Effective Workplace Communication

Effective workplace communication is essential for a leader as good communication is something that separates a good leader from a great leader. When an exchange of ideas or information takes place within an organization, it is called workplace communication. However, effective communication at workplace only happens when the receiver clearly understands the message. Hence, having effective communication skills, both personal and professional, is key to good leadership.

Why do we need effective workplace communication?

When we talk about communication in the workplace, good communication plays a key role in:

• Team building:

When we are building teams, for them to be effective, it comes down to how those team members communicate and collaborate.

• Efficient workplace communication channel:

If the process of workplace communication is effective in the organization, every individual, regardless of their post, would be freely able to communicate with their subordinates, peers, and colleagues, which improves employee satisfaction and motivation.

• Generating new ideas:

When the employees can freely communicate without any fear of facing ridicule or outrage, they are more likely to bring new and innovative ideas to the table, which might help the organization grow tremendously in the future.

• Good management:

  When managers themselves are good communicators, they are not only able to manage their teams better but also delegate tasks, manage conflicts, motivate their peers, and build relationships much more effectively along with promoting a healthy work culture.

Common Errors in workplace communication

However, there are some common errors we all make while communicating at our workplace:

• Using one-size-fits-all workplace communication:

We tend to communicate in the same way with different stakeholders of our organization. Instead, we should customize our message and change our tone depending on the person we are speaking to.

• Speaking more and listening less:

A lot of us tend to speak more and listen less. Due to this, we may not get the message as intended by the sender and create confusion. Therefore, we should first listen carefully than speak.

• Not asking for feedback:

Many a time, we assume that the receiver has understood the message clearly and hence don't ask for feedback. To make sure that the message is clearly understood, we should always ask for feedback.

• Reacting and not responding:

Sometimes, we tend to react to situations rather than respond to them. Responding to them will help us come up with solutions faster and instil trust.

How to improve workplace communication?

Let’s look at how we can foster better workplace communication:

• Clear goals and expectations:

Managers, by way of clearly defining achievable goals for individuals and teams & the expectations from them thereof, can achieve better workplace communication within the organization as everybody is aware of their duties and responsibilities.

• Delivery of message:

Another way of fostering effective communication is to deliver your message, which has a pre-defined body and aim to your audience.

• Medium:

One of the important aspects of effective communication is the medium of such communication. Hence, managers need to carefully choose the medium required according to the nature of the message that is to be delivered.

• Involving everyone:

A manager, to achieve good communication, should make sure that everyone is involved and can freely communicate with anyone without any fear or inhibitions.

• Listen and show empathy:

Workplace communication is a two-way process, and it will not be effective if the other person doesn't listen or give feedback to the other party involved.

Communication can be of several types: internal, external, formal, or informal. It has become all the more important to develop a healthy and beneficial communication process within an organization. Effective communication is the key to achieving the long-term goals and objectives of the organization. 

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