Communication in the Workplace: Reflections from DAWI’s School for Democratic Management

As MindOpen puts the conditions in place to implement democratic management as an organization, we are excited to tap into resources made available in the movement. Recently, our intern Mia had the opportunity to join one of the excellent offerings from the Democracy at Work initiative. Here are her reflections:

Why Effective Communication Matters

Effective communication is something many of us feel we’re good at, until we find ourselves in difficult conversations. After taking the course Communication in the Workplace at The School for Democratic Management at DAWI, I realized just how complex communication can be, and learned specific techniques that can be used in approaching a difficult conversation at work. 

The workshop explores three effective communication skills: 

• Self-awareness 

• Self-management

• Active listening

Effective communication is important in fostering relationships, allowing employees to be able to disagree, and helping the organization achieve their goals. For organizations like MindOpen that prioritize collaboration and democratic decision-making, communication is especially important. 

However, reaching the point of effective communication in the workplace is not easy, and there are several factors that get in the way of communicating effectively including:

• Scheduling conflicts

• Lack of time

• Fear

• Clashing communication style

To overcome these challenges, members of an organization must make time to talk, lean into conflict, and create a safe space. 

Developing Self-Awareness in Communication

Self-awareness encompasses knowing yourself, including awareness of your emotions, judgements, and assumptions. Team members must have self-awareness of their triggers, judgements, and assumptions that get in the way of active listening. Stressful situations can lead to strong emotional responses, which often lead to difficulty or the refusal to listen. In these circumstances, the course stresses pulling back, or setting aside one’s emotional reactions. I believe in the importance of allowing yourself to have emotional reactions and not suppressing them. Emotional reactions are normal and healthy, and sharing them can sometimes help in fostering a healthy relationship, even a professional one. Rather than putting these emotional reactions aside, it may be more helpful to wait for the other team member to share, and then to be honest about what you’re feeling. 

The Importance of Active Listening

We should also be aware of other blocks to active listening. These can include:

• Mind reading 

• Rehearsing

• Filtering

When people listen with full attention they understand, learn, remember, and communicate care. When people feel heard they don’t need to repeat, feel seen, can better engage, and it decreases the perception of bias. When communicating, body language is important. One should face the speaker, lean in, and be mindful of facial expressions. Language, of course, is also important. To prevent miscommunication, the listener should focus on clarifying information instead of reacting and should ask open-ended questions. 

These communication practices are especially important and present in MindOpen’s trainings, where creating space for participants to listen deeply and connect across differences is central to their work. 

Applying these Lessons Moving Forward

Moving forward, I plan to become more aware of my communication habits, especially how I respond in stressful situations. I want to set aside my own judgments, actively listen to the other person, and remain honest about how I feel.