It’s a known fact that a breakdown in communication is the cause of many types of relationship failures in life—marriage, family, and yes, even workplace relationships.

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”   – George Bernard Shaw

In the news industry, it’s an ongoing joke that, “Communication majors are the worst communicators.” And now that I’ve worked with people with all sorts of degrees and qualifications, I’ve found that it isn’t only a “news” problem.

Have you ever been left out of an e-mail string that you needed to be a part of? Or has someone walked up to you about a task you needed to accomplish, but you had no idea what he/she was talking about?

Those are clear signs that you’ve been left out of the loop, and it’s a very frustrating feeling.

It sounds like a “big corporation” problem, but you’ll be surprised how many small groups experience these same issues.

Fortunately, the solution to this lack of communication is pretty simple: keep everyone involved informed and don’t make assumptions. (It’s usually the simplest things that are so easy to overlook.)

Make sure everyone involved is in the know. If there are specific tasks, spell it out and make sure the assigned party is clearly defined. And if a simple e-mail or chat won’t do, set up a time to meet so that everyone can be on the same page.

Refusing to make this habit could result in bad workplace morale for employees because no one likes to feel like they’ve fallen through the cracks.

Written by:
Hope Boyd
Director of Communications, Strategic Government Resources
governmentresource.com