Chapter 8: Solution Messages for Communication Problems
The previous two sections focused on channels of communication (ch. 6, electronic and ch. 7, traditional). This chapter focuses on the message, itself.
No matter which line of work you go into, there are certain simple problems that you will face over and over and over. These kinds professional problems are ones that you’ve probably already faced in your school, work, or home life:
- Have you ever been assigned group work for a class and that one team member isn’t delivering their part? How can you reach out and request that they do their job so that you can do yours?
- Has anyone ever asked you to loan them money or cover their shift at work and you decided to turn them down? How do you handle a situation like that in such a way that you don’t damage the relationship?
- Have you ever asked someone else to loan you money or cover your shift at work? How could you make that request without feeling needy or without making the other person feel resentful?
- Have you ever had someone complain about the result you produced or the effort you put in? Is there a way to respond so that your audience feels heard, even if the situation is not your fault?
Whether these situations arise at work or in your personal life, they can drain a lot of energy if you don’t have professional strategies in place. Fortunately, if you structure your message in just the right way, both the sender and the receiver of that message can come away with their dignity–and their relationship–intact.
