Communication, Feedback, and Participation: Three Easy Tidbits For Smarter Business

On communication: One of the biggest strains on the communication process occurs when the sender or receiver is experiencing stress, anger, or frustration either at work or at home. When a situation is emotionally charged, it is difficult to express yourself clearly and maintain a positive communication relationship. How we communicate can be as important as what we say. Using "I" statements is the most effective technique to counterbalancing an emotional dialogue. "I" statements, help the receiver and the sender express their own feelings and represent their personal thoughts, rather than make an attempt to interpret for the other person such as "I feel that..." or "The way I see...".

On feedback: Giving and receiving critical feedback is difficult, yet essential to master. By being open to feedback, you can learn how to improve both personally and professionally. If someone is not willing to accept feedback, they probably will not proceed much further in their career nor experience much growth or satisfaction out of life.

On participation: In some organizations the saying is "Beware of supervisors bearing gifts." For this reason employees are careful about taking you up on the "opportunity" to participate. Participation, however, can make your work life and theirs much richer and more productive. In the old authoritarian form of supervision "the boss" held all the power and made all the decisions without involving anyone. Participatory supervision has proven more effective. Managers who use this style involve employees in decision making and ask for their help and ideas. Such behavior results in the supervisor having more influence on employees. Formal power comes from the position one holds. Research shows that informal power also has great impact.

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CEO, A.E. Schwartz & Associates, Boston, MA., a comprehensive organization which offers over 40 skills based management training programs. Mr. Schwartz conducts over 150 programs annually for clients in industry, research, technology, government, Fortune 100/500 companies, and nonprofit organizations worldwide. He is often found at conferences as a key note presenter and/or facilitator. His style is fast-paced, participatory, practical, and humorous. He has authored over 65 books and products, and taught/lectured at over a dozen colleges and universities throughout the United States.