Face-to-face communication

Internet users across the globe are sending an estimated 60 billion emails a day. The average person spends more than two years of their life on the phone. Yet despite our adeptness at virtual communication, our ability to communicate face-to-face in the workplace is waning. Why do we find it so difficult to deliver effective feedback?

Change and communication specialist and principal of Message Stix Karen Williams, attributes the breakdown in corporate communication to a changing work demographic and a fear of ‘scaring off’ staff in the current buoyant employee market. 

According to Williams, senior executives and managers (particularly those who have a pseudo-HR role) often need assistance in this area, given they are dealing with large numbers of employees.

Change and communication consultants are often brought in to train executives in the areas of communication, feedback and negotiation, by coaching them in human behaviours in the context of the organisation’s structure.

“As a result of the ‘war for talent’, senior managers and HR teams alike are very careful about the feedback they give their staff.

“They are wary of balancing the need for better organisational performance against maintaining a harmonious work environment.

“Adding to the pressure is the reality that most organisations have staff from three different generations each of which has honed completely unique communication receptors.”

KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE

According to Williams, each demographic is unique in the way it wants to receive feedback and the challenge for managers is to tune in to the best ways of communicating with these very different groups. The key to overcoming this fear is to be prepared – know your audience, know your content and arm yourself with concrete examples that support what you have to say.

Williams says the better you know the group and what makes them tick, the more likely you are to have insight into what feedback they respond to and what motivates them.

“As the oldest demographic in the workplace, ‘baby boomers’ have seen ‘em come and seen ‘em go, however, they can be overly sensitive to feedback. This group is facing growing pressure from a young, enthusiastic demographic beneath them, so they need reassurance about the value they add to an organisation.

“But be warned – baby boomers are quite no-nonsense and can spot transparent, insincere feedback. They shy away from regular attention – preferring to get on with the task at hand and respond best to a ‘straight from the hip’, authentic approach,” Williams says. 

Often working alongside the baby boomers are the younger generations, eagerly championing for more flexible, family-friendly work arrangements.

“Generation X wants to work hard but not be taken advantage of, so the best way to communicate feedback to them is to offer ideas as to how they can work smarter, not harder and acknowledge, but not too lavishly, successes and deal directly with areas for improvement,” said Williams. 

This is in direct contrast with the over-indulged Gen Y group who will dominate the organisational landscape.

“Gen Y has been described as high-maintenance, yet they have the potential to be the most high-performing generation, given their levels of education, advanced technological skillsets and high-set expectations.

“They have grown up on praise and tend to rely on it from authority figures to know they are on track. As a result, Gen Y can struggle with processing feedback. Reassure them that the feedback is designed to support their career progression - a major driver for this group.”