By Jon Wortmann
Do you know what to do when conflict happens in your company? Are your employees wasting time because they cannot express concerns directly? Do you have a trusted process essential for new product development? Can you communicate your vision of where your company needs to go next to be profitable in the future?
Individual productivity and company profitability suffer when employees lack the ability to build trust and develop the skills necessary to turn ideas into results. Companies need an intentional communication process that promotes organizational effectiveness, commitment, and accountability.
Four essential techniques make it possible for us to
communicate clearly in any situation, but most importantly,
as we solve problems:'naming the storm', using 'I-statements',
noticing 'tone', and 'immediate expression' of our feelings.
Naming the Storm™ -- When it is
raining, we know it. When a problem arises, everyone
feels it. Too few of us know what to do next. We have
back room conversations. We talk about the people we
think caused the problem. We hold long meetings that
go nowhere. In each case, we waste time, feel impotent,
and lose precious time that could have been spent making
our business more successful.
Step one whenever we face a conflict or need a new
idea is to 'name the storm'. For example, a company
that is understaffed with an impending deadline needs
a manager to mention that more help is needed. While
more help may not come immediately, the workers feel
validated for their stress and fatigue rather than undervalued
by a company that expects them to do two people's jobs.
Having named the problem that needs to be solved, instead
of emotional drama and esoteric debates about what caused
the present quandary, we can begin creating the solution.
'I Statements'-- Having identified
the problem, we still need to learn ways of talking
that lets us concentrate on solutions because teammates
understand each other. The first technique is to use
'I-statements'. An I-statement uses the first person
voice instead of the second person 'you' or the third
person 'we'. I-statements force the speaker to take
responsibility for the ideas and feelings expressed
so that even if another person disagrees, we have the
best chance of them focusing on the storm, rather than
defending themselves personally. If we say, "You have a problem," the use
of 'you' places all the blame on the other person. The
words, "We have a problem", often imply that
the other person is the cause of the issue. When we
say, "I think there is a problem", however,
we name the mistake without impugning the other person,
and we can begin resolving the situation rather than
addressing the other person's inevitable defensiveness.
Tone -- Noticing tone is both the exercise of noticing how we communicate as well as observing the person with whom we are talking. When we talk, our words express a meaning, but rarely do we say exactly what we mean. It is our tone of voice that most directly expresses our truest thoughts. By checking ourselves to make sure the tone we use portrays the meaning we hope our words convey, we communicate clearly, are understood, and as a result, develop confidence that we can communicate well. When we listen for the tone someone else uses, very quickly we can recognize if their words are genuine. For instance, if someone says, "You look really good today," but their tone is mocking, we understand their point not from the words, rather from the way they said them.
Immediate Expression -- The moment we are aware of a good idea or a negative feeling caused by conflict, we need to express it using appropriate tone and I-statements. When we keep our best thoughts and difficult emotions to ourselves, we end up having conversations with ourselves about what we need. For example, a co-worker consistently fails to respond to emails. If this bothers us, it is imperative that we tell them directly as soon as we recognize we feel tension. The danger of not directly communicating our emotions as they happen is that as our anger or irritation magnifies, we are likely to complain to other people rather than the person who can fix the problem. If we don't share our best ideas right away, our company cannot put them into action. Immediate expression of our ideas and feelings communicates directly and makes it possible for our ideas to be applied and our emotional needs met.
George Bernard Shaw said, "The biggest problem
in communication is the illusion that it has been accomplished."
Naturally, a company that adopts these techniques-along
with the complete Naming the Storm™ curriculum-will
still face challenges. But when these best practices
are modeled and promoted by leaders of organizations
and their working groups, every employee will know how
to:
- Avoid emotional drama from personality differences
- Hold focused meetings that formulate clear goals and strategies
- Establish trusted arenas for creative thinking and conflict resolution
- Clearly express their best ideas without fear
- Know their role and how to succeed in fulfilling your companies' vision
Imagine if everyone in your business spoke the same language!
Jon Wortmann is the creator of Naming
the Storm™ - an intentional communication process
for organizations. Trained at Harvard University in
community organizing and development, Jon has infused
his process and techniques in the Fortune 100, start-up
companies, and non-profit organizations. Jon's methodology
helps build awareness, tools and ownership essential
for turning ideas into results. Through coaching, consulting
and seminars clients learn how to create an effective
and efficient communication culture, which enhances
individual productivity and company profitability. Jon
can be reached at jon@fenemoregroup.com.
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