How to Improve Communication in the Workplace

Effective communication in the workplace is vital to the management of an organization and it greatly impacts the overall performance of a company. However, communication skills are more than simply knowing how to properly write emails and make presentations.
There are several ways to improve internal communication within the company. When properly implemented, these strategies can lead to higher productivity, better conflict resolution, and an overall increase in company health.

Strategies to Improve Communication in the Workplace

Lead by Example

If there are communication challenges within the company, overcoming it should begin at the top andmanagers should lead by example. To be a good leader, managers must make sure they give both feedback and encouragement to the team. It is the best way to let employees feel that they are welcome to ask questions and give feedback themselves. For instance, an effective company strategy would be to implement an open-door policy, which encourages employees to stop by and freely share ideas and thoughts with those on the management team.

Share Progress

Another way to improve communication is to keep workflows transparent. When working on a project, everyone involved needs to be aware of what their role is and how they are expected to perform. This can be done by establishing clear goals and setting performance indicators for the project as well as assigning who is responsible for meeting each goal. Giving clear instructions and deadlines keeps the members of the team focused on their role and prevents them from stepping on each other’s toes. And, when the entire team can see the progress and participation of everyone else, frustrations over who has completed their work can be avoided.

Use Collaboration Tools

There are many tools to improve communication in the workplace, such as project management apps, communication platforms, and mobile workspaces. These tools help everyone in the team stay up to date with the information they need, even if they are on the go. Information accessibility is important in making sure that everyone is kept on the same page. Shared files and updates are always available to everyone no matter where they are. This is essential in improving communication in the workplace and in enabling successful problem solving within a team.

Some of the most popular collaboration tools are:

• Slack and Microsoft Teams for team communication
• Trello and Asana for project management

It is also important to remember that these tools are meant to improve communication, not truncate it. While it’s valuable to have meetings shortened to emails instead, chats and emails can’t replace all of business communications. Some nuances can get lost in translation.

It’s essential to know when it is time to take the conversation off Slack and have a face-to-face conversation instead. Often, this can lead to a healthier conversation and minimize conflict.

One great way to keep everyone on the same page is with a public org chart. A public org chart lets you share your company's structure with everyone. It puts your team and people above all, and helps employees feel included and recognized as part of a collective whole. You can get one today on The Org:

Prioritize Communication

Keeping clear lines of communication is a must. Companies and management teams can take it one step further by implementing regular schedules for communication like weekly check-ins and conference calls, monthly newsletters, and biannual employee evaluations. When there are clearly defined guidelines and schedules, employees can relax more and prepare adequately for these regular sessions. Perhaps they may even have their own recommendations to improve communication in the workplace.

Benefits of improved communication in the workplace

Workplace communication, when done right, is one of the best strategies in achieving success as an organization.

For one, it improves employee morale, satisfaction, and engagement. It also helps drive commitment and loyalty to the company when employees understand their roles and job descriptions in clear terms. When employees are happy and motivated, it also leads to increased productivity at work.

Improving communication in the workplace can also facilitate healthy channels of communication for feedback and questions. Employees feel that they have a voice and that what they have to say matters. This is another important component of ensuring employee satisfaction. In addition, communication helps lessen the chances for conflict to occur.

In case of unavoidable conflicts, however, they are more easily resolved when everyone on the team communicates openly with one another.

Finally, communication at work matters when it comes to improving processes and procedures. This is a major factor in achieving operational efficiency. Greater efficiency leads to decreased costs. Ultimately, effective communication strategies in the workplace can lead not only to a robust employee culture that’s aligned with company values, but also an improved bottom line and a stronger organization overall.

Communication skills are a crucial part of a successful business venture. Making sure that the company is armed with best practices where workplace communication is concerned will go a long way in seeing that the organization continues to grow at a sustainable and healthy rate.