What is effective communication in workplace

Communication is paramount in any working environment. The ease of understanding each other facilitates execution of the day-to-day operations. Considering the diversity that exists in an organization, workers, senior management, and the clients need to have a way of communication, which transcends formality, and inspires creation of good rapport. 

Being able to deconstruct the complexity in communicating the business information is critical in advancing the goals and objectives of the company. We have all been there at one point in life – being given a task or leaving a meeting without having a precision of what was being discussed. 

According to the statistics, about 57% of the employees feel that they are not given proper directions to do their task. On the other hand, 69% of the managers feel uncomfortable communicating with employees in general, which brings about confusion in the workplace. Therefore it is important to establish what is effective communication in the workplace.

What is good and what is bad communication in the workplace

Communication in a company is a sign of a well performing organization culture. Exchanging information within a business is referred to as workplace communication. It normally occurs when the information is sent and received as it is, without any form of alteration. In every aspect of life, communication is principal for success and happiness.

Good communication is important for any organization, for it promotes productivity and collaboration. This has been vital especially during the period of COVID-19, where people turned to working remotely. Employers who invest time and energy in clear lines of communication improves the morale of the employees, thus output. 

Meanwhile, employees who are able to air out their challenges effectively allow the organization to allocate resources in areas of their strength, helping the business to stay ahead of the competitors. Good communication is therefore saying what is just enough to be heard by the interested parties. 

On the other hand, bad communication occurs when there is a discrepancy of what is being said and heard. The distortion of information in between shadows the real meaning and might result in workers completing wrong tasks. The final consumer of the service or products gets dissatisfied, consequently mitigating the reputation of the company.

Effective communication

Now that you understand the importance of communication in the workplace, let’s get right to effective communication. It is the process of exchanging data, ideas, knowledge or opinions so that the message is understood with clarity. When people communicate effectively, both the sender and the receiver of the message get satisfied. 

Communication occurs in many forms including, verbal, non-verbal, visual and listening. Whichever mode of communication, it’s central to comprehend that an effective communication should be clear, correct, complete, concise, and compassionate. These are considered the five C’s of communication although they might differ depending on who is asked. Pros and cons of effective communication

Every aspect of life has both pros and cons. The same is with effective communication in the workplace. 

Pros of effective communication

Here is the good outcome of effective communication in the workplace.

Promotes trust

One of the importance of effective communication is that it promotes trust. When the leaders set the standards of communication within an organization, it forms the basis under which team members can act. 

Those that are under them get a lucidity of how they should communicate hence-forth, which improves teamwork, collaboration and trust among the employees. 

Increases productivity

In the same vein, there is an increased productivity in environments where information is communicated effectively. Engaged employees with clear understanding of their roles improves their productivity, compared to those that are not sure of their tasks. 

Resolves issues and promotes motivation

Team members who lack clearness of their roles become frustrated and unmotivated. Equally, it promotes resolve of issues which can bring about conflict in the workplace. This happens when the message is communicated by the leaders in full cognizant of the strengths and challenges of workers. 

Other benefits of effective communication include promotion of innovation, encourages clients’ relationship, and fosters team loyalty.

 

Cons of effective communications in the workplace

Irrespective of its efficiency, effective communication is also faced with challenges. 

Inconsistency of communication

It occurs when the information is communicated from the top, and the lower leaders expected to relay the message distorts it. As such, the final receiver gets filtered information. This creates inconsistency and to some extent execution of the wrong task. 

Not listening to employees

The next negative aspect of effective communication is not listening to the employees. In times of change, managers can get fixated on their goals and fail to listen to employees. Instead of fostering partnership, people start fearing the seniors, and they can switch off.

Effective communication, therefore, is instrumental in nurturing the progress of the company. It cushions the business from the unforeseen eventualities since the workers become part of the organization.  No matter what stage you are in an organization, you need to communicate ideas well.

Find out more in our articles 11 Best Solutions for Employee Engagement and Employee engagement definition in simple words.