication, encouragement, and feedback in high-stress environments
• Communication with employees is a two-way street. Employees need both (1) feedback on their performance and (2) the opportunity to share their concerns as well as their ideas for increasing productivity and service

• Focus on the various barriers to effective communication during a crisis including:
• Physical barriers, such as not being unable to see or hear the speaker properly, or language difficulties
• Emotional barriers, such as not wanting to hear what is being said or engage in that discussion, and how various emotions can get in the way of communicating, including anger and aggression, or stress
• Expectations and prejudices that affect what people see and hear
• Difficult Conversations, such as when you must have an unpleasant conversation with a team member
• Understand how issues in communication can be based on differences in values, beliefs, and expectations
• Develop an understanding for those exhibiting negative communications and behaviors during change and chaos to effectively meet their needs and move the interactions forward

• Human Resources Professionals
• Health and Safety Reps
• Union Reps
• Supervisors, Manager, Directors (Team Leads)
• Executive Directors Not-For-Profit