Key Tips To Improve Workplace Communication

With the dawn of technology, communication has evolved along with it. And communication has always been the basis of connectivity, be it at work or home.

With communication, you can convey the message that you want through verbal or non-verbal communication.

Emails, text messages have become an integral part of communication. It has played a preeminent role in an organization, be it a large-scale company or a small scale.

Practical and good communication skills have become a necessity. It helps to build a transparent company culture. But if there is poor communication in the workplace, it has its drawbacks.

It can create communication barriers leading to a workplace with less productivity. Thus, negatively impacting your organization's bottom line.

Few statistics where organizations have ineffective communication:

• 86% of employees and executives cite a lack of collaboration or ineffective communication for workplace failures.

• 46% percent of employees rarely or never leave a meeting knowing what they’re supposed to do next.

• 57% of employees have reported that they are not given clear directions.

• 69% of managers also report feeling uncomfortable communicating with the employees in general.

Statistics don't lie. This has shown that there can always be room for improvement when it comes down to communication.

Good communication practices are vital for an organization to thrive and become successful. It is one of the essential and basic functions that every organization needs to run smoothly.

Lack of communication at the workplace leads to an error in decision-making. It can create a lot of unwanted confusion among teams. Thus, leading to lapse in work and pending projects.

So, how do you solve this problem of being clueless and being more specific about what you do? Workplace communication plays a very vital role in closing down this gap.

What is Workplace Communication?

Workplace communication is the process of exchanging information and ideas within an organization. It may be verbal and non-verbal communication as well.

Effective workplace communication ensures that an organization achieves its goal without any disruption.

It is possible because teams communicate well and share information about their work. Communication also helps prevent conflicts among employees.

Ineffective workplace communication can lead to a significant gap between employees and superiors. Thus, building tension and misunderstandings. As a result, it reduces productivity and creates a bad working environment.

Strong communication will benefit the organization in achieving the long-term goal.

(Related article: Business Communication as a building block of Employee Engagement)

Advantages of Workplace Communication:

1. Teamwork:

Lack of communication often leads to confusion among teams. It can hinder the progress of a team and halt all the work.

To avoid such situations, the team members need to be specific and detailed about their work. It is only possible if the communication is transparent among the team.

Better communication leads to an efficient workforce. It increases team cohesion and understanding between them.

In return, it increases the productivity and work performance of your employees.

2. Job Satisfaction:

There might come a time when your employees get frustrated in whatever they do. These can be the signs that your employees are not satisfied with their work.

The reasons might be-

• Low compensation
• Lack of career growth
• Poor management
• Poor work-life balance, etc.

Solving such a significant issue can be a daunting task. But workplace communication is very vital on this.

Get to the root of the problem. Have one-on-one conversations with them.

Communicate with them and understand what they want and what they need. One must heed their difficulties and solve them in time. When you do that, the employees feel more satisfied, valued, and driven towards their work.

3. Lower Rate of Absenteeism:

When there is a flow of communication within an organization, transparency exists.

It facilitates honesty in the workplace. Employees feel that they are in the loop of the plans of the company.

Also, employees should have fair chances to share their ideas and views on a project. This often creates leadership qualities, motivates an employee, and reduces absenteeism.

4. Employee Morale:

Employee morale is the feeling of well-being an employee has within a workplace environment.

Organizations with excellent workplace communication share job-specific information with employees. Furthermore, the managers listen to their employees with respect.

Managers should also conduct meetings to focus on an employees' development. It would help if you were supportive in solving their problems. Also, managers should be approachable and willing to listen to what employees have to say.

5. Makes Workplace Fun:

Come to think of it, when an employee or employees skip their work every alternate day, what could be the reason?

They might not feel like attending the job or have not bonded well with their team members. The reason behind this can be a lack of flow of communication.

Employees should be-

• Encouraged to have constructive talks with their respective teams.

• Ask questions whenever they are in doubt about their work.

When there is effective communication among the team, work becomes fun and less stressful.

Moreover, employees start to enjoy each other's company, and thus they look forward to being at work often.

Some Tips to Improve Workplace Communication:

Problem-solving has been an issue that every organization has faced at one point. It always holds up the work that needs completion in due time.

Communication in the workplace helps to solve various problems that an organization faces. Here are a few tips to enhance your workplace communication-

1. Listen:

When you start a conversation with an employee, there is a chance that you might be thinking about something else. Meaning you are not paying attention or zoning out.

To avoid this, effective workplace communication is essential. On top of that, you need to be a good listener.

During a conversation, always keep a mental checklist of all the critical points. It helps to portray yourself as a good listener, and the person feels more valued.

Also listen to our podcast on: Why business storytelling will be the number one communication skill in the next decade?

2. Physical Communication:

Virtual communication, like emails or text messages, often does not convey the message. It is because it does not allow you to use the tone of voice that you want to.

There might be chances that the message gets perceived in a different way. It can create misunderstandings.

Physical communication allows you to see each other's facial expressions and body language.

It gives credibility and value to the message that you want to convey. Thus, reverting any chances of conflict and tension.

3. Constructive Feedback:

Constructive feedback is one of those factors which helps employee morale. To give feedback, communication in the workplace is essential. Less communication at the workplace leads to incomplete work and decreased productivity.

Giving constructive feedback is all about positive and negative feedback.

Positive feedback is all about appreciation. But negative feedback expresses concern about someone’s work performance.

When giving constructive feedback, one should be-

• Specific about information
• Focused on the issues they are facing
• Avoid criticism.

This way, you can be more direct about your feedback without hurting any employee's morale.

Read more: 5 Useful Tips On How To Give Constructive Criticism

4. Bridge the Gap between your Colleagues/Superiors:

Knowing your colleagues at your workplace helps in building good and open communication. This helps in team building activities and transparency in an organization.

When you know your team members, there is a more open culture at your work. Moreover, you can approach your team members for help when needed. Thus, leading to more productive work within an organization.

5. Providing Clear Information:

Providing clear information to your employees about their work is crucial. It helps them to become productive and focused in their job.

Also, give the employees the freedom to ask questions when they are in doubt. It gives them a clear picture of what they need to do.

Activities like this are achievable when there is effective communication between the workforce. This will lead to the successful completion of a project.

6. Maintain Diplomacy:

When someone misunderstands something you communicated, talk to him or her about it as soon as possible. Doing so can prevent unnecessary confusion and loss of productivity.

To prevent a misunderstanding from turning into a major crisis, handle it right away.

When handling a conflict, respond with an open mind and refrain from personal attacks. Ask questions and listen to the responses and communicate as much as possible.

Doing so will help you reach a resolution that is acceptable to everyone. This leads to effective communication within an organization.

Learn More: 7 Reasons Why Internal Communication is Important in the Workplace

Summing it Up:

Communication is the medium through which people can send and receive messages. And it has become a vital and necessary part of an organization. It might seem easy but requires a lot of finesse.

With the rise of millennials in the workforce, managing and organizing work has become a hard task. To have a systematic work schedule, a manager has to communicate with their employees. It ensures that there is a mutual understanding in an organization.

Remember, it is necessary to work as a team and share ideas and information. It helps to boost productivity which will help an organization's bottom line.

Mrinmoy Rabha is a content writer and digital marketer at Vantage Circle. He is an avid follower of football and passionate about singing. For any related queries, contact editor@vantagecircle.com