5 Elements for Effective Communication-Vol. 6b

One important fuel for corporate success is clear communication. Miscommunication costs North American organizations billions of dollars each year in lost time, conflict, and confusion. The art of listening, knowing how to have an effective conversation, and staying calm in difficult conversations are critical elements for both corporate leaders and employees. There is no shortage of communication strategies, such as email, instant messaging, and text messages, but there is a clear shortage of clear and concise human communication. For corporations to reach their potential, people must interact and talk to each other in a manner that all parties are clear of expectations. 5 Elements for Effective Communication focuses on helping professionals develop core skills to be effective at communicating. The power of simple conversation is still the hallmark of effective human interactions that directly influences morale, employee satisfaction, and productivity. Large and small organizations have learned that by assisting their workforce to develop effective communication skills they reduce unwarranted stress and costs caused by miscommunication. Companies are learning that the cost of dealing with miscommunication is too high. Many are discovering that addressing the challenge of miscommunication is a good investment in increasing productivity and employee satisfaction and is a key component in workforce retention. 5 Elements for Effective Communication is Volume 6b in the Howatt HR Consulting Talent Management Series. Each of the five elements explores the art and the science of effective communication and the strategies for managing it that bring health to individuals and their organizations. William A. Howatt PhD, EdD, Post Doc Behavioral Science UCLA School of Medicine, is CEO of Howatt HR Consulting Inc., a strategic human resources management company. Howatt HR Consulting focuses on assisting companies to gain a significant competitive edge for their organization by minimizing risk to talent equity. This is accomplished through defining, designing, and developing talent management solutions for removing potential talent equity risks and to filling gaps.