OER (en): Communication Introduction

Deutsche Version

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Contributors: Deidree Tjokrosetio, Laura Winkens, Morris Ameyaw Yiadom, and Sofie Schuller

Whether you are just starting out in the job market or have been working for years, finding happiness in your job is a key element for a fulfilling working life. While this happiness sometimes comes naturally, it could also be a process that takes a lot of effort, especially if you are not really sure how to work on this. In order to guide you with this, students of Maastricht University’s PREMIUM Honours Programme teamed up with happy2learn to provide you with a podcast and blog articles on exactly this matter. Covering both practical and theoretical perspectives, these outlets will give you some ready-to-use tips, as well as the dos and don’ts in various areas of workplace interactions.

Being students, we first wanted to pinpoint the most common struggles that people face in the workplace. So we set out to interview employees from different companies and fields, to get a realistic vision on the issues making people unhappy with their work. From these interviews, a wide array of topics was mentioned: from not getting the right guidance, to having difficulties fitting in with colleagues, to not being paid enough. Despite this variety, it became clear that most difficulties arise from and can be solved with one common theme: communication. More specifically, communication to deal and resolve three specific issues: assertiveness, negotiation, and conflict.

Each of these three topics is covered in both a podcast and a blog article. These topics are not clear cut and are actually all related to one another. We see it as a cycle, where assertiveness is followed by the possibility for negotiation, and possibly conflict. In reality, this does not have to be happen in this order, but it is important to understand that the topics we address here are interconnected. Based on scientific research, the blog articles approach the topics from a theoretical point of view, which can help you in understanding the situation you are dealing with. The podcasts subsequently cover the same topic, but approach this from a more practical point of view, so that you – if needed –  can immediately apply these in your workplace. We reached out to experts who have worked in career counseling, recruiting, and  management to share their knowledge and experience in the podcasts.

Even if you do not find yourself struggling with job happiness, the insights we share in these articles and podcasts can be useful for all types of situations and stages of life and relationships, not only within a work scenario. To make these topics more graspable we will ask you to image a certain scenario for each communication skill and ask, ‘How would you approach this?’ For those of you who cannot think of situations in your own work or general life, we have chosen scenarios to make the articles as practical as possible!

Go grab something to drink, like a nice cup of coffee, and discover the potential of communication for creating your own happiness in your job!

Find all of the other articles and podcasts from our series on communication for work happiness here:

• Moving forward, developing, and growing in your job – how assertive communication can help to get you what you want
• The art of negotiation – a high stakes balancing act between social relations, needed benefits, and financial means
• Nobody likes conflict – let’s help you resolve conflicts more easily