LEADING WORKPLACE COMMUNICATION

UNIT PURPOSE
On completion of this unit, the trainees should be able to lead in the dissemination and
discussion of information and issues in the workplace.

Process client requests and enquiries according to operational procedures

Recording information and messages

How to record information

It is vital that information from clients is properly recorded. There are a number of ways to do
this. How many can you think of?

 a database?
 a specially designed customer support program?
 pen and paper on a special work request form?
 pen and paper on a piece of ordinary paper?

The more organised and consistent the recorded information is, the more useful it will be. The
last option risks losing that piece of ordinary paper!

When to record information

The best time to record information related to a client’s request is when you first speak to the
client. In doing this, the information should be complete and accurate and you will have a
chance to clarify information as you speak. It also saves double handling the enquiry at another
time, for you and the client.

The only downside is that you have to practice active listening skills while typing or writing.
Computer programs that prompt for information can help you in this way by ensuring
important questions are asked

Passing on messages

There are a number of ways of relaying messages: phone message , Email and written message

What’s most important in all messages is that they are:

• received in good time

• accurate

• complete.

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 Always pass on messages as quickly as possible, and double check that you have all the
information and all the information is correct. Double-checking with the client may take a little
longer, but it may save much more time in the long run.

Referring and following up client requests

Sometimes if a client request is out of the ordinary you may need to refer it to a specialist or
senior person. Equally, a request might be for a service you cannot provide because

 you don’t have these skills

 you can’t leave your current location

 you don’t have time

In referring the request there may be time limits — it may be policy that the referral must be
made within an hour of receiving it at the help desk.

Keeping the client informed

Keeping the client posted is one of the key features of best practice in client service. It’s
important to let the client know the status of their request from beginning to end.

This includes every step in the process — from explaining why, if you need to put a client on
hold or must transfer them to another person, to letting them know what progress has been
made if hardware needs to be ordered for their system.

How can you keep clients informed? The organization’s policy on client service might state how
often you must contact the client, and by what means. Any updates or messages should be
timely, accurate and complete

Follow-up procedures

Keeping the client informed can be included in a follow-up procedure. There may be a policy
statement or an item in your service level agreement that states what level or means of follow-
up with the client is required. It might include:

 phoning the client sometime after service has been completed

 sending out feedback surveys to all clients about the service they received; (some
organisations make a competition of it by offering a reward for clients who respond)

 sending an mail with options for the client to select either ‘Yes – Satisfied’ ,or ‘No – Not
Satisfied’ responses and following up on unsatisfied responses (though this only gives a
partial view of your service standard)

 employing an independent person to carry out interviews with clients (either face-to-
face or by phone).

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 USE EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION SKILLS ACCORDING TO
ORGANISATIONALSTANDARDS

RECEIVING CLIENT REQUESTS AND ENQUIRIES IN A POLITE AND

COURTEOUS MANNER
Most jobs in the IT industry require you to interact regularly with clients in many ways, such as
by:
 attending to customer enquiries, problems and complaints
 determining a client’s needs
 obtaining feedback from a client with regard to an installation, customisation, training
or support issue
 Providing a client with information or instruction.
Requests and enquiries come by email, phone, fax, letters and personal contact. In all cases you
must establish and maintain a polite and courteous manner. To be polite and courteous means
to show good manners and to respect the opinions and needs of others.
Verbal and non-verbal communication
The way you greet someone for the first time often determines the way that you will
communicate with that person in future.
It is vital that we greet clients in a professional manner. Often clients contact you because they
are experiencing difficulties with their computer system. They may have been trying to work
out the problem themselves or they may fall into the ‘I don’t want to know about these things
anyway’ category. In order for you to solve their IT problems, you need to be able to get them to
tell you precisely what their problem is.

BODY LANGUAGE
Body language is one of the most important ways of expressing ideas. When you talk to
someone face-to-face, about 80% of the message that you send is non-verbal — that is, without
words. That means that 80% of the meaning of what you say is in the way that you project the
message, and 20% of the message is the actual words that you use. Non-verbal communication
is usually referred to as body language.

