Proper communication is the key to success in any career, work, or household situation. So, the more effectively you build up your communication at work, the faster and more successfully you will climb up the career ladder. And not only HR professionals can confirm this statement, but also the latest statistics.
Thus, it is no coincidence that employers are increasingly including communication skills in a candidate's required soft and hard skills. And according to the latest statistics, having excellent communication skills is one of the most frequently requested parameters for job postings on online job boards.
Then what do you need to know, and how do you need to act to build up your communication in the workplace as efficiently as possible?
Communication skills are a person's abilities when interacting with others to provide or receive information. These abilities include listening, observing, empathizing, and speaking, and are applied to any type of communication, such as face-to-face, on the phone, internet, on social media, or by email.
Such skills can be improved through active practice and learning from those who are proficient in them and can share valuable tips on how to improve communication.
Knowing how to communicate successfully helps us better understand situations, overcome differences, make compromises, build trust and respect, and create conditions for a fruitful exchange of creative ideas and practical problem-solving.
What is communication in the workplace?
By statistics, 57% of employees complain about the lack of clear directions, and 69% of managers feel uneasy communicating with employees. Thus, communication at work is one of the indicators of a company’s culture.
And the exchange of information and ideas within the company is called workplace communication. Effective communicating at work occurs when the message is sent and received as accurately and clearly as possible. Therefore, efficient communication style and productive human resource management are central to the business objectives of any enterprise and the most essential for all HR processes.
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In general, there are a few common ways of communication in the workplace:
Governance communication.
Communication between management and employees tends to be in the form of stories rather than actual data. Managers usually communicate with employees about new company goals and changes in the enterprise’s policy or culture. Plus, management representatives contact ordinary workers if there is a need for encouragement, persuasion, or responsibility inspiration.
Upwards communication.
Such communication occurs when lower-level managers communicate with higher-level managers. This communication takes the form of reports, emails, or meetings and is purely formal.
Downwards communication.
This type of communication is the mirror image of upwards communication when ordinary workers communicate formally with their direct managers in the form of reports, summaries, analytics, emails, or meetings.
Line communication.
This communication happens between ordinary employees, the same team, or department members using emails, text messages, calls, chats, and face-to-face communication. It is usually less formal and serves to exchange information, make requests, share news, etc.
Informal communication.
It is connected with so-called team building, when a company’s personnel, managers, and ordinary workers participate in an activity outside of working hours, such as going to a restaurant, bowling alley, out of town for a picnic, etc. This communication is usually informal and face-to-face.
Two-way communication.
Equivalent, productive two-way communication, when managers and employees maintain close working relationships, presents the ideal style of communication that is well worth striving for. Such communication is also formal, using the means and tools already mentioned, like emails, calls, and texting, but face-to-face friendly and benevolent communication prevails.
What to do to improve communication at work?
There are some practical, effective, and simple-to-follow strategies that can help improve communication in the workplace:
Stimulating two-way communication.
Such communication provides the most productive and efficient business processes when managers and employees exchange ideas and regularly develop constructive propositions.
Fair and timely praising employees.
Every employee needs to be praised for what they have done well to see they are appreciated and necessary for the company.
Arranging regular team-building leisure events.
These events are always good to help employees build closer and friendlier work communication.
Incentive bonuses and promotions.
This approach encourages employees to work more efficiently and be loyal to their company.
Sincere attention to each employee in the form of birthday or anniversary greetings, help in a difficult situation, illness, etc.
Employees will appreciate it when their colleagues and managers remember things and demonstrate attention and sympathy to them.
Giving clear and understandable tasks and instructions.
In this case, employees better understand what they must do and complete their tasks at their best.
Providing fair, timely, detailed, and descriptive feedback.
Such feedback will help employees see what they should improve in their work processes and will not offend them.
Summarizing
Whatever communication in the workplace is, it is essential to remember that team members should show sincere respect and attention to each other, find constructive ways to resolve conflict situations if they arise, and maintain close two-way collaboration. For this, there also should be supportive, encouraging, sympathetic, and experienced managers-facilitators.
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