Understanding and Recognizing Relational Communication in the Workplace
Think about your own workplace and think about the following question on your own or discuss your answers with a colleague.
Reflection
- What are some ways that you communicate at work?
- How many different ways can you list? How often do you use these methods?
There may be more communication methods you can list than you may originally think! We communicate in many verbal and non-verbal ways throughout our day. This all impacts the way we engage with our surroundings in the workplace.
In the previous section you learned that different cultures exhibit different communication styles. In this section we are going to look more closely at relational communication. We will explore how Indigenous values for relationality – nurturing and respecting relationships between people, animals, the land, and nature – are reflected in communication style.
Learning Goals
By the end of this lesson, I will be able to:
- Understand the difference between more direct communication styles and more relational communication styles.
- Identify examples of relational communication Indigenous employees might use in the workplace.
- Understand my own communication style and how it is similar or different from Indigenous communication styles.