Spoken language
The language you use when communicating with clients is also very important, not just your
clarity of expression (the way you speak, which is also physical) but the manner in which you
speak.
Some companies, such as fast food companies and call centres, extensively train their employees
in the use of standard greeting techniques. They develop scripts for their staff to use when
taking requests and enquiries from clients. You have no doubt been on the receiving end of such
techniques.

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 TECHNICAL VERSUS EVERYDAY LANGUAGE

People who work as IT professionals have a great deal of technical knowledge, which allows
them to do their job well. However, the clients you work with probably won’t share that
knowledge; they just want their computers and software to work!
This means that you should be careful about using technical words when talking to clients.
Sometimes, if you’re talking to someone who understands the terms then a highly technical
explanation is appropriate. However, technical words can often make clients defensive. This can
make it harder to identify what’s gone wrong or for them to understand your solution.
Common documents
Information is largely conveyed by documents. You need to know about the range of documents
in workplaces and how to produce them.

MEMOS
Memos (short for memorandums) are the means of conveying reminders or simple messages,
and often the same message is sent to all staff.
Memos are of less formal in appearance than letters and should have information about only
one topic (which also allows them to be filed accurately). The paper form of the memo is
becoming rare as organisations increasingly use email for this purpose.
Memos are concise. They generally have a header section with the date, names of the sender and
receiver and the subject of the memo. Memo headings replace greetings — they identify who the
writer is and what the memo is about. A memo doesn’t need to be signed by the author. You can
see who has sent it from the heading.
EXAMPLE

To: Kim Jones

CC: Wendy Brown ‘CC’ stands for Carbon Copy. It comes from when a carbon
layer under the note would impress a copy on a duplicate
form. In this case, the main person you are sending the memo
to is Kim, but you are also sending Wendy a copy.
From: Robyn
Perkins
Date: 5/8/01
Re: Leave Re is short for ‘in regard to’ and means the same as
application ‘Subject’— what the memo is all about.

The body of the memo then has the main idea, secondary ideas and action.
The main idea of a memo should be the first sentence or paragraph. It might identify a problem
or issue, or provides information about organisational policies. Action is usually the final
paragraph, with details of what to do about the problem/issue and who to contact.

FAXES
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 It’s hard to imagine a business without a facsimile (fax) machine. Fax documents look somewhat
like memos. However, while memos are never sent outside an organisation, faxes are.
A fax is structured in a similar way to memos, while the header should include the number of
pages being sent.

THE BODY OF THE FAX

The main idea is usually in the first sentence or paragraph and usually states the purpose. The
secondary idea then provides more detail about the purpose, and the final paragraph is the
‘Action’, which details of what to do about the problem and who to contact.

LETTERS

Letters are still the most formal way to express our ideas.
The layout for letters and the accepted standards for punctuation have changed a lot in the last
30 years. Electronic keyboards, word processors and spell checkers have changed the way we
present our letters.
Each organisation will have its own standard layout for a letter and this will usually be kept as a
template. Whenever you start work at a new place, find out what their standard letter layout is.

EMAIL

The most recent form of widely used electronic communication is email. Like a letter, it’s in
writing (which is important!). Yet, it’s faster to send than a letter and it’s not as formal (it’s
structured rather like a memo).
There is one disadvantage to email. You don’t control the format (the software program does
this). However, you can personalise your email to some extent by adding features like your own
signature at the end. Many organisations have a standard format for email signatures. These
often include contact details for the person sending the email.
The structure for workplace emails is usually the same as for memos and faxes, with a main
idea, a secondary idea and action to be taken.
Which email program have you used? You should have a program such as Eudora, Microsoft
Outlook or Entourage. The screen below is the New Mail Message screen from Microsoft
Outlook.
Make sure you know where to put:
 who the email is for
 who the email is from
 other people who need to receive the email
 the subject of the email (often your application will prompt you if you haven’t).
The ‘Cc’ line in an email works the same as for a memo, and the people who receive the email
know who else has received a copy. The ‘Bcc’ line is for people who might receive a copy
without a list of other recipients.

