Communication in Business: How to Build Groups That Thrive

NEW CLIENT ARTICLE:

By Bruno Raynal, Blue Thinking

You can’t talk about communication in business without first addressing group dynamics. Many groups suffer from a lack of rules. They have no leadership, no direction, and no accountability. Goals and roles aren’t clearly defined. Interpersonal strategies are underdeveloped or simply non-existent.

Effective communication in business often requires the framing or reframing of a group with valuable rules all members understand and accept. These rules allow the group members to avoid personal confrontation and conflict because everyone knows the expectations of the group as well as their personal roles.

Simply put, framing is the process of describing and interpreting an event. Since each person brings his or her own unique experience to the group, and since there are so many factors that influence how a conflict is framed, it is not surprising that where one group member sees success another member sees failure.

In these instances where differing views clash and create confrontation, cooperation among group members can be a difficult goal to realize when productive communication in business is paramount to the company’s larger vision and benchmarks for success.

So, what are groups in business settings supposed to do? It does not serve the company’s larger purpose for individual members to compete over petty issues, pursue personal goals, and avoid collaboration whenever possible. Meaningful communication in business groups means that each member is: open to experiencing new roles, responsible for carrying out individual tasks, respectful of other group members, and ultimately committed to the group’s agreed-upon rules.

Although rules and roles are flexible and ever-evolving, it is important that each group member fulfills the specific role necessary for the group to accomplish the task at hand. In addition, by making each group member accountable for his or her own responsibilities, strong groups avoid social stagnation whereby some group members stop participating out of a lack of believing in the task at hand.

Effective communication in business requires committed team members who are focused on contributing and making a positive impact by:

• Effectively collaborating with other team members
• Making team objectives more important than personal goals
• Confronting important group issues in a positive and constructive way
• Sharing ideas, information, and feedback with other group members
• Being dedicated to completing team tasks
• Helping other team members when they need or ask for assistance
• Providing leadership in a way that supports and advances the team’s success
• Using critical thinking skills when facing challenges
• Constructively responding to other group members’ feedback

These attributes make a group member indispensable and, by extension, assist with the development of a group that is poised to achieve the defined goals and expectations of the organization. Learn more about what powerful communication in business groups can do for your company’s success by visiting the business consulting experts at www.ThinkBlueThinking.com or by calling 619.550.8052.

Bruno Raynal is the president and CEO of Blue Thinking, a corporation based in San Diego, California. Bruno works with top level senior management to enhance their awareness of modern business practices and patterns so they can make informed choices, take the right action, and achieve their vision and goals. Learn more about Blue Thinking by visiting www.ThinkBlueThinking.com or calling 619.550.8052.