Effective Communication in the Workplace

It does not matter if you work for a company that has nine employees or 9,000; effective communication in the workplace is an essential part of any organization. When a business suffers from poor communication among the employees this generally leads to a number of issues such as misunderstandings, lack of information, poor performance, frustration, increased staff turnover etc.  No matter how much experience and expertise you have your ability to communicate effectively can make the difference between great success and simply “getting by.” Most work problems can be traced back to a failure in communication.

Effective communication in the workplace does not happen accidentally. It requires time and resource investment. It is a well crafted and coordinated process and it always starts with you. As a manager you need to constantly plan for communication; not just the big picture and the information-flow systems between you and your staff, but your day-to-day communication as well. 

Here are some helpful tips to create a system of effective communication in the workplace:

Practice Openness - Openness is the key to facilitate effective communication in the workplace. Supporting open channels of communication and team sharing, elevates active engagement and collaboration  as well as  creates an environment for resolving conflicts. One very useful tool is to facilitate (not chair!!) meetings that are fluid in nature, with no fixed agenda topics that allow room  for open-ended discussions.

Communicate expectations - Clearly share your expectations with your employees. This way there's clarity on the work to be done appropriately  and with no misunderstandings. Employees do not have to guess about doing the right thing. Communicate your expectations visually. Develop a framework-plan with specific activities, timelines, responsibilities etc. The plan becomes  a communication resource for the team, because everyone knows what's needed to be done by when. The expected goals become a steady target to work towards. This builds confidence, trust and employee buy-in. 

Communicate proactively - stay in touch with your team, go to them, listen to them. It's impossible to be an effective manager by sitting at your desk and waiting for people to approach you. By applying management-by-walking you are not just improving communication, but also improving staff morale and building and maintaining an open culture. 

Communicate positively - consistently emphasise the good and reward achievements through regular one/one feed-backs and team meetings.

Observe and listen - Perhaps the most difficult communication technique of all is effective listening. Click here for tips on good listening skills.  

A strong leader understands that verbal as well as nonverbal communication skills are a part of every day life. It is important for every leader to understand, and to practice, the fact that effective speaking skills should be a major part of everyone's personal development. Information cannot be received in the proper way, transferred or exchanged, without the strong use of good communication skills.

Communication Resources

Good listening skills

Importance of Communication

Effective Business Communication

Definition of Bussiness Communication

Effective Email Communication