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 The body of the email, as with other short documents includes the main idea, secondary ideas,
and any action required. Larger documents or files can be sent as attachments (note that
organisational policies might restrict the type and size of attachments that can be sent).
Business etiquette
Business etiquette refers to the unspoken rules that guide the way we communicate and behave.
When we communicate on the telephone, by email or any other form of communication, we
should follow standard etiquette.
TELEPHONE MANNERS
When answering the telephone, you should speak clearly and:
1 Use a positive tone and say ‘Good morning’ or ‘Good afternoon’.
2 State the name of the organisation you are working for.
3 Introduce yourself.
4 Ask the person how you might help them.

EMAIL MANNERS
Email also requires etiquette. You may find the email etiquette that your organisation expects
you to follow is a part of the IT policy. Otherwise, there are general rules:
 Always include a short subject line.
 Use one subject per email.
 Monitor any confidential content.
 Check spelling (keeping an eye for word forms a computer spell checker might miss,
such as ‘form’ for ‘from’).
 Keep formatting to a minimum including the use of backgrounds.
It is important to remember that when you communicate by email, the non-verbal
communication is not coming through along with the written message. If you are concerned that
anything may be misinterpreted, it is a good idea to explain it, or just keep it simple. It should
also be noted that in many workplaces, email is a formal method of communication and can be
kept as evidence of your actions as with any other forms of documentation.

USE QUESTIONS AND ACTIVE LISTENING TECHNIQUES

ACTIVE LISTENING
When you’re dealing with clients, you can’t tune out. It’s vital that you listen carefully and
respond appropriately. To do this, people often use a technique called active listening.

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 Active listening occurs when you focus on the message you’re receiving from the other person,
without thinking about what you want to say next. Your response to the sender is one that
paraphrases what you’ve heard. That is, you summarise what you’ve heard, and say it back to
the sender in your words. This ensures that you have understood the idea the sender wants to
give you.

KEY PRINCIPLES OF ACTIVE LISTENING

Principle Description

Do more listening than
talking.
Show encouragement.
Avoid appearing tense.
Try not to agree or disagree
right away.
Show empathy.
Be ‘other-directed’.
Be accepting of the other
person.
Be non-defensive.
Paraphrase (summarise) what
the speaker is saying.
Be aware of the other person’s
sensitivities.
Give the other person time to talk. Show that you
are interested in what they have to say.
Use non-verbal as well as verbal cues to show you
are listening. For example, maintain eye contact,
nod, sit upright and say ‘yes’ or ‘I see’ at
appropriate places, and use a positive tone of voice.
For example, avoid sitting with arms and legs
tightly crossed and speaking in a hurried and
agitated tone of voice.
If you feel you have to disagree, wait until the other
person has explained and then disagree, but
provide reasons for your stand.
Imagine yourself in the other person’s position.
Respond to their feelings.
In other words, don’t project your feelings or ideas
on them.
This means being non-judgmental and non-
discriminatory.
Instead, admit any errors or oversights on the part
of yourself or your organisation and apologise for
that.
In other words, restate key facts, issues,
perceptions and interpretations. When you receive
a client request, even a simple one, it’s important to
check that you’ve understood it correctly.
If you need to ask questions of a sensitive nature,
ask them in a gentle, polite and supportive manner
and tone of voice. Assure confidentiality. Wait for
the right time to ask as well — that is, when the
other person is relaxed and you have gained their
confidence.

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 Reflect every now and again
on what the other person is
saying.
Show warmth and support.
Admit it when you’re lost.
For example, you might say: ‘So you were quite
upset by that behaviour because you felt that it was
quite unfair?’ This shows the other person that you
understand how they feel and that their concerns
and feelings are valid.
Smile, where appropriate. Look concerned. Avoid
being cold or abrupt.
Avoid pretending to understand. Simply say
something such as: ‘Sorry, could you just say that
again?’ Clarify anything you don’t understand. This
lets the other know that you have been listening
and that you understand what they’re saying.

You’ll need to wait for an appropriate situation to arise to practise your active listening, but
such situations arise more frequently than you’d think. Reflect on these principles and make a
genuine attempt to practise them — it may not be easy, at first.
An alternative to this might be to carry out a role play, but you’ll need to find a partner — say a
fellow student, family member or friend. Set up a particular situation in which your partner can
play the role of a client asking you for help. You can then practise active listening techniques in
handling the situation. You may also be able to do this via a telephone or chat facility.

