It is up to every one of us to promote and show respect for all people. Effective, healthy communication is much more likely if the walls of distance and hierarchy are taken down and interpersonal bridges are built. Most workers say they want a close, more informal relationship with their colleagues. They want time for discussion. They want to share ideas and suggestions, and to know these will be considered.
Personal contact builds interpersonal bridges.
The goal is to become aware of behavioural styles and make conscious choices about how we wish to conduct ourselves in our relations with others. Research confirms a positive correlation between effective communication and improved working relationships, greater personal satisfaction, better problem solving and improved productivity. Effective communication is as complex as the people with whom we are in contact. Building communication bridges takes time, energy, attention and compassion. Cathy Fenwick is a therapist, author and educator.