Achieving Effective Team Communication

No team will be successful without effective communication. Proper communication enables team members to understand their team's goals more clearly and work together more harmoniously to achieve those goals. It also makes problem solving processes more efficient and creates a less stressful working environment. Team leaders who know how to communicate well with their members will have an easier time providing the necessary motivation when morale is low, and build a more trustworthy relationship with them.

Establishing an effective method of communication is no easy task, especially for teams that are made up of a large number of members. However, it can be achieved if you have a good understanding of the various aspects of communication and how to use them effectively. There are basically three components of communication, and they are sensory data, thoughts, and feelings. In order to communicate well with your members, you need to identify and manage these components properly.

Sensory Data

Sensory data refers to raw information that you absorb with your senses. It includes things that you have seen and heard, whether verbal or nonverbal. Some examples of this form of communication are gestures, tone of voice, body language, gestures, and others. To ensure that sensory data is communicated clearly, you have to be open and describe the things that you have heard and seen honestly. Then, you have to provide concrete information on the people who are involved, as well as the time, place, and method by which the data is communicated.

Thoughts

Thoughts are ideas that result from the sensory data that is occurring around you. They are generated when you process the sensory data that you have obtained, and they are concrete thoughts and beliefs. When dealing with thoughts, you have to speak your mind, share your beliefs, interpret your ideas, and create expectations. Thoughts include logical, rational, and analytical processes of evaluating data, with the purpose of arriving at a conclusion.

Feelings

After absorbing sensory data and generating thoughts, you will respond emotionally to them by having feelings. Depending on the kind of sensory data that you are responding to, your feelings can be rational or irrational. The best way to communicate feelings is to disclose them in a straightforward manner, and try not to use the word "feel". For instance, instead of saying "I feel confident", you should say "I am confident". You will find that it is easier to manage your emotional self if you are able to recognize your feelings.

After you have learned to communicate information, thoughts, and emotions to your team members, you need to know how to deal with feedback. Feedback is an important part of communication because it shows you how your messages are received by your team members, and whether or not they agree with your ideas and feelings. It reduces doubt, helps solve problems, strengthens relationships, builds trust, and improves quality of work. When receiving feedback, you have to be open. Encourage feedback and avoid being defensive. Then, analyze the information you receive and take measures to apply the feedback. If you are the one who is giving feedback, you need to be descriptive and specific, honest, and timely.

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Lynn Kelly is an IT project management consultant and contributor for Vantage, promoting the Social Approach to Project Management. Visit http://projectvantage.com to learn more and signup for a free trial of Vantage project management software at http://www.projectvantage.com/index.php/pricing to get started. Go get social with your projects today.

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