Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Email | TuneIn | RSS | More

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) estimates that every year, nearly two million U.S. workers are victims of workplace violence. There is so much divisiveness in our lives right now, as HR pros and leaders we need tools to help us better communicate and build relationships. I wanted to bring in an expert to talk about conflict resolution and communication that can help de-escalate situations that can make a workplace unsafe.

A special thank you to our podcast sponsor is ClearCompany

Episode 182: Improving Your Workplace Communication with Jill Kamp Melton (@powerofthezip)

It’s not just safety I’m thinking about but how we and our leaders can better communicate with each other and our employees. Communication is so important and it’s a skill we can learn and improve on that will impact many different parts of our life personally and professionally. Let’s talk with an expert to help improve our communication skills.

I’m joined by Jill Kamp Melton, Founder and President of Strategies for Living Unlimited and author of The Power of the Zip: Trigger a Tsunami of Transformation One Conversation at a Time. 

Listening Is the Foundation of Improving Workplace Communication

The most important step to improving any type of communication Jill says is listening. She says listening helps you uncover the person’s blind spots as well as your own. She says that refusing to make assumptions is an important part of improving communication and finding the areas you need to focus and improve upon. Conflict she says is part of being human.

This is a good reminder for all of us because I, personally don’t like conflict. I do my best to try and avoid it at all costs, but it’s a healthy part of any relationships whether it’s personal or professional.

How to Create a Culture of Communication

I recently had the privilege to speak at a Master’s class that focuses on company culture and what we talked about was top of mind when I talked with Jill. I asked her about how to create a culture of communication. Jill shared that company cultures  are skewed by politics. She says some people have the power, and some people want the power and rarely do the powerful.  The weak peacefully co-exist without conflict. She says it is  the job of HR to train the powerful and the weak in a company culture to respect one another and work well together. Now, she says that if you do this you are daring to be the mature leader who walks the talk and who coaches from with in we coach up. She says we can coach down we can coach sideways. The key question she says you need to ask yourself even if nobody else is doing what you know is the right thing to do.

Conclusion

Jill’s company, Strategies for Living Unlimited, is a woman-owned small business, diverse, and innovative Transformational Change Agency with a mission to promote the use of effective training and coaching to build bridges of understanding and lessen conflict. I think sometimes we forget how much pressure is on us as HR leaders to maintain a conflict-free, open, engaging and safe workplace. All of the above hinge on the strength of our ability to communicate and I appreciate Jill sharing some tips with us today.

Connect with Jill Melton

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

The Power of the Zip: Trigger a Tsunami of Transformation One Conversation at a Time

Kardie Equipment

Communciation is the Key to a Positive Employee Experience 

Ep 131 – Culture Conversations ~ podcast

Ep 76 – How to Drive Conflict Resolution in the Workplace ~ podcast 

It’s Hard to Speak Up at Work

How to Subscribe to the Workology Podcast

• • Stitcher
  • PocketCast
  • iTunes
  • Podcast RSS
  • Google Play
  • YouTube
  • TuneIn

You can also click here to find out how to be a guest on the Workology Podcast.