Dangerous.

This was the word used to describe workplace communication by Bonnie Fink.

Fink, an instructor in the School of Technology, opened Professional and Community Education’s new Essential Skills for Supervisors series of seminars.

In a room filled with professionals accustomed to addressing their own audiences, Fink’s seminar, titled “Effective Workplace Communication,” focused on how to communicate effectively in the rapidly evolving workplace.

Whether it’s at someone’s cubicle, in a meeting, or by email, Fink says business communication must follow three basic guidelines.

“Your communication must be audience-based, clear and concrete,” Fink said.

The importance of these guidelines has grown more important as technology has changed the form of the workplace, Fink said. She said while communication has been made easier, faster and richer, dangerous is also an accurate description.

To demonstrate the reality of her words, Fink asked those in attendance a simple question: “How do you write an email?”

A table bolstered by the presence of Jason Dunn from the Resident Computing Connection responded in unison.

“Enter the address, the subject, and then type the message,” the group of attendees answered.

Without hesitation, Fink told them their answer was entirely backward.

By not composing the body of an email first, supervisors place themselves at risk of losing the purpose of the message, Fisk said.

Dangers also lurk in face-to-face communication, Fink said. In that arena, supervisors still face problems with body language and proximity in addition to the new challenges created by technology.

“Rolling your eyes is still the No. 1 most destructive non-verbal sign,” Fisk said.

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