Communication Is Essential
In each job that I’ve worked – both IT and non-IT – I’ve realised that communication is one of the most important aspects of the job. Sure, you can go to work, do your job and try to do it with as little communication as possible – but I don’t think you’ll get very far. Improving communication in the workplace involves:
Socialising and networking where appropriate. Being polite, asking how people are and getting to know them both personally and professionally can be advantageous to your career and your job. They say it’s not what you know, it’s who you know, which I believe to be true. I’ve written a post on what networking is and why you should do it, if you want to know more.
Keeping people informed – make sure you keep relevant people up to date on what you’re doing and when you’re doing it. This includes team members, managers, and anyone else who is involved in your work. Be proactive about this – try to anticipate them asking a question and give them the answer before this. This may mean a daily status update to your manager, or keeping people informed at each major milestone of a critical task.
Asking questions – I don’t believe there’s such a thing as a stupid question. I would rather ask a hundred questions than make a fatal mistake because I didn’t ask a question – this will make you look a lot worse! Ask questions of people if you’re not sure, or if there’s anything that you need to know. This may lead to more information or more realisations on how you can improve your work performance.