Communication is an important factor in the productivity of your organization. In every communication we have, we are attempting to influence someone. Whether it be a message, a direction, an idea, or a combination, the communication is only effective if the recipient reacts in the way you intended.

An open and effective line of communication running through the hierarchy of an organization facilitates a more efficient and enjoyable workplace where employees aren’t left to question their skills, leaders can trust their team, and productivity is not compromised. Therefore, understanding how your organization communicates is important.

How does effective communication impact the workplace?

• Facilitates team building – An effective team in the workplace is built through strong communication and the ability to collaborate on ideas. By focusing on effective communication in your workplace, you and your employees will be able to establish a strategy that promotes efficiency and improves morale to create a more enjoyable and collaborative workplace. 

• Encourages creativity and innovation – Your employees are more likely to share their new, creative and innovative ideas within the workplace when they are encouraged to communicate openly without the fear of ridicule.

• Increases loyalty – When there is a good line of communication among the hierarchy in your workplace, your employees are naturally inclined to be more loyal to the organization. Your employees will feel more comfortable discussing issues with you as a leader, which therefore improves trust within the workplace and eliminates unnecessary micromanagement.

• Improves productivity – By creating more effective and open means of communication in the workplace, leaders can better understand the talents and skills of their employees and therefore have the understanding to delegate tasks to the right people leading to the overall effectiveness of each project.

• Facilitates company growth – Communication is both an internal and external factor of an organization. Having strong and open communication among all stakeholders on a project will eliminate uncertainties and speed up the process for a smooth delivery by ensuring everyone is on the same page.

• Improves leadership – For you, as a leader, to have strong communication skills means that you are better able to manage your team through delegation of tasks, conflict management, and motivation.

• Resolves issues – Effective communication is about having open and honest discussions to come up with a solution to meet the needs of every team member. Even if you don’t always get along with the people you work with, if you can find a way to work effectively with them, the workplace will become a much more comfortable and enjoyable place.

Ways to improve communication in the workplace

• Promote open communication in the workplace – To be able to build a positive culture and healthy communication in the workplace, you as a leader must continuously remind your team about the importance of having an open and honest line of communication.

• Personalize your communication – Try to find a way to segment the internal audiences of your organization and address them separately in your communications. When employees receive a generic mass email or communication, they are more likely to ignore or be negatively impacted by this, therefore negatively impacting their productivity in the workplace.

• Encourage your employees to speak up – You need to continuously drive two-way communication in your organization to encourage your employees to participate and share their ideas. If they feel like they can’t freely express their needs, ideas, and concerns they are likely to only want to contribute the bare minimum.

• Involve leadership in your organizations’ communications – You, as a leader, need to ensure you are communicating with your employees to make them feel valued and ensure everyone is on the same wavelength. It also allows you to empower your employees to adopt your new communication strategies by acting as a role model in the workplace.

• Utilize the right platforms – Do not feel like you have to stick to the outdated emails and intranets. For a modern workforce try to find a new solution that works for them as a more sleek and relevant form of communication.

Is the communication in your workplace feeling less than effective? Our business coaching can help you address some of the key issues within your company, including communication in the workplace. Contact us today to find out more about how we can help.