Transform Your Talk

We all know that communication at the job site is very often a challenge. From communication between the field and the main office to communication from primary leadership to superintendent to the field crew, there are many opportunities for missteps, miscommunication, and upsets. Yet, the key to complete success with every job, whether big or small, is full and complete communication everywhere and at all times! There is no room, especially in today's tight market, for communication breakdowns, which can lead to poor efficiencies, poor morale, or worse yet, poor general outcome of the job! All of these factors have the potential to affect your bottom line.

Why is communication on the job site so hard?

We are all human beings. We have lives outside of the work we do, and separating our lives, our feelings, and the people we are from the work we do simply isn't doable. This means that on the job site, not only are we dealing with the job we do, the people we work with, and those things we are accountable for, but we are also carrying around circumstances and issues from our lives outside of our work. We all have our own personal "stuff" that we bring to the job site, wants and needs that are far greater than the job we do, and our communications have to filter through all of the "non-work" things on our minds for communication to really get through! So, if we are so gripped by the stuff going on in our heads, how do we break through and become clear, concise, and honorable in our communications, what we speak, and what we hear?

FULL AND COMPLETE COMMUNICATION HOW-TOS

Step 1: Stop and think about who you are being.

Slow down, think about how you are communicating and what you want to communicate, and then communicate fully and completely why something is being done the way it is. Stay present to the question: "Am I communicating so that what I'm saying can actually be heard, or are the words I'm using, the tone of my voice, or my body language in the way of the message getting through?" Remember: The speaker in any communication is responsible for what the recipient (listener) actually gets from the communication. So, if a gruff and short communication style isn't going to get through to the team, consider what style will get through and adjust what you are saying and how you say it accordingly!

Step 2: Don't assume anybody or anything!

Our assumptions are some of the greatest roadblocks we have to clear and complete communication! Assumptions turn a possibility into an "is," and in a split second, an incorrect assumption can lead us down the wrong path! We assume those we work with can read our minds and then get angry and blame them when they fail to do so! We assume that everyone on the job site knows how to do everything they need to know, and many flat don't know what they need to know. So, guess what? Not only do you have to give up your assumptions and be clear about what your team does and doesn't know how to do, but you also have to teach them what they don't know!!

Step 3: Teach instead of tell.

When we take the time to teach and explain to our co-workers why we do something the way we do, the results will be much better than if we simply tell them what to do!

Step 4: Make sure you are not just heard, but understood, too!

Make sure those around you understand what is being asked of them in terms of the job they are to do and by-when they are supposed to do it! Ensure you intend to teach your team what they are learning!

Step 5: Give up make-wrongs.

Often, tense and less than complete communications result from upsets and misunderstandings between co-workers that put people in a defensive position. Listening or speaking from a defensive state of mind is no way to communicate fully and completely! After all, how well do we hear or communicate with others when we are continually planning our defense in our heads? In this case, all sides have to give up making others wrong, and rather than allow upsets to fester, you've got to communicate in a straightforward but calm manner. By communicating directly with the person there is an upset with, there is little room for wrongs and upsets to fester – meaning, mole hills will not be made into mountains on the job site!!

Step: Make "I don't know" okay.

Many communications don't happen simply because we don't want those around us to know that we don't know!! So, we've got to foster an environment where we welcome questions, don't just give lip service to the notion, and actually take the time to answer the questions those on our crew have before we move on to anything else! We've got to make it okay for any member of the crew to say: "I don't know how to do this." Or "I don't understand." And when we make room for questions to be asked, never, ever make someone wrong for doing so! This is not just about full and complete communication on the human level; it is also about building trust! The more your crew trusts what is said, the more you will grow as a team, and it is inside a well-built team that full and complete communication can really grow! Ultimately, full and complete communication at the job site is really about our being present not only to our agenda and the information that we want to communicate but also to our being present to how the information we are communicating is getting across to others! When we communicate with our co-workers, or anyone for that matter:

• We need to be with those people, not just physically but also mentally.
• We have to give up assumptions and " knowing " to communicate effectively and to hear what we are supposed to, as well as to be heard by others.
• We need to be aware of our body posture and even the tone of our voice!

Communication is not only about the words we say but who we are being when we say them! Remember: ultimately, the person responsible for the quality of any communication is the speaker. So step up to the plate and communicate fully and completely everywhere. Caution!!!! Do not use this as an excuse for not being an effective listener.

As a member of a team, you need to speak up when someone's communication leaves you in a bad place, stop them, and get clarification. Maybe they are having a really bad day… maybe they are filtering their communication through all sorts of stuff that has nothing to do with you… and, while the speaker is always responsible for where they leave the listener, the listener has to be the one to put their hand up and get to the bottom of what is and isn't correct about how they are feeling and what they think they "heard."

You can't read other people's minds, and they can't read yours, meaning full and complete communication is a two-way street, and just one barrier can throw the flow off.

Don't be the one to create the bottleneck. Communicate fully and completely everywhere, all of the time!