In today’s modern world, it’s not enough anymore to just scrape by in the workplace. Especially if you want to establish yourself as a respected and motivating leader, you’ll need to ensure your communication skills are in tip-top shape!
Many employees may view business communication as a secondary aspect of their jobs. But effective workplace communication is a crucial skill to have for anyone in the workforce.
The importance of good communication can’t be stated enough. So let’s dive into the benefits of proper workplace communication and how it can help your team thrive.
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Key Points
- Knowing what type of communication method to use is a crucial part of excellent communication
- Play to your communication strengths and know the strengths of those around you
- Focus on creating an environment of open communication
- Avoid engaging in poor communication practices
- Effective communication helps mitigate employee conflicts and boost employee involvement
- Company culture and job satisfaction levels will rise with improved communication
- A focus on improving communication will boost employee productivity
Communication In Today’s World
Our work environment is where we spend a great deal of our time and effort. The workplace is somewhere where we can focus on improving our skills and talents while engaging our minds.
In today’s fast-paced world, soft skills like time management and teamwork are essential to have in the workplace. But perhaps no other skill is more important than effective communication.
Communication can be considered the transmission of a message from a sender to a recipient. That means whenever we share ideas, information, or knowledge with someone, we are communicating with them.
Nowadays, it feels like we are constantly connected to each other and continuously surrounded by an abundance of information. So it may seem like it’s easier to communicate with others now than ever. But that might not necessarily be true.
Even though effective communication channels are readily available, communication is still a skill that must be practiced to be perfected. To be an effective communicator, you need to be active in your communication journey!
There’s More Than One Type Of Communication
You don’t need to be face-to-face with someone to be able to communicate. There are countless ways to communicate with others in the corporate workplace that you may not even initially notice.
Quite literally, we are always communicating with those around us. Our body language and facial expressions constantly give off signals that can be perceived by others as nonverbal communication.
Communicating effectively comes from more than just the usage of our words. So what are the different ways we can communicate with those around us, even when we might not realize it?
Written And Visual Communications
Memos, emails, and posts. These are all ways we communicate with others in the workplace without even using our voices.
Whether or not we like it, written and visual communication channels are essential in the workplace. We can’t always rely on face-to-face communication to get our points across.
A vital part of workplace communication lies in emails and other digital communication channels. In fact, office workers spend an average of two and a half hours each day just reading and replying to emails.
Though that’s a lot of time spent on the computer, a lot of this time is entirely unproductive. Just because we believe we are engaging in communication doesn’t mean it’s effective workplace communication.
When it comes down to it, written and visual communication is one of the most important aspects of workplace communication and is essential for improving your workplace skills!
Verbal Versus Nonverbal Workplace Communication
Overall, communication can be broken down into two parts – verbal and nonverbal. Usually, when we want to improve workplace communication, we focus on just verbal.
However, nonverbal communication is the most essential for improving communication in the workplace. The ability to effectively communicate stems from our ability to capitalize upon our nonverbal communication skills.
Verbal communication is prioritized in phone calls, video conferencing, and emails. But nonverbal communication actually accounts for the majority of our communication culture. This includes facial expressions, body language, eye contact, hand gestures, and even our appearance.
Good communication skills come from great nonverbal practices. If you want to communicate effectively, ensure you are actively working to improve your nonverbal communication skills!
How To Practice Effective Communication
Strong communication starts with effective workplace communication. But you may be wondering, how can I practice effective workplace communication?
#1. Know How You Communicate Best
The key to excelling at anything in life is by playing to your strengths. For example, if you know that you communicate best through team meetings, make an effort to attend any team meetings and be an active and contributing member.
For those working remotely, if you prefer phone calls over emails, make sure you start dialing cell numbers before drafting an email. Communication success starts with capitalizing on what you do best!
Don’t know how you can communicate best? Take a communication assessment quiz and find out!
#2. Pay Attention To How The People Around You Communicate
If you want your communication to have a positive impact on those around you, make sure you understand how your team communicates best. For example, if you know that someone has difficulties with technology, don’t solely resort to Zoom meetings to connect with them.
This is why I take the time to understand a company before hosting an event when I’ve been hired as an emcee. This kind of background work is critical not only for the success of an event but also for your success as a coworker in the workplace.
A focus on adaptability, flexibility, and team member consideration is integral to building a supportive and enjoyable company culture. We are all different, so it’s important to celebrate our uniqueness instead of attempting to erase it!
#3. Foster A Culture Of Open Communication
As an organization, celebrating open communication is essential to developing a workplace culture where employees can enjoy working at. When we open the door to communication and encourage a focus on quality communication, it can improve employee productivity, engagement, and happiness.
Establishing your organization as a place that prioritizes communication will bring about many benefits in the long run. It’s important not to overlook that fact.
Know What Makes For Poor Communication
If you’re looking to improve communication, an essential part of this process is identifying what makes for poor communication. If you know what to avoid, you’ll be much better off!
So, what makes for bad communication?
- Constantly interrupting others
- Using filler words like “um” or “like” (this can be a difficult habit to break!)
- Not listening
- Rambling and communicating with no end goal
- Using accusing or universal statements, which can lead to disagreements
- Not providing necessary information to the other party
There are a lot of factors that can make for a poor communicator. Focusing on avoiding these traits and capitalizing on the opposite will do you a lot of favors.
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The Overall Benefits Of Good Communication In The Workplace
The best part of great communication is the benefits that it brings to the workplace. After all, a skill as valuable as effective communication can improve more than just the value of your organization’s daily emails!
#1. It’s Easier To Mitigate Conflict
Any company or team will inevitably face some sort of conflict. Whether it be between team members or managers, workplace tension will eventually arise in one form or another.
Misunderstandings can arise due to bad communication practices. So focusing on improving internal communication and speaking methods will help prevent unnecessary conflicts and mitigate them when they do show up.
#2. Employees Are More Involved And Engaged
Ensuring that accurate and timely information is communicated between all team members will help keep your employees involved with the company’s day-to-day operations. In addition, when employees feel responsible for providing quality communication, it will help them feel more involved.
Improved employee engagement is contingent on excellent workplace communication. And when employees feel involved and engaged in their organization, it’s easy to boost workplace innovation and productivity!
#3. Your Company Culture Will Thrive
Your organization’s reputation is an essential part of its overall business. So when your team understands that their workplace values open communication and the sharing of new ideas, it will, in turn, develop a thriving company culture!
Without an emphasis on communication in the workplace, it can be difficult to curate a healthy workplace culture. So ensure that your team sees the value of communication, and your organization will flourish!
#4. In Fact, The Benefits Are Endless
Companies and leaders prioritizing great communication can enjoy a slew of amazing benefits. This includes:
- Improved employee job satisfaction
- A boost in overall productivity
- Strengthen team bonds
- Improved client relations
The key here is to understand that communication is more than just scheduling regular meetings and sending an extra email or two. Excellent communication is a habit and a lifestyle that should be a focus for any workplace.
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Adam Christing has been called “The Tom Brady of emcees.” He has hosted more than 1,000 company meetings, special events, gala celebrations, and more. He is the author of several books and founder of CleanComedians.com. For more event tips, follow Adam Christing on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
