Communication in the Workplace – How To Develop Effective Skills

Speak to any change management expert, and they will tell you that one of the most important skills that anyone needs to develop for the workplace is the ability to communicate effectively. Whether you have been to a meeting only to come out with little clue as to what is going on or given a task without any indication of the direction you need to take, unfortunately, you are not alone. Communication issues are rather common, and statistics indicate that a staggering 57% of employees admit to not having been given clear instructions with a task, whilst 69% of managers are uncomfortable communicating with their employees. With these figures in mind, it is very clear that communication in the workplace is a skill that many individuals could do with developing. Here, we look into how you could develop more effective communication skills at work.

Workplace communication

Communication within the workplace is just one of the signs of a culture that is classed as high performance. The exchange of ideas and information, however, is done within a company and is referred to as workplace communication. This might be in emails, internal memos, meetings – one-to-one and larger groups- and telephone calls. To be effective communication requires the information to be sent and received accurately. To be successful, communication must be done effectively. It should also be an essential work goal for any business that wants to ensure that they are doing everything that it can meet its targets and deadlines.

Effective communication in the workplace is essential to a successful and productive environment. To be an effective communicator, it is important to become an active listener to understand what others are saying, to think before you speak to ensure that your message is clear and concise, to use a professional tone of voice when communicating with colleagues, and to avoid any form of manipulation or pressure tactics. Additionally, having empathy for all parties involved can help to foster open, honest conversations. Entrepreneurship can also be beneficial in this sense; to learn more about ways to be an entrepreneur, click here.

How to be more effective

You might think that communication is a simple skill, but there are always ways to improve the tools you use in your role, and the same can be said for communication. Here are just some of the things that you need to make sure you are doing:

• Tools – ensure that you use the right communication tools for your company. They can make a huge business and allow you to provide a seamless experience for everyone.
• Two-way communication should be two-way, so encourage your employees to express their opinions and ask questions.
• Praise – when someone is doing something right, let them know.
• Feedback – give specific feedback, and let someone know what is going well and what could be improved.
• Check in – arrange a quick check-in with a very short agenda; this can have significant advantages.
• Team building – a great way to improve communication is to arrange a team building day for all your employees to get them talking.
• Check your processes – you may think you are doing everything you can to communicate, but there may be something you are missing, so check your communication processes and ensure there are no gaps.

You may also find that a good idea for honing your communication skills is to attend change management courses. It is amazing how many useful tips you can pick up or remember by refreshing your skills.