Weighing words in the workplace

The aim of the Employment Equity Bill is to eliminate workplace discrimination and to stimulate training, development and advancement of previously disadvantaged people in the workplace.

This legislation has had a fundamental impact on the workplace as hard-line equity plans have been developed and presented by businesses outlining strategies to facilitate the achievement of workplace equity.

Mastery of interpersonal skills in the electronic age is a new and exciting challenge to be faced.

Jill Hamlyn, MD, The People Business

Since the major aim of government is to establish workplaces that are representative of the population of SA as a whole, interpersonal skills and communication take on an added significance as employees try to deal with their culturally diverse working environments.

In my opinion, communication and interpersonal skills have become essential to good business interaction. It is good communication skills that can highlight and identify the value proposition and culture within companies.

Furthermore, companies that have a paucity of skills often lack a common thread of understanding within their organisations. This often dilutes effective interaction leading to division and conflict with a tragic reduction in morale and stability. Verbal skills therefore need to be honed and polished at all levels. With the advent of electronic communications as a primary communication tool, interpersonal communication is taken to new levels, even before we have perfected the basics.

I firmly believe that people in SA who are equipped to communicate and interact in an effective, positive and congenial manner have a significant advantage in the workplace. Destructive behaviour and poor communication can obstruct business purpose and frustrate personal aspirations.

Fortunately, there are a number of techniques that can be utilised to enhance personal communication. There is also a dual payoff. Techniques learned in a business environment will go a long way to facilitating relations in the broader social environment as well. Here are some tips and pointers that I have found to be extremely useful and beneficial:

• .         Be objective: Many people are unable to approach an interpersonal encounter without raised defences. As a result, they are unable to listen with an open mind and may respond subjectively to what is essentially a neutral situation. This may be especially true on an intercultural level. Strive to be objective at all times, and don`t impose your perspectives on an issue without carefully considering alternatives put forward by others.
• .         Learn to listen: In theory, this is an obvious and simple task to achieve. For some, however, listening means waiting for an opportunity to insert their opinion. Done properly, listening is more than just hearing sounds. It is an active process that allows you to become sensitive to hidden messages and perceptive of motives. Listening is a process that occurs naturally when we forget our own selves and opinions and really concentrate on what the other person has to say.
• .         Deal with conflict in a rational manner: For each particular circumstance explore alternative approaches to resolving the conflict. Every case is unique. Whatever happens, uncontrolled anger should not be an option. If unruly emotions refuse to be controlled, walk away from the situation and calm down before raising the issue. Alternatively, an objective third-party may do wonders for the preservation of dignity and the rescuing of the relationship.
• .         Think before you speak: In theory, as simple as listening. In practice, information is often volunteered too hastily, as well as opinions that are insensitive and hurtful.
• .         Manners oil the works of social interaction: Too often we hear the word "manners" being preceded by the adjectives "good" and "old-fashioned". This is a powerful indictment of a society that has forgotten how to say "please" and "thank you". Simple words, but when employed in a sincere manner, they work wonders.
• .         Learn a language: With 11 official languages in SA, there is a wide variety to choose from. Being able to speak another language (or two) breaks down potential communication barriers and opens doors to better interpersonal relations in the workplace.
• .         Make them shine: When people feel good about themselves when they are around you, they are most likely to attribute to you those qualities that are admired in others. They will go out of their way to help you.

Communication across the board is vital. Not only is it important in a situation where people are dealing with others in a face-to-face setting, and now in a multi-cultural setting, but has also recently become a consideration where people are dealing with people through electronic means. Mastery of interpersonal skills in the electronic age is a new and exciting challenge to be faced.

When we interact with others, we use voice tones, body language and a shared cultural environment in order to put our message across. With the advent of e-mail, however, tone of voice and body language are not present and messages that flash across our screens may be misconstrued, which, I believe, can have enormous repercussions given the vastness of scope of electronic communication.

After sending an e-mail, you relinquish control over the effects the message may have on the recipient. It may be difficult for the person on the other end to ascertain the mood of the sender, whether that person is serious or joking, happy or miserable. Sarcasm has the most potential to offend, so it should be used sparingly, if at all. It goes without saying that e-mail that may be upsetting to the recipient should be avoided.

Fortunately, good interpersonal skills can be learned. It is possible, given some common-sense guidelines, to bring out the best in the people in your immediate environment. Anyone who has the desire to change can do so. All it requires is a little discipline.