Tip of The Week: 7 Communication Mistakes to Avoid

If you feel like you’re having trouble communicating with your team, it’s probably because you are. In fact, it may be because you’re communicating with them the wrong way. By overhauling the way you approach small talk and office chit-chat, you can improve office intercommunication and your own public image.

Your voice is the most powerful thing in your possession, and you need to use it for purposes that boost your productivity. Unfortunately, for many business owners, they use it and achieve the exact opposite effect. Here are seven things to look out for next time you are communicating with your team.

• Complaining.
• Negative thoughts.
• Being judgemental.
• Making excuses.
• Exaggeration.
• Mistaking facts for truth.
• Gossip.

Nobody Likes a Whiner
If you are one of those people who just can’t keep their mouth shut and always need to complain about something, you’re going to have a bad time. Seriously. Sure, the occasional complaint isn’t going to hurt anyone. It can even be somewhat therapeutic. But in excessive amounts, complaining is a poison that can spread through your entire office, and you don’t want that. Do what you must to keep it out of the workplace.

The same can be said about negativity. Not everyone has to pity whatever it is that has you down. Just relax and think happy thoughts, and your team will follow suit.

Avoid Judging Others
There’s a difference between being right and being judgemental. You might have all of the evidence in the world that you are right and the other person is wrong, but that doesn’t mean that you need to force it down their throat. Providing constructive criticism on how to improve is a better option, and one with less conflict.

This sort of goes hand in hand with mistaking opinion for truth. People might get the wrong idea about you if you are constantly selling them half-baked opinions disguised as truths. You might be right, but then again, you might not be.

Excuses, Excuses
Some people can’t “man up,” so to speak, and admit they have made a mistake. Instead of making excuses for everything, acknowledge that you could have prevented it and work toward doing so in the future. Don’t pass the blame around the office.

Crack Down on Gossip
Gossip is the death of many a reputation, including your own if you indulge in it. Sure, it can help your team build relationships, but it also has the opportunity to ruin them as well. People will catch on and realize that you are talking about anyone you can, and eventually, they will be the target. So, do yourself and everyone a favor by keeping quiet and crack down on the spread of gossip, no matter how juicy it is.

That’s a Boatload of Tips!
Actually, it’s only six. A boatload would have to be enough tips to fill a boat, and it isn’t. Exaggeration is the last tip that we are providing, and this can be hard to prevent from happening. In fact, we probably used some of it in this article (free cookies for those who can find them). If you’re always speaking with exaggeration, nobody will take you seriously when something is really important. It’s only a hop, skip, and a jump away from being a liar, too. Example: The boy who cried wolf. Nobody believed him when the wolf actually showed its ugly head.

Avoid these circumstances when speaking, and you’re practically guaranteed to see an improvement in the way your team communicates with both you and each other. What are some tips you might suggest to improve productivity in the workplace? Let us know in the comments.