The extent to which you achieve results as a leader depends on the conversations you have with your employees. So, everybody in the workplace must be sensitive to what they say and how they say it. Otherwise, your organization may degenerate into a toxic work environment. So, in this article, you will learn some workplace conversation mistakes to avoid.
Businesses always thrive better when there’s a good workplace conversation in place. Contrary to what you may think, having a good workplace conversation goes beyond conveying official information.
It involves creating an enabling environment that encourages innovation, learning, trust, critical thinking, and self-improvement.
Every conversation in a workplace could either move an organization closer to its goals or farther from it. And if you want to be an influential leader in your niche, learn how to talk with your employees in a way that connects with them on a personal level.
It’s normal; everybody wants to feel connected with the organization they are working with. And if you can make your employees feel important and valued, it would go a long way to improve their loyalty to your organization.
Once you breed an atmosphere that cares about employees and understands them, your company would grow exponentially.
However, you can only make people feel cared for and understood when you have the right conversations with them.
Read also: 4 Ways to Know That Your Teammates Aren’t In Support of Your Ideas
So, if you want to stay competitive in your niche, here are 5 workplace conversation mistakes to avoid at all costs;
#1. Taking the Silver Bullets
Silver bullets focus on a quick and more magical solution to a problem. And if you want your company to survive in the long run, focusing on fast solutions is one of the workplace conversation mistakes to avoid.
The best conversations in the workplace focus on building trust, making employees feel safe enough to take risks, inspire critical thinking, etc.
Of course, great conversations take time. And you must build it gradually. If you only focus on quick solutions, you may get results initially, But you may not sustain these results in the long run.
#2. Regardless of the Situation You Always Discuss Business
Making it all about business and your company is one of the workplace conversation mistakes to avoid.
Let me ask you – have you ever wondered why some organizations take their employees on a paid vacation to have fun?
These vacations aren’t just for fun; it’s like a survival strategy for most companies. When employees go to a new location for a holiday, they will forget work stress.
They will enjoy the new location, explore culture, and learn new things. These activities will help to reactivate the feeling of positivity and inner peace in them.
Even if you don’t have the financial wherewithal to take your employees on vacations, you can connect with them on a personal level.
Learn more about their family, interests, hobbies, etc. And it works better when you hang out with them outside the work environment.
Interestingly, this type of bonding between leaders and employees promotes connective intelligence and flow, which are instrumental to great innovation.
#3. You Tell More Than You Ask
Telling more than you ask is one of the workplace conversation mistakes to avoid. When you tell all the time, you give the impression that you know more than everybody else.
Of course, it’s necessary to explain your position sometimes. But you don’t have to make people working with you feel like dullards.
Instead of bringing up some ideas and instructing everybody to start working on them immediately, you can say – “hey guys, let’s brainstorm on these new ideas together. Let’s see If they will be viable for the company.”
When you make people feel relevant, they will always be motivated to put in more effort.
#4. Shutting Down Those Who Are Against Your Opinion
Shutting down people because they disagree with your ideas is one of the greatest workplace conversation mistakes to avoid. It could severely affect your company’s performance in the long run.
As a leader, you must realize that the world doesn’t revolve around you. In other words, people will always have a contrary opinion to whatever you are suggesting.
So, try as much as possible to give people listening ears. Hear them out and see what they have to say. Who knows, their little contribution could go a long way to make the difference.
Of course, we are humans. We always seek confirmation, affirmation, and cohesiveness. And if anybody dares to contradict us, we tend to be in a defensive, denial, and possibly deflection state.
However, if you want to make your workplace conducive for innovation and creativity, you must remind yourself that nobody knows it all.
People will always have a contrary opinion, but how you handle it makes the difference.
#5. Quitting Emotionally Hurtful Conversations
quitting emotionally hurtful topics is one of the workplace conversation mistakes to avoid. It’s common for people to avoid emotionally hurtful topics.
I have worked with very sensitive people in the past. They perceived the slightest conversation as insults, even if these words were unintentional.
As a leader, identify these types of people in your team and be very sensitive when you have a conversation with them.
Even if the person brings an idea you aren’t so comfortable with, try not to criticize the person. Only point out that the idea needs more refining.
If you are correcting sensitive people, do it respectfully. And always start with the part you love so much.
For instance, you can say, “this your idea about increasing traffic to our website is so awesome. Wow! I never thought of it from this angle. But I think it would be too expensive for us considering our slim budget for the project.”
“Nevertheless, I will write this idea somewhere so that we can implement it once we have enough money to fund it. What do you think”?
What just happened? You stylishly rejected an idea without making the person who suggested it to feel bad.
These are the 5 workplace conversation mistakes to avoid. Are there any other workplace conversation mistakes you think people should avoid? Let me know what you think in the comment box.
