We help create leaderful teams - cultures where people consciously use their power for meaningful connection and positive impact - both inside and outside of the workplace. Join The Co., our semi-regular newsletter full of actionable insights, tools, frameworks and helpful resources.
Navigating four common barriers to effective communication
In this edition of The Co., we're offering some insight on common barriers to effective communication, announcing a few live recordings of The Leaderful Podcast and inviting you to a workshop in May.
Four core barriers to effective communication
Many of the leaders and teams we work with report communication challenges as a top issue and priority.
It's not surprising, given the volume of information that we're asked to process every day, and the speed at which that information is being delivered.
Too often, what gets missed (or miscommunicated) is the meaningful interpersonal exchange of needs, values, hopes and fears.
And, unfortunately, the impact of these miscommunications is often quite negative and disruptive to relationships. Increased levels of stress and frustration, anxiety, misalignment and burnout are common symptoms of underlying communication challenges.
The four core barriers that we often encounter are;
- Jumping to judgements (good, bad, right, wrong)
- Racing past feelings to thoughts (or ignoring feelings entirely)
- Crafting strategies before connecting to needs and values
- Making demands - “do this or else [insert consequence]”
Each of these barriers on their own can disrupt communication within a relationship. Unfortunately, they tend to travel together and we find ourselves moving quickly from a judgement to a demand... only to be surprised when the person on the receiving end of our communication is less than excited about what we're asking them to do.
The alternative pathway, and one of the most effective tools for navigating these barriers, is the OFNR pathway from the Non-violent Communication model.
🔍 Making observations (not judgements)
🤗 Sharing feelings (not thoughts)
✔️ Identifying needs (not strategies)
💬 Communicating requests (not demands)
Interested in learning more about these four common barriers, and strategies to navigate them?
Join our Co.CEO Jeff Couillard and Experience Designer Brittany Vine for a live recording of The Leaderful Podcast on April 19th at 12pm MST.
And don't hesitate to book a coffee (virtual or in-person) to explore how we might help improve communication with your team and organization.
Workshop: How to navigate power in the workplace
When: Thursday, May 11th | 10:00am-1:00pm MST
Investment: $249 per participant
Where: Zoom
Having the ability to use power in a positive way to affect or prevent change is a life-changing skill for people and teams who want to develop safe, open, and meaningful relationships - inside and outside of the workplace. In this virtual workshop, we introduce the conscious use of power using and practice new skills with helpful frameworks and tools.
Learn more and register here.
Interested in a workshop for your team? Hit reply and we can explore your learning and development needs.
Live recordings of The Leaderful Podcast
We've got two live recordings of the podcast coming up this month.
- Join Jeff and Brittany on April 19th at 12pm MST for a rich discussion on the four core barriers to effective communication on workplace teams.
- Listen in as Jeff interviews special guest and thought-leader Future Cain as we move beyond buzzwords and table-stakes to discuss the core social-emotional leadership skills required in our increasingly complex and stressful world. April 24th at 12pm MST.
Thanks for being here with us, and have a wonderful rest of your week!
Team TACO
The Ally Co.
We help create leaderful teams - cultures where people consciously use their power for meaningful connection and positive impact - both inside and outside of the workplace. Join The Co., our semi-regular newsletter full of actionable insights, tools, frameworks and helpful resources.
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