Creating a healthy working environment is crucial to enhancing work satisfaction and increasing productivity. Conversely, ineffective communication styles can lead to a hostile work environment, which ultimately leads to high turnover rates of employees (Tillman, Gonzalez, Crawford, & Lawrence, 2018). This article shares 4 simple tips on how to effectively get your point across.
There are many styles of communication in the workplace that can either aid to a cohesive atmosphere or destroy morale. Most adults in the workplace have witnessed the effects of these scenarios. Many people have found themselves in conversation with someone that is demonstrating unpleasant or even aggressive behaviors. Learning how to navigate in the workplace setting when a person is upset is a vital skill for success.
Here are 4 helpful tips for responding when a topic arises at work that is tense in nature:
1. Reflective Listening
Reflective listening allows the person to speak their feelings and opinions. This enables them to feel heard. This in turn builds trust and can diffuse a stressful situation if done tactfully. This technique involves paraphrasing what was said using simple phrases such as, “It sounds like you are saying, or I get a sense that…”
Others use paraphrasing by restating the last couple words the person stated or changing the last word slightly. “I felt very frustrated when this happened.” Your response can be, “You were upset.” It takes practice to make this response authentic, but it is a useful tool once mastered.
Most of the time people just need to feel heard and are not actually looking for advice or for anyone to “fix the problem.” If it seems as though this is the case, it can be best to simply listen to what they have to say and leave your two cents out of the equation.
2. Open Ended Questions
Oftentimes, the quickest way to get a person to stop forward momentum on a subject is to ask them a question. Asking open ended questions is an easy way to get someone to elaborate their perspectives without you having to defend your own viewpoints on a subject matter.
An example would be if a person says, “The orders were wrong!” A beneficial response can be “What do you need in this moment?” or “How can I help?” This gives them a moment to explore answers and allows you to become a part of the solution.
3. Responding in a Generalized Way
If you find yourself in a situation that is out of your control, responding in a generalized way may be the best approach. For instance, if a customer states, “The customer service was terrible!” You can reply, “I’m sorry you had to experience that.” or “That must have made a difficult situation even harder.” By responding in a general manner, it allows them to feel validated and heard, without immediately needing to provide solutions or answers.
4. No Response
No response is a response. It is important to choose your battles, especially in the workplace. Calculate the situation and learn to recognize if there is anything to be gained by choosing to engage with this person.
Valuing your own peace of mind in the workplace should be the utmost priority. There is much to be said with a simple head nod and calmly walk away. Not all situations will obviously allow for this, but when it is appropriate it is often the best way to not give power to toxic energy in the workplace.
Overall, creating a healthy working environment takes self-awareness and emotional intelligence. By remaining authentic, self-reflective, and mindful when conversing with others it will automatically open others up to do the same (Kupperschmidt, Kientz, Ward, & Reinholz, 2010). These techniques may seem simple, but when practiced with compassion and empathy, they can naturally set a cohesive tone within any work setting. Try them out!
– Coach Amy
References
Kupperschmidt, B., Kientz, E., Ward, J., & Reinholz, B. (2010). A Healthy Work Environment: It Begins With You. Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 15(1), 1.
Tillman, C. J., Gonzalez, K., Crawford, W. S., & Lawrence, E. R. (2018). Affective responses to abuse in the workplace: The role of hope and affective commitment. International Journal of Selection & Assessment, 26(1), 57–65. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijsa.12203
