With a firm understanding of how important effective communication is in the workplace, let’s take a look at some key tips for effective communication, including the key communication skills you need to adopt, how to prioritize two-way communication, and how to organize your communication.
1. Communicate the right way
To communicate more effectively, start by asking yourself these questions:
- What is your goal?
- Who needs to hear this?
- How can I get my message across?
Bad communication often occurs when managers talk to the wrong employees or share information in the wrong work environment. So, make sure your communication is aimed at the right recipient. Also, choose the most appropriate communication method from different communication channels depending on the employee and the situation. For example, one employee may prefer email, while another may prefer physical interaction where there is eye contact and body language can be read.
However, in general, urgent information or instructions, important news, and sensitive news such as promotions or transfers should be communicated face-to-face.
2. Prioritize two-way communication
Effective communication in the workplace involves speaking, active listening and giving feedback. Both parties need to understand each other. So how can this be achieved?
- Practice active listening: To avoid missing important information, don't listen to your colleague just to reply. Instead, listen to understand what they are saying. Make eye contact with the speaker, write down anything that comes to mind as they speak, and respond with appropriate gestures to show you are listening.
- Accepting feedback: Ask team members for feedback on your messaging and communication style, and record their comments and concerns. Members can share such information during meetings or post it anonymously in a suggestion box. You can also provide feedback, but do so discreetly, but not harshly or in public.
Also, be sure to offer constructive feedback by first acknowledging their work and then pointing out areas for improvement, and allow them to share their thoughts on the feedback.
3. Develop communication skills
Effective communication in the workplace starts with having good communication skills. Here are some key skills to consider:
- Please clarify: To communicate effectively, be clear about your goals, use easy-to-understand language, and avoid incomplete sentences. Also, provide context when communicating with your team. For example, when setting expectations, share samples and highlight groups that should be involved and those that will be affected by the output. Also, encourage employees to ask questions to minimize errors and maximize productivity.
- Please be polite: To enhance effective communication in the workplace, you need to communicate respectfully and overcome differences in a positive way. Even when you disagree with someone, be polite and avoid aggressive language. Also, be mindful of your body language and facial expressions, and use an appropriate tone of voice to avoid giving unintended impressions.
- Keep an open mind: Make sure your employees feel comfortable sharing their ideas and concerns with you. This means you should continue to treat them with respect and consider their ideas, even when you're busy. If you have concerns about an employee's behavior or performance, discuss them with them instead of making assumptions.
4. Embrace the individuality of each employee
One of the most important things to improve workplace communication and employee engagement is to embrace each employee's unique communication style. This means learning about the communication channels and styles they prefer. Then tailor your communication methods to match their chosen style. While your sales team wants endless data analysis, your analytics team might not want detailed stories about how to win customers.
5. Have one-on-one conversations
To improve communication in the workplace, you need to be mindful of your relationships. Schedule one-on-one meetings with your team members. These meetings show your employees that you value them and want to interact with them on a more personal level. Additionally, shy or reserved people tend to be more open in private and share valuable information and feedback.
6. Schedule weekly team meetings
To foster good communication among team members, schedule weekly meetings where employees can speak their minds. Team managers can meet with team members to review each week's accomplishments, challenges, and concerns. They can also set goals and tasks for the next week and discuss overall ideas. Additionally, important conversations can be documented and summaries shared to clarify key points and help the team remember the recommendations and action points.
7. Make time for team building
Team-building activities often create a dynamic work environment where people feel at ease and develop self-confidence. So get creative and encourage casual interactions like non-work Slack channels or off-site events to give employees a chance to step away from their usual activities. Encourage socializing and collaboration through activities like icebreaker games, puzzle games, fitness sessions, team lunches, movie dates, and more. Team members will feel relaxed, which will improve communication and team collaboration, and increase employee retention.
8. Express gratitude
Companies with engaged, happy employees are 23% more profitable than those with unhappy employees. To get closer to achieving your goals as an organization, you need to show your employees that you appreciate them and care about them. Thank them for a great idea or for completing a task quickly. This includes telling them exactly what made you happy. This will show that you are genuine, and your employees will emulate that.
For example, you could say, “You did a good job highlighting the steps in customer segmentation in your presentation. The examples you provided helped the team understand the process.”
9. Get a team communication app
Without good team communication, misunderstandings will occur, especially since many organizations are hybrid or remote right now. But with a UCaaS or CPaaS team communication platform, employees can communicate, stay up to date, and collaborate on projects. They can meet to perform tasks, share relevant information, and discuss upcoming tasks. Communication apps can include project management tools, video conferencing tools, and VoIP services.
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10. Hold communication training sessions
Consider holding regular communication training sessions so that both team leaders and employees can acquire basic communication skills that will improve workplace communication. The training sessions can be held face-to-face or online using communication platforms such as Google Meet or Zoom. You can also conduct training using webinar tools so that new and existing employees can access it anytime.
Conclusion
Communication in the workplace should go beyond just exchanging information; it should be intentional to build confidence, foster engagement, and improve productivity across your organization. Use these tips to retain your best employees and reach your goals.
