Communication can make or break any organization, yet breakdowns in communication are very rarely acknowledged and corrected. These breakdowns cause frustration, limit progress, and waste time and money.
Successful communication is vital, especially within leadership. Learning how to correct the communication breakdowns is the next step—after first being willing to find them. Here are a few simple steps to effectively managing and correcting communication breakdowns for greater success.
5 Tips for Correcting the Breakdown
- Be willing to admit mistakes: If you are the reason for the communication breakdown, admit your mistake. Shifting blame to another individual merely increases the problem and extends the time it takes to solve the issue. This simple action can help to immediately resolve many communication issues.
- Take the necessary time: A rushed fix often leads to a larger disaster. Slow down and take the time to figure out where the breakdown happened and work to fix it. If multiple people were involved, meet with each of them. By taking time, you are able to more clearly identify the problem and more effectively resolve it.
- Keep people together: Typically, communication breakdowns lead to a variety of other issues including a rise in negative emotions. Actively work against this and focus on unity as a team. Reinforce the concept of teamwork and the part communication plays in it.
- Remember the person, not the argument: It is difficult to go into an argument believing you are right, and yet being willing to put that aside for the sake of finding a peaceful resolution. Sometimes to overcome a communication breakdown, the relationship must trump the argument.
- Be Patient: Patience is key to resolving communication issues. If you are unwilling to take the time to make someone understand what is needed, the problem will only increase. While patience is oftentimes hard to practice, the results of its use are infinitely better.
Always remember communication breakdowns can’t be ignored. Be willing to make the most of every situation and quickly resolve these types of issues. The quicker you are able to do this, the faster you can move forward.
