Interpersonal Communication Etiquette At Work: How To Navigate The Work Scene

Sometimes there are just certain things you don't bring with you to work. Just off the top of my head I think its safe to say smelly fish lunches, pink eye or any other contagious sickness, yesterday's unwashed work outfit, and a list of other things can stay out the work place, for everyone's sake.

When it comes to communication, there is definitely a strategy to moving in a room full of vultures, (not all co-workers are vultures...but yeah...some are).

We all have at some point, or will in the future, sit through those “volun-told” corporate trainings on equal opportunity, sexual harassment, and discriminatory actions in the work place. Although it is great information provided, most of you fall asleep or zone out during the PowerPoint sleep aide- I may or may not have nodded off a time or two before. What's being missed is evident, and that's the do's and don't's of the workplace. Since you missed it there, lets recap, shall we.

Most of us spend more time with our co-workers than we do with our actual family, and it's only natural to communicate with our professional colleagues on a personal level as well as professional. This is where you get to work as a strategist and begin with audience analysis. You have to know who you are talking to and what is appropriate to discuss with different people. Audience analysis allows you to tailor your communication content to the right party as to not accidentally offend someone by something that you may consider harmless. This is especially important when telling jokes in the work place.

Another rule of thumb, don't tell it all. Everything isn't for everyone. If you feel the need to vent about relationship problems, in depth medical situations of the very private kind, or long, drawn out stories about the 39 sounds your cat fluffy makes, save it for your BFF, or your therapist- who ever picks up first. It's cool to make real connections and friendships at work, and very common, but save the deep stuff for happy hour when your off the clock.

Politics and religion is the thinnest ice you can ever walk on. Wars have been fought over the two since before it could even be defined. Everyone has different viewpoints, and that's what makes the world a great and diverse place, but contrasting ideas can lead to offense, which can lead to arguments, which leads to limited productivity in the workplace. Limited productivity usually means it's time to start letting some people go. This is where we circle back to audience analysis, and getting to know who you are talking to before you make a possibly offensive comment. Current events in the news, especially those circling around race tension, can cause similar divide, especially in a work place with a diverse staff. These conversations need not be avoided like the plague, rather engaged in a different setting.

When in doubt of what to say and who to say it to, you can always stick to the safe conversations- family, hobbies, food, sports, and Game of Thrones! Just kidding about GoT, but really, a popular TV show is always clutch. These topics allow you to talk about things that are a little deeper than surface level and are strong bonds between a multitude of backgrounds.

You have to work with them, see them on a regular basis, and communicate with them regularly, so why not try to make it as comfortable as possible? Learn how to move in the office scene when communication is involved, and watch your workplace dynamic change for the better.

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