Communication is a vital skill in pretty much any environment that involves people, however, when it comes to communication in the workplace, good communication is integral to business success.
Workplace communication isn’t just about passing on information, instructions, and tasks en masse. It is also about mitigating conflict which is often down to not communicating efficiently, or not communicating at all. It is also an important factor in the creation and maintenance of professional working relationships, profitability, team effectiveness, and employee engagement. Here are 3 key benefits to having effective workplace communication:-
Morale
Tension and conflict in the workplace can be destructive if not dealt with – it kills morale, creates disharmony, destroys productivity and often ends up costing you more than you might imagine (lost sales, poor service, staff retention, etc.). More often than not, regardless of the conflict, poor communication is usually an underlying factor and typically comes down to either a misunderstanding (and the associated frustration of feeling misunderstood), not understanding how others communicate (and sending content to the wrong people, via the wrong channels, at the wrong time), or the feeling that emotional needs are not being met (leading to employees feeling undervalued, disengaged and taken advantage of).
Having the ability to send information to the right people, in the right locations, in the right format and at the right time is key – content should include videos, voice messages, and surveys enabling your business to drive productivity, monitor compliance, and sense-check morale.
Engagement
Communicating in the workplace is much more than just talking – it’s about connecting with people on an emotional basis as well as on a professional level. To do this, it’s essential to have the right tools in place but to understand employees’ needs, talents and skills. Providing teams with the ability to pass on and receive feedback is key in all this.
For example, survey tools enable businesses to set up targeted and ongoing surveys for completion, enabling employees to feedback anything from best-practice to personal concerns directly to Head Office. In addition, the inclusion of a simple to use KPI tool-set can present how each employee and the business is doing against their targets and goals.
One of the most powerful benefits of better communication is a more engaged workforce. These people are in general better aligned with company objectives and have a much higher sense of involvement, pride, and ownership within the business.
Productivity
Employee engagement plays a significant factor in driving the productivity of a workforce. Increased communications help foster a more productive and talented workforce in many ways. For example, in a well connected and engaged business, team leaders and managers better understand the talents and skills of their team members and can put these to best use.
Having an Employee Management solutions that groups employees not only by the location or department they work in but can do so by their skill sets and aspirations enables employers to more effectively schedule staff, nurture talent, and motivate team members to become a much more dynamic multi-skilled workforce. This increased value translates directly into higher morale, a more positive and satisfying work environment, lower staff turnover, and an improved connection between co-workers and head office teams, with better relationships between managers and team leaders.
So, what’s the answer?
Good communication isn’t enough in an increasingly competitive business environment. It’s no longer just about being able to correctly and concisely present information and ideas. It’s also not just about mitigating conflict or creating a more constructive working environment. Good communication needs to be great and great communication is best achieved one to one (which is why Metro is provided on a per-site basis – with unlimited users). Communication is central to overall team performance, productivity, development, creativity, culture, engagement, and fulfillment. Book 5 mins with us today to find out more.
Recent Comments