Editor's note: Starting with this issue, the online Daily Newsbulletin and Los Alamos NewsLetter are featuring a column from the Ombuds Program Office, "tips," that provides advice, vignettes and ideas for promoting a cooperative and collaborative workplace and minimizing damaging conflict (some types of conflict are useful). The column will appear regularly and, in the online Daily Newsbulletin, will include links to sites that contain more information and suggestions.

Communication tips for working in an organization

1. Solicit feedback from others on your communication style and effectiveness.
2. Assess your own knowledge and training about communication.
3. Define organizational communication protocols.
4. Look at the structure of the organization and how it impacts all communication.
5. Use active listening.

   1) Actively solicit feedback about your own communication and communication within the organization. Ask colleagues questions such as:
   • When we talk, are you generally clear about what I am saying?
   • Do you think we communicate well around here?
   • Do you have any ideas about how we could communicate better?
   • Consider including these questions (or similar ones) in your performance-management process or staff meetings.
   2) Assess your own communication knowledge and understanding
   3) When working with your staff, define how you should communicate in the organization. Develop consensus regarding
   • how disagreements should be handled.
   • how horizontal communication should work (colleague to colleague).
   • how vertical communication should work (manager to staff, staff to manager).
   • what information should be available and when. Once consensus is reached, support the achievement of these goals through positive reinforcement and coaching.
   4) Look at the impact of the structure of your organization and how it impacts communication. Indirect communication (communication that is transferred from person to person) is notorious for causing problems. Look at increasing direct communication in which the person with the message to send does it directly with the receiver.
   5) Learn about, and use, active listening techniques. This will set a tone and contribute to a positive communication climate. If you don’t know what active listening is, find out. It’s important.

Useful Links:
http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/extension/areas/workplace/communication.html
http://www.lanl.gov/ombuds/

For more information, contact DeeDee McInroy or Lorrie Bonds Lopez in the Ombuds Office at 5-2837 or write to Ombuds@LANL.gov by electronic mail.

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