Dear Mr. Lawson:
Thank you so much for your letter dated April18, 2016 concerning suggestions to encourage effective business communication within teams. This is useful information that can be used to encourage employee engagement while also benefiting the organization and the client. Steps that will enable effective communication within teams include open communication by leadership and team mates, understanding conflict resolution, and building respect and trust within the team environment.
Leadership sets the stage for effective communication within the team environment. Effective leaders must understand flexibility within the team structure and encourage individuals to be engaged within the team (Prasad, 2012). Brainstorming within a team enables quality suggestions thereby allowing positive contribution of needed information for the project or program. Leaders must understand that building innovative performance while enhancing productivity will create a healthy team that grows with the organization. This is a positive process that also aids in employee retention.
Teamwork within the workplace is critical as well as essential. One talented and experienced individual can contribute greatly to an organization but a team of individuals can take the organizational to greater heights with increased customer satisfaction. This process involves people working together sharing ideas and understanding that every individual has something to offer to assist in solving a problem. Key characteristics that enable effective communication include leadership being clear relative to goals while ensuring that team members have all of the necessary tools to perform the job (Adubato, 2010).
Conflict resolution is also of importance when working within the team environment. Let’s face it, conflicts arise in our personal lives; therefore, it should be easy to understand that with a group of people working together there will be differences of opinions that cause conflict. Conflicts occur for varied reasons to include differences in goals, tasks at hand, objectives, values, perceptions as well as personalities (Chandramouli, 2012). There are tactics to conflict resolution that must be understood by leadership as well as team members. One tactic is the understanding of how to be diplomatic. This involves listening at what is being said which will allow the listener to learn about the opponent’s needs, strengths, and weaknesses which is similar to a SWOT analysis. After listening, it is important to respond in a positive manner which allows for the balancing of emotions as well as with actions that will enable a peaceful resolution. Nothing can be accomplished when people are shouting and screaming at each other. And even if some type of resolution is reached, there can be negative feelings that are harbored long after the disagreement. Note that organizational conflict can depend upon frustration, incompatibility, and a mismatch of personalities (Chandramouli, 2012).
Strategies for conflict resolution involve negotiation which requires at the very least everyone being willing to compromise something to assist in a better solution. It is also best to avoid using coercion and intimidation. As previously stated, emotional outbursts have a tendency to stop the problem only temporarily leaving feelings of resentment long after the conflict is past. The key is to learn how to disagree – agreeably.
Lastly, but most important is building respect and trust within the team environment. Trust is an expectation about the positive actions of other people or a confidence that is based upon evidence acquired by action versus feeling. Respect is viewed as a type of deep admiration for an individual based upon the individual’s abilities or achievements. Trust and respect are needed within the team environment to assist in a positive interaction between the team members as they work together. This task should begin with the leader treating every team member equally and setting an example that should be easily followed by others. The leader should never ask team members to do what he/she is not willing to do and should understand the importance of culture within the team. Being on time for appointments; taking the time to listen when a team member may need more time than was scheduled due to the complexity of an issue, and allowing it be known by the team that everyone (including you as leader) makes mistakes encourages trust from the team. It is also important for the leader to give praise to the team which demonstrates to the team their importance to the project/program and builds trust and respect of the leader.
Each team member should treat others as they would like to be treated while working collaboratively in an open environment knowing that each individual has something positive to offer. There are times when this process may become a bit complex due to the project and the people working together; however, adjustments can be made to enable the success of the team in working together.
Thank you so much for valuing my input relative to this all important topic and please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any other questions.
Sincerely,
Joan Pierce
CEO
Better Horizons Credit Union
