Professional relationships can suffer when team collaboration is poor and communication barriers go unrecognized. According to David Baga, CEO of Mural, approximately three in five employees have contemplated leaving their jobs due to poor team collaboration. In a recent email exchange with Baga, he emphasized the need to adapt how we engage with one another to improve workplace dynamics. Poor communication among colleagues is a common barrier to teamwork, leading to a breakdown in professional relationships. In fact, there are five types of unrecognized but common communication barriers that occur daily and can be easily remedied.
### Verbal Trespassing: An Unrecognized Barrier
"Verbal trespassing" refers to the act of projecting one's own interpretation onto someone else, failing to respect their point of view and personal boundaries. This harmful behavior can manifest in five distinct ways:
1. **Mind Reading:** Making assumptions about what a manager or coworker is thinking or doing without evidence. This Presumed guilt without evidence results in strained interactions.
2. **Emotion Reading:** Concluding what a manager or colleague is feeling without evidence, disregarding their boundaries and personal feelings.
3. **Labeling:** Assigning negative attributes or name-calling to a coworker, which damages trust and respect.
4. **Put-downs:** Constantly criticizing another's behaviors or habits, which can destroy trust and confidence in the workplace.
5. **Commanding:** Dictating orders or commands in a way that violates a coworker's boundaries and undermines teamwork and trust.
### Avoiding Verbal Trespassing
To mitigate the impact of verbal trespassing and foster healthy workplace relationships, a shift in communication habits is crucial. Instead of mind reading, approaching with curiosity and asking for clarification can help bridge misunderstandings. Emotion reading can be avoided by openly asking about a coworker's feelings rather than assuming. Using "I-messages" instead of "You-messages" helps stem labeling, with the focus on expressing one's own feelings. Constructive feedback, instead of put-downs, can be framed using "When you... I feel..." to articulate the impact of certain behaviors. Lastly, commanding can be replaced with respectful leadership that focuses on collaboration and open dialogue.
### Building Healthy Workplace Relationships
Addressing verbal trespassing is essential for fostering healthy collaboration within teams. By creating a work culture that prioritizes healthy communication, respect for others, and collaborative teamwork, companies can ensure that employees are engaged, productive, and satisfied with their work and their teams, echoing the sentiments of Mural’s 2024 Teamwork Report.
Recognizing the impact of verbal trespassing and incorporating proactive communication strategies can transform workplace relationships, contributing to a positive and productive work environment. Ultimately, focusing on the "how" of working together, as emphasized by David Baga, can significantly impact how individuals feel about their work and teams, leading to a more engaged and fulfilled workforce.