Ratgeber für MicroUnternehmen

Technical and Communication Barriers

Conflicts can be reduced by calling in a third party to listen to all sides, especially when large problems have all ready erupted when the manager will not listen to reasons or listen at all. Teaching active listening to managers and to use symmetric communication is a long term solution. In symmetric communication, all parties should have a roughly equal percentage of the talk time.

• Technical communication
Whether dealing with an engineer or financial manager, the opposite of vague communication is technical communication. Too many facts, too many figures and not enough general instructions leave employees feeling helpless. Managers who rely on technical communication may think that they need to show the detailed reasons why the problem has occurred. The employees have no idea how to enact the manager's goal of reduced defects or higher throughput and thus guess. When the goal isn't met, the manager may be hostile or merely bewildered and rely upon even more detailed answers on the assumption that he didn't explain it well enough. Conflicts arise when employees act on their own out of lack of direction while managers see this coping method as disobedience. These conflicts can be reduced by teaching managers how to give actionable advice.

• Disturbances in communication
Disturbances in communication can affect any work group, even those that had previously communicated well. What are some common disturbances in communication?
- Someone suddenly begins withholding information, whether in an effort to increase their power and control or increase their value out of fear of layoffs
- Someone who was communicative becomes vague or noncommittal; this is often a sign of someone trying to avoid conflict by not committing to anything at all
- Passive aggressive communications or aggressive communications arise, whether derogatory insults or sending tons of reading material with instructions to figure out the correct course of action. This is a sign of a new or escalating conflict.