The importance of good communication

Good and effective communication is an essential tool in achieving productivity and maintaining strong, lasting working relationships at all levels of an organisation. Employers who invest time and energy into delivering clear lines of communication will rapidly build trust amongst employees, leading to increases in productivity, output, and morale in general.

Poor communication in the workplace, due to personal reasons or a lack of sufficient technology, will inevitably lead to unmotivated, ill-informed staff that may begin to question confidence in their abilities and eventually the organisation as a whole. At Michael Page, we recognise the importance of effective communication, and what can happen if business leaders aren’t encouraging communication across the business. Here’s information on effective communication and the tools that businesses can use to make this happen within their organisation.

Take steps to improve communication

There are a number of things that businesses can do to build on communication within their offices. Such as supplying the correct technology staff needs to be able to communicate swiftly and coherently both in and out of the office. Or, encouraging managers to communicate effectively with their teams.

The right technology for effective communication

There are a number of tools that businesses can use to promote effective communication in the office, when sitting down in a room together isn’t possible. 

• Email - Communicating through email is a great way to track communications and keep relevant people in the loop. Even though many businesses operate through email, it is important to teach your teams the value of this tool. Email applications often act as the tool that ties businesses together, with comprehensive meeting calendars, address books, and organisational functions at the fingertips of your team members. 
• Direct messaging - Email can be a great way to discuss wider projects. But, to make it easier for your employees to have fast conversations throughout the day, give them access to direct messaging tools such as Sametime or Skype. These tools give them the ability to have real time conversations, without waiting for email replies.
• Video conversations - Video communication gives the opportunity to have face-to-face conversations with teams from other offices and even overseas. Video conversations encourage effective collaboration and allow your staff to get to know each other better, rather than being a voice at the end of the phone.
• Human conversation - This may seem obvious, but with the tools above being so readily available in the workforce today, people can sometimes forget to have normal conversations with each other, and prefer to send an email instead. Encourage your teams to get up and speak to one-another when they can, the email confirmation can always come afterwards if it is needed.

Top tips on promoting effective communication 

We’ve outlined some of the key areas where organisations can improve and enhance their communications, beyond the technology available in today’s market.

• Define goals and expectations - Managers should be delivering clear, achievable goals to individuals, and their entire team. It is important to outline exactly what is required on any given project. This ensures that all staff are aware of the objectives of the project, the department, and the entire company. 
• Deliver your message clearly - Delivering a clear message to your team will ensure that they completely understand what you want them to do, and your objectives for setting these tasks. Get your message across clearly without causing confusion or offence.
• Choose the appropriate medium - Whilst face-to-face communication is the most straight-forward way of discussing topics with your team, it isn’t always an option. It is important to figure out what you are going to say, and why, and that you choose the right medium. Take time to decide if an email, telephone call, or memo is the best way to get your message across.
• Keep everyone involved - If you want effective communication to run throughout the entire office, you need to be accessible. Make sure that the lines of communication are kept open at all times. It will encourage them to open dialogue with you regularly. This is particularly important when dealing with remote staff.
• Listen to your team members - The ability to listen to your colleagues and take any suggestions or feedback that they give seriously, is crucial. Real listening shows respect and allows you to learn about any outstanding issues you may need to address as an employer.

Effective communication in the workplace is an integral part of business growth and collaboration between professionals. If you are interested in growing your team get in touch with one of our specialist recruitment consultants today, who can provide you with a shortlist of candidates that fit well within your role and business culture.