REFLECTIVE QUESTIONING

Active listening is one technique you’ll need to practise. A related skill is to use reflective
questioning or listening.
Suppose you’ve asked a supervisor for advice on an incident, or you’ve passed a tricky question
along to an expert. Now you want to report back to the client, but you don’t clearly understand
the answer or solution you’ve been given.
If your supervisor’s feedback isn’t clear to you, you can use reflective questioning. This is the
technique of repeating the sentence with a few changes (paraphrase), but phrased as a question.
You will have heard the way some people ask a question, with a rising tone of voice at the end of
the sentence. Look at the following example.

Lance: So you say I should use reflective questions?

Olga: That’s right. A reflective question copies a sentence like an echo, but
changes the wording to say the same thing your way.

THE USE OF REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS

A reflective question allows the other person to correct and clarify any misunderstandings you
have of the message.

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 Reflective questioning can also be used with clients and when briefing other staff. If you echo
back what a client has told you, the client then has a chance to either agree with you or point out
things you missed or misunderstood. This is particularly important when trying to ascertain the
facts when a client is making a complaint.

OPEN-ENDED AND CLOSED QUESTIONS

Can you see how active listening and reflective questioning will help you in your client dealings?
Now we’ll turn to some other types of questions. We use different types of questions for
different purposes. First we’ll look at open-ended versus closedquestions.
Open-ended questions gather more information. Someone answering an open-ended question
cannot answer with a ‘yes’ or ‘no’, because it wouldn’t make sense. Closed questions do require
a ‘yes’ or ‘no’, or a similar response. These are used to clarify what you’ve received or to seek
confirmation of the idea that you have.
Here are some examples of each.

Question style Description

Open-ended What kinds of products are you interested in purchasing?
questions What do you need the equipment for?
Closed questions Are you saying that your email system is not working?
Are you sure that you’re happy for your repayment levels to
fluctuate?

OTHER TYPES OF QUESTIONS

WHAT-IF QUESTIONS

Use what-if (or hypothetical) questions to explore the possibilities with the client (or on your
own). You’ll also be able to bring out any reservations that you or the client may have. An
example of this is:
What if we do not have any flights that week? Can you travel the following week?

SORTING AND SIFTING QUESTIONS

Sometimes a client might give you a lot of information. This includes clients who:
 do not really know what they want
 are verbose
 do not get to the point
 talk in a stream-of-consciousness manner (don’t organise their thoughts in any way).
Some of this might not be relevant to their request and you need to sift through the information
to arrive at the client’s key issues or priorities. Here are a couple of examples:
Which one of these is a priority for you?
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 Out of all the features you’ve mentioned, are there ones that you are most interested in?

CLARIFICATION QUESTIONS

Sometimes what the client is saying may not seem logical or coherent. Information may seem
contradictory. Before you dismiss that information as useless, ask for clarification. Perhaps the
client had not explained in great detail because they had assumed that you had the prior
knowledge to understand what they were saying. Here are a couple of examples:
Which incident happened first?
Was it a pleasant or unpleasant visit?

PLANNING QUESTIONS

Sometimes your client will need your help to plan ahead. An architect’s work, for example, may
involve planning a house that will accommodate a growing family.
A Property Loans Officer’s work may involve planning repayments. He may ask the following
question:
Do you want to pay off your loan sooner?

STRATEGIC QUESTIONS

Your client may need your help in working out how to proceed next. One such question may be:
Which position, out of the two we’ve discussed, would you like us to explore next?

ORGANISING QUESTIONS

These allow us to structure our information. Without a structure, the information would just be
bits and pieces without any discernable patterns. With a good structure you’ll be able to:
 see trends or themes
 see how one bit of information fits in with others
 compare and contrast.
Here are some examples of organising questions:
Which of these documents belong to you? We’ll put these in this folder.
Which ones belong to your partner?
Now which ones are in both your names?

PROBING QUESTIONS

Probing questions go deep into the issue or problem. They aim to dig out insights and uncover
underlying causes. Here are some examples:
What kinds of accounting tasks do you find difficult to perform manually?
Why do you find these difficult?
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 What are these tasks (give details of each)?
How long does it take you to perform each task?

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