Effective communication is an important foundation for any business. Communication is key to achieving high levels of productivity and maintaining strong working relationships at all levels of an organisation.
Investing time and energy into developing communication lines helps to build trust amongst staff which increases both productivity and morale overall. The ability to communicate effectively is a valuable asset for any employee.
While everyone is technologically connected these days, social connection in the workplace is essential if you want to sustain a strong level of productivity.
5 Key Reasons why Communication is so Important
- It enables everyone to be heard and understood. Having a voice and being listened to improves staff satisfaction in the workplace. Clear communication lines enable you to freely communicate with colleagues and superiors.
- It creates an effective workplace environment. An effective team is one whose members communicate and collaborate together. When you feel included and valued as a team member your morale and satisfaction in the workplace increases.
- It increases engagement and growth. Individuals that are engaged at work are more aligned with an organisation’s goals and more motivated in in what they do. Where everyone shares the same values and goals then there is real potential for growth.
- It increases innovation. Individuals are more likely to suggest new and creative ideas when there is an open line of communication running throughout the business between teams and their leaders.
- It develops leaders. Leaders with strong communication skills are more competent at managing their teams. Delegation, motivation, conflict management and building relationships are more effective where a leader is a good communicator.
Delegation, motivation, conflict management and building relationships are more effective where a leader is a good communicator.
While everyone is technologically connected these days, social connection in the workplace is essential if you want to sustain a strong level of productivity. With more flexibility in how and where employees work, it is even more essential to ensure continued engagement and stimulation at work. Clear communication develops trust and provides a positive, encouraging and successful workplace environment where staff are productive and satisfied with the work they do.
Social connections in the workplace help you to form stronger relationships with others, and this is crucial to your well-being and happiness at work. This in turn reduces feelings of stress thereby enabling you to perform better. Improving your work relationships means you tend to be more loyal and engaged, thereby helping to build a strong company culture that emphasises loyalty, respect and trust.
How do you Promote Social Connection at Work?
Build a Positive Workplace Culture based on mutual respect and built on a sense of teamwork and togetherness.
Be authentic. Staff are more effective and feel able to use their own initiative when they feel they are respected, and they feel others are trustworthy and reliable.
Talk, don’t email. It may be quicker and easier to fire off an email, but speaking whether face-to-face, on the phone or on a video call enables everyone to interact better with each other.
Listen to others, don’t just talk at them.
Encourage team building. Excellent for cultivating a sense of unity, team building exercises are a great way to bring colleagues together and add to a sense of belonging.
5 Strategies to Improve Communication in the Workplace
- Create time. Whether it is regular 121s or weekly team meetings, giving your full focus to those you are with will greatly improve lines of communication.
- Follow-up. Not everyone remembers every discussion point in a meeting. Providing concise notes to email through as a follow-up keeps important points and decisions fresh in everyone’s minds and avoids any confusion.
- Listen. Encourage others to talk and really listen to what they have to say. This shows respect and allows others to feel valued.
- Consider how you communicate. Whether it is verbally or by email, your tone and body language influences how your communication is received.
- Have clearly defined goals and expectations. Then everyone understands the objectives and what they need to do.
