Improved Workplace Communication is a Key to Business Success ...

Workplace communication is assuming greater importance in the rapidly changing global business environment. An organization?s bread and butter come from the workplace and although communication may be working effectively at higher echelons, any breakdown in workplace communication can adversely affect the entire organization. It is necessary for companies to ensure that lower level communication is transparent and effective. Organizations attach great importance to corporate level communication with regular and informative newsletters emanating from Head Office. However, the quality and extent of communication may be dismal at supervisory, sales and shop-floor levels. The interpersonal skills of workers, supervisors and team leaders are especially critical at such levels as these are people with whom frontline managers develop working relationships.

Over time, such relationships become close and personal, but the opposite can also happen. Many exit surveys have shown that employees have left an organization because of poor working relationship with an immediate superior. Therefore, it is essential that managers institutionalize effective lower-level communication channels. Of equal importance is communication between and within levels. Intra-national and international competition is now so fierce that everyone in the organization needs to collaborate closely on solving organizational challenges and achieving agreed strategic objectives. Any organization saddled with communication barriers is erring on the wrong side. The main reason behind ineffective communication at workplace is the loose perception that lower level communication is just a cake-walk. Unlike normal day-to-day communication, workplace communication covers different levels and aspects such as marketing, customer relations, management etc. With such diversity, managers must be equipped with unique skill sets for effective communication at workplace. Workplace communication involves individuals, teams or large groups.

One should also lend credence to the life-cycle and size of the organization. The importance of setting up structures, systems and processes for effective lower level communication should never be underestimated. Organizational and employee communication surveys can determine how well communication systems and practices are contributing to the organization?s performance; or how much they are hindering performance. This information can help managers in devising an effective employee communication strategy. Whatever be the type of organization or the nature of its business, communication practices impact every facet of the company. Although managers spend most of their time communicating, it does not mean that meaningful communication occurs in all exchanges. Once a memorandum, letter, fax, or e-mail has been sent, many are inclined to believe that communication has taken place.

George Bernard Shaw said; ?The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.? This quote pretty much sums up the root cause of all conflicts in the workplace. Often, it is seen that managers do not realize the importance of communication at work and fail to convey their ideas, organizational goals, vision, etc. with enough clarity. When seniors in the organization neglect the need for open and clear communication, the work culture is negatively impacted with consequent loss of productivity. An organization where sharing of information is poor, workplace issues crop up resulting in high employee turnover and wastage of organizational resources is unprofessional. To avoid these, effective communication at work should be encouraged which can help in:

• Team building
• Creating job satisfaction
• Increased transparency
• Enhanced productivity
• Better work prospects
• Proper utilization of resources
• Reduced incidences of conflicts
• Shortened project completion time
• Development of long-term relationships

Advances in technological communication have stymied an individual?s ability to connect on a personal level with co-workers. The modern means of mobile telephony, SMS and emails have their importance, but they have one downside. They have done away with the age-old and necessary informational effects like the facial expressions, body language, speaking cadence and intonation. Since effective workplace communication is largely interpersonal, technology is not much of a help in this respect. It has been widely accepted that great professional relationships cannot be fully developed without the keen awareness of personal courtesy, act of attentive listening, whole-hearted participation and situation-appropriate body language.

Source: http://www.blogbigtime.com/improved-workplace-communication-is-a-key-to-business-success/

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