How can you use communication training to build trust with your team?

In order to communicate effectively one must be capable of listening to their audience. Amazing how many believe barking one sided commands equals good communication.

Ineffective communication can put a project or professional relationship at risk when not adequately valued and considered. One ‘aha!’ moment came when I finally realized that everyone “hears with different ears”. This means that taking the time to learn about your audience is essential to being heard effectively. A quick suggestion: In those 1-3 minutes in a meeting before all attendees arrive, ask questions with soft, open ended, informal language. The goal is to obtain a baseline of their understanding on the meeting subject. Learning to speak effectively is an exercise in continuous improvement and self awareness. The “lexicon” or language you choose to reflect your audience is an essential component to effective communication.

Experience is key. Most will fail on some level many times before they develop a comfortable manner in which they can honestly, empathetically initiate conversation, listen and react genuinely to what they’ve heard.

Being an Attentive Listener - This helps to understand what other are trying to say, even if the speaker is not highly effective. Sound Verbal Communication: Speaking clearly and deliberately is important for the the words to significantly impact how your message is received and understood. Be concise: Organizing thoughts before speaking or writing is important as clear thinking leads to improved communication and better productivity Adaptability: Being adaptive in paying close attention to the preferences and communication styles of others or tailoring messages according to the audience or welcoming feedback and suggestions are extremly important Storytelling: Perhaps the most important communication skills to engage and persuade others.

Some of the ways I try to communicate my Vision and Values are: 1. Being Clear and Concise - Being specific clear and transparent helps 2. Inspire Employees To Be Part Of The Vision - 3. Empowerment and including everyone in the journey helps 4. Emphasize The Personal And Business Impact - Important to clearly have the Pros and Cons discussed while communication for better preparedness in the journey together. 5. Have Discussions Throughout - Extremely important to keep communicating periodically 6. Answer Your Team's Questions - Welcome feedback or attend queries gives the team, a much better understanding on the deliveries 7. Explain Goals As A Team - Clear communication of expectations while targetting common goals

A personal example underscores the value of transparent communication. There was an unforeseen setback in a major project. Rather than ignore or hide the problem, I brought the team together for an honest and open discussion. I shared the intricacies of the situation, discussed the potential impact on timelines, and outlined the collaborative strategies to consider. This openness alleviated anxieties and avoided hearsay and guessing. It also motivated the team to collectively brainstorm innovative solutions to overcome the hurdle. The team truly pulled together. We hit the deadline, and the team became much tighter, learning more about one another in the process. It turned out to be a positive experience elevating the entire team.

We often see too many people going to work and not being happy about the team they are working with. This comes down to built up rage and anger that was never communicated. This is where petition and vulnerable communication comes in. Being transparent and honest about what bothered you but without blaming or criticizing your colleague or colleagues. The question is: Are you willing, ready, and able to put down the defensive ego wall and be vulnerable? Having tough conversations makes you stronger and never weaker.

Extremly crucial to learn and enhance our capabilities to assert our views and listen to the views of others. Sometimes it gets pretty difficult to compromise on our ego during difficult converstaions or while coming across blunt questions or feedback. But to have a control of such situations while being calm & composed and at the same time be sporting enough to acknowledge and appreciate the honest feedback of the speakers helps to control the situation better and also emerge winners.

The way to build trust through communication training comes from: 1. Knowing how each member of your team receives feedback 2. Providing feedback in the way that they will receive and accept it openly without pushback 3. Monitor progress and make tweaks as needed 4. Recognize & celebrate small wins The small wins will snowball into a behavior change that leads to lasting team value and engagement.

In a virtual world, a positive benefit of remote work is the ability for teams to bring unique and individual cultures and perspectives to the table. This diversity of opinion can develop into incredible conversations and innovative solutions to the problems your organization is trying to solve. So how do you create an environment to extract the best value from your team and promote psychologically safe work spaces? One incredible tool I came across was a book called The Culture Map by Erin Meyer. It helped me to understand how varied world views and social norms can impact communication styles, and how to make space for others to feel safe to share their views. It helped me to understand business norms and communication. Check it out!