Improving Communication

Now that you have a better idea of what bad communication is, you can start working on ways to improve it. Here are a few ways you can start:

Respect Your Team

Take time to address everyone's concerns, even the small ones. It could be something as simple as acknowledging the request someone makes and explaining that the request has to be a low priority for now, but will be addressed when time permits -- then be sure to follow through. You want people to feel like they are being listened to and that their concerns are validated.

Effective Listening

Effective listening is when you are fully engaged in listening and understanding what the person is telling you. While listening, you are focused on the person in front of you, you make eye contact, minimize outside distractions, and don't interrupt the speaker. It is important for the speaker to be able to fully articulate his thoughts, without being interrupted in mid-sentence. Finally, you should summarize the main points of what was said back to the speaker.

Schedule Time to Listen

If you have a lot of demands on your time, you should make an effort to schedule some time to listen to your team members. Consider scheduling office hours -- times when you are sitting at your desk and are available to talk to anyone who drops by. Schedule regular meetings with key members of your team, and remember that one on one time is important too. Walk around the office and check in with people; you can learn a lot about how people are doing if you just walk around for a few minutes each day.

If you are trying to get a moment to talk with someone, see if you can schedule an appointment -- which will probably be the most efficient way to get his or her complete attention for a few minutes.

Specific and Defined Points of Communication

Chain of command is important for a good communication pipeline. People feel comfortable if they know who they should go to in order to escalate a problem or request. It can be a great source of frustration if someone has an issue and doesn't know who to discuss it with, or they can't get access to this person.

On all of my projects, I make it very clear who to talk to about any problem. For example, if one of the leads had an issue with something I'm doing, I let them know at the beginning of the project (before there are any issues) they should go to my boss to discuss it. Members of the team shouldn't feel they have to confront someone directly about a problem, specifically if it is a sensitive personnel issue; they need to know that a producer or lead will take point on getting the issue solved with the appropriate people.

Keep Communication as Close to the Source as Possible

In order to cut down on the "telephone effect," try to go to the source whenever possible to get all the information. This is especially important when dealing with changes to the projects or personal accusations. Also, maintain the content and context of any communication that is second or third hand. If you are communicating something on behalf of someone else (such as management), try to stay true to the original the content and context of the message. This will prevent misunderstandings that may have a large impact on the project.