The basis of any interaction between people is communication. Its proper organization determines the effectiveness of activities in all areas of life.
To organize communication in a production environment, leading employees have to spend about 80% of their working time. Therefore, the ability to communicate is no less important than direct knowledge and business experience.
Communication varies in content and saturation. Its quality largely depends not only on the main content, but also on the form. The right form helps you quickly achieve important goals.
One of the most common forms of business communication is discussion. This is a kind of exchange of thoughts, which differs from others in its specificity. It is determined by the warring nature of the actions of the participants in the conversation.
A discussion is a public discussion (for example, at a production meeting, planning meeting, team meeting, etc.) of some controversial issue. Using this type of communication, problems are solved through juxtaposition, clash of thoughts and different positions, as well as through their assimilation and mutual enrichment in essence of the problem being solved.
With the proper organization of negotiations, a business discussion helps to direct it towards the fulfillment of such functions as the search for new areas of work, the beginning of promising events, the monitoring of initiated business, the exchange of information, communication among employees of one business sphere, support for business contacts, development of ideas and ideas, etc.
In this aspect, discussion is the most democratic form of conducting a business conversation, which allows for the free exchange of opinions and decision-making, which are developed with general agreement with the subsequent approval by the leadership.
Interpersonal communication in the form of discussion is carried out much more often than it might seem. It has both pluses and certain disadvantages. The main task is to minimize possible negative aspects. This helps to increase trust and respect between team members.
Since the discussion is not only a conversation, but also largely a confrontation between the interlocutors, it involves a kind of verbal “ping-pong”, when the opinions of some participants are not accepted by others and “beat off” towards opponents. Often, attempts to prove their case result in neglect of the principles of tact, and communication is on the verge of mutual insults and transition to polemic. This trait is the most dangerous. To avoid such situations, it is necessary to understand the theoretical foundations of negotiation.
Discussion is, first of all, the skillful use of methods such as persuasion, correct emotions, compromise decisions, selective selection of information, building reasonable relationships between supporters of different positions.
As a communicative tool, discussion seeks to promote ideas and personal beliefs. Moreover, it is not logic that dominates, but emotions. In this regard, when conducting a discussion using such a tool, it is necessary to give communication the most constructive and calm character.
After discussions, many remain dissatisfied with its results, as their ideas were rejected. Therefore, it is important to be able to use the discussion only in cases where it is truly justified. Sometimes it makes more sense to replace it with a dialogue or combine them for greater productivity. It is also correct to use a “brainstorming”, which allows you to put forward ideas in a more spontaneous form, which makes their screening much less painful for the participants. And the most important point: any group discussion is, first of all, the ability not only to speak, but also to listen to others. This is much more important than just arguing.