It’s not just writers who have to know how to communicate.

Running an agency or department usually requires a supervisor to be intimately familiar with all technical aspects of the enterprise in question. After all, knowledge of the intricacies of tax collection or accounting is probably why the person was put in charge in the first place.

But being in charge calls for learning how to effectively carry a message from one person to another, or to many. Through communication, we are able to plan projects, set goals, evaluate progress, provide instruction and make adjustments in workplace activities. That means supervisors need to understand and practice certain keys to effective communication.

What it is: An Exchange

Communication has been defined as an exchange of information. Basic communication requires three things: a message, someone to send the message (“the sender”), and someone to receive the message (“the receiver”).

However, we sometimes find that a message someone received is not exactly the same message we thought we were sending. That’s not effective communication. Effective communication only occurs when the message we intended to send is the same message received by the person to whom it was sent.

The Key Elements: Precision and Clarity

Precision and clarity are essential for effective communication. Precision involves saying exactly what you intend to say. Clarity means saying it in such a manner than it can easily be understood by the person to whom you are sending the message.

It is possible to be precise without being clear. An extreme example of this would be telling a person something in a language which he or she does not know, but in the workplace, this situation is more likely to occur when a person uses words, jargon, expressions or slang with which the receiver is unfamiliar. That is, the sender of the message may know exactly what he or she means to say, but perhaps hasn’t bothered to consider whether the intended receiver understands what the word, concept or phrase really means.

Consider some of the most common barriers to effective communication: vocabulary, awkward construction, vague statements and unintentional messages.

Vocabulary

While it’s great to show off our extensive command of the English language by using ten-syllable words with esoteric meanings — err, secret meanings (esoteric: understood by or meant for only the select few who have special knowledge or interest) — this should be done at the local literary club and not in the workplace. Keeping language simple is an excellent way to help ensure the clarity in communication. If a listener doesn’t know the meaning of a sender’s words, he or she will not truly understand what the message was intended to say. There is also a problem if a person uses a word when they themselves are not sure of the meaning. This can lead to confusion if the receiver does know the meaning of the word, but it doesn’t mean what the sender thinks it does.

A related problem area is the use of jargon. Almost all professions or jobs have words or phrases that are unique to their area. In some cases, such jargon may be used at only one job site or with one department head. Assuming that everyone, especially new employees, understands all the workplace jargon often leads to communication breakdown. Before using jargon, the supervisor should be sure that the employee is aware of its meaning.

Awkward Construction

Often, the meaning of a message is lost in the way the message is said. The longer and more complex a sentence is, the more likely it is to be misunderstood. Anyone who has read publications from the federal government can appreciate this. As a general rule, there is a direct relationship between the amount of punctuation in a sentence and the difficulty in comprehending what it means. An excellent example of this problem came out of World War II when President Franklin Roosevelt asked an aide to prepare a memo as to what federal employees should do if a blackout was required because of a potential air raid.

The aide wrote:

Such preparations shall be made as will completely obscure all Federal buildings, occupied by the Federal government, during an air raid for any period of time from visibility by reason of internal or external illumination. Such obstruction may be obtained by means of blackout construction or by termination of illumination. This will, of course, require that in building areas in which production must continue during the blackout, construction must be provided so that internal illumination will continue. Other areas may be obscured by termination of illumination. President Roosevelt looked at the memo and changed it to read: In areas where the work can stop for a while, turn out the lights. In areas where the work must continue, put something over the windows.

Vague Statements

Many times we make a statement and know exactly what it means. If, however, we use words or phrases that are subject to a wide range of interpretations, our listener or reader may have a vastly different concept of what the message’s sender is saying.

Statements such as “I want this as soon as possible” or “you need to improve your work” or “keep up the good work” do not tell a person anything specific.

Instead, think of telling the person you need something “by noon” or that they should work to decrease their typing error rate or that a particular job was done well.

Before we become upset because we did not get the result we expected from communicating with someone, we need to be sure we said what we intended to say.

An example of this is a supervisor who placed a stack of papers on her secretary’s desk and said “I want these now.”

The employee, eager to do exactly what the supervisor requested, smiled and handed the stack right back to the supervisor.

Unintentional Messages

The things we say can be strongly affected by unintentional communication. Body language, inflection, tone of voice, interruptions or physical surroundings can all have an effect on a message we are sending. Ignoring these factors will often distort our message, while being aware of these nuances and controlling them can strongly reinforce an intended message.

The Flipside: Listening

In addition to effectively sending out information, it is equally important for a supervisor to be an effective message receiver. Being a good listener builds confidence and trust with employees.

Just as with sending messages, there are many barriers to receiving messages, including preconceived opinions, distractions, body language and attitude toward the sender.

Controlling these barriers, along with asking questions to ensure you understand the employee’s message, is an important to step to becoming an effective listener. Employees feel comfortable in bringing their concerns, ideas and problems to a supervisor who is an effective listener. As a result, many potential workplace problems are taken care of before they grow.

Summary

Training staff, setting standards, monitoring progress and achieving goals are all dependent on sending and receiving messages effectively. That’s accomplished by expressing thoughts in clear terms that the intended audience can understand.