Remember, workplace communication and business communication are different. Both are important to a company’s success going forward. In this article, we will be focusing on workplace communication and how we can improve it.

COVID-19 has completely changed the workplace climate. We have seen bedrooms turned into offices; we have seen living rooms become conference rooms.

This change has brought so many different opportunities, but challenges as well, and most of them are closely tied to effective communication and productivity. How do we effectively communicate with our team from the comfort of our home when we are so used to having them a few feet away every day? Nobody was prepared.

Thankfully, there are so many platforms we can use to keep work running smoothly.

When Covid hit, some communication platforms have skyrocketed. For keeping in touch with colleagues, 67% reported using Zoom and email, followed closely by Slack. Skype, which has seen a fall in popularity over recent years, was only reported by 12.7% of respondents.

So back to our question, why is good communication at the workplace so important?

If we asked 20 people this, the answers would most likely be very similar to each other.

It would sound something like this 👇

“Good communication is important because it will help create strong teams.”

or

“Good communication is crucial because  it helps us shape a positive image of the company.”

Absolutely yes, that is 100% correct but the most important reason goes way deeper than that.

Encouraging good communication within your work team is one of the most crucial things you can do as a leader.

Wondering why?

Think about it this way – if your team doesn’t establish good communication that unfortunately means the productivity levels will decrease and don’t we all know where that leads us? Bad communication equals less productivity = financial loss + bad reputation.

US company Gartner shows that 70% of the company’s mistakes are due to poor communication. These statistics show how important communication is and why more attention needs to be paid to clear instructions and negotiations to avoid mistakes in the workplace. Numbers don’t lie.

Now when we figured that out, let’s see how we can improve communication in the workplace, increase team productivity and profits at the same time.

Engage with co-workers in the beginning

When you are joining a new team it’s normal to shy away from your teammates and spark conversation. Do you know that feeling of nervousness? When your heart starts beating quickly, you might even be sweating, and your body perceives that nervous feeling. Now think about excitement. Think about all the things your body does when you are excited. Is the feeling familiar? Being nervous and excited is basically the same thing, it just depends on our perspective on how we will perceive the emotions we are feeling. So instead of shying away when you are nervous, think about it as being excited. Now go share your excitement with the new team and get to know everybody!

And if you are somebody welcoming new team members, make sure you really make them feel welcomed. The same rules apply.

Share information and resources

Providing the resources and encouragement for your employees to share knowledge will build value in your team and business overall. It will also increase employee engagement and benefit overall internal communication.

Give everybody a chance to speak

We have all been interrupted while speaking, and we can all agree that’s an unpleasant feeling and uncomfortable situation to be in. Interrupting someone while they are talking gets in the way of the speaker transmitting their message effectively and clearly + chances of your coworker being annoyed with you for days and avoiding any conversation with you are really high. You don’t want to be an annoying team member who will get avoided.

Regular catch-ups

Catch-ups are a good opportunity to give feedback in a more informal, relaxed environment. Holding regular catch-up meetings can show your team members that you care about their well-being. They can also help you foster a healthy work environment built on free-flowing communication.

Teambuilding

One of the most important investments you can make for your team. The most successful team building will be the one that doesn’t feel like a day in the office. It builds trust, mitigates conflict, encourages communication, and increases collaboration. It’s not a splurge, it’s an investment.

And for the end, here are some interesting facts that might be useful 👇

– 85% of employees use more than one device to communicate at work

– Workers who feel their employers use mobile technology effectively are 23% more satisfied than those in companies where the use of mobiles is “bad”. They’re also 21% more loyal, 18% more creative, and 16% more productive

– Email is thehttps://www.cosocloud.com/press-releases/connectsolutions-survey-shows-working-remotely-benefits-employers-and-employeesprimary method of communication for remote workers, followed by instant messaging and video chat

– 42% of Americans check their business emails while in the restroom, and 18% do so while driving

– 47.7% of workers said that receiving fewer emails at work would increase job satisfaction

– Employees who believe that managers are really listening to them are almost 5 times more likely to be enthusiastic and 21 times more likely to feel loyal to their company

– People’s emotions can be expressed in at least 21 different facial expressions – they play an important role in communicating with others

– Employees spend an average of 2 hours a day worrying and gossiping

– Around 306.4 billion emails are sent and received worldwide, every day

Remember, the organizations nailing their communication are the ones succeeding, while those with poor communication techniques are typically dogged by missed deadlines, lower employee engagement, and a lack of confidence in managers.