A lack of effective communication is a rampant problem in the workplace. Several studies have been conducted about communication in the workplace and the results were astonishing. Here are the tips for improved communications in the workplace.
33% of employees have low morale because of bad communication.
86% of employees feel bad communication leads to major failures in the workplace.
- 69% of managers are uncomfortable talking to their employees.
91% of employees think their managers are bad at communicating with them.
What these studies show is poor workplace communication is causing an unproductive work environment due to unhappy employees who are not doing a great job due to low morale and ineffective communication. Fortunately, improving workplace communications isn’t an impossible task. By implementing a few tips, you can start seeing improvements immediately.
If you are an owner or a manager who is wondering how to improve communications in the workplace, here are several tips you can start using today.
- Use the Right Communication Tools
Providing your team with the right communication tools is essential for improving communication in the workplace. VoIP business phones, slack groups, and internal messaging capabilities are all helpful for encouraging healthy and productive communication in your company.
- Create a Culture of Open Communication
Perhaps the easiest way to improve company communication is to create a company culture of communication.
Employees, especially new employees, tend to naturally want to fit in with the existing company culture so they will have a positive working experience and environment. Creating a culture of open communication will help transition current employees to the new culture and allow new employees to blend right in.
- Ask for Feedback
A great way to improve communications at work is to ask for feedback on management, policies, procedures, company culture, etc. This can be done in the form of an annual survey or even a quarterly survey. By keeping the survey anonymous, you will get honest feedback that will allow you to make positive changes and create a better working environment for your staff.
- Hold Regular Meetings
A great way to improve internal communications is to hold regular meetings with your staff to inform them of what is happening in the company. This helps employees feel informed, be engaged, and feel like they are valued by upper management.
- Have Regular Team-Building Exercises
Team-building exercises are not just for workshops or off-campus retreats. You can use team-building exercises year-round and take advantage of all of the benefits they have to offer. Team activities improve communication, employee relationships, employee engagement, and employee participation. You can’t go wrong with using these helpful exercises regularly.
- Set Communication Standards
Every successful company has internal communication standards. Having clear guidelines eliminates confusion, informs the employees of what they can expect in certain situations, and fosters company-wide communication. Creating your internal communication standards should be one of the first steps you take when improving company communication.
- Encourage Participation
Encouraging participation in employee activities is a great way to encourage open communication and an engaged and productive employee. You can do this by gathering in smaller groups, asking questions instead of waiting for questions to be asked, and meeting one-on-one with employees who never speak up in group settings.
- Create a Culture of Mutual Respect
Creating a culture of mutual respect will go a long way to improve communication in the workplace.
If an employee knows that speaking up will result in retaliation or any other type of workplace abuse, he will stay quiet. It’s important to foster an environment of respect, regardless of the position an employee has. Not only will this improve communication, but it will also improve employee morale.
- Use Active Listening
A great tip for how to improve communication is to use active listening. When you use active listening techniques, you are demonstrating that you are listening rather than hearing your co-worker when they communicate with you. Confirming, asking open-ended questions, and using verbal affirmations are all examples of active listening techniques.
- Get to Know Your Co-Workers
One way to foster more communication in the workplace is to allow your team to get to know each other. This doesn’t have to mean sharing personal anecdotes, but simply getting to know each other in the context of being co-workers. Knowing the person behind the name on an org chart is humanizing and can lead to more thoughtful and helpful communication.
- Create a Communication Space
Workplaces have quiet spaces, creative spaces, and collaborative spaces so why not a communication space? Designate a space for communication, one that isn’t stuffy like an HR office but instead comfortable and inviting. You can use this space for specific communication like positive feedback, or all communication.
- Provide Useful and Helpful Feedback
Feedback is tricky because done the right way, it’s a helpful tool but when it’s used incorrectly, feedback can cause more harm than good. Follow the rules of providing good feedback, such as keeping it objective and being clear and concise in your statements.
- Lead by Example
Whenever you want to create positive change in the workplace, leading by example is one of the best ways to do it. To improve communications, start communicating better with your employees and encourage them to reciprocate. Leading by example is not only good for creating change, but it will also give your employees new respect for you and your managing team.
- Make a Commitment
Implementing all of these changes is a great start but committing to the changes is essential for long-term results. If you commit to the changes and practice patience during the time it takes for the changes to take hold, you will see a great improvement in your workplace communication.
These Are the Tips to Improve Communications in the Workplace
Improving workplace communications comes down to leading by example and creating a culture that encourages open and honest communication.
You can create this culture by making a space for communication, and encouraging your employees to talk and listen to one another. Asking for and providing the right kind of feedback is important for employee growth and to foster a helpful and comfortable workplace environment.
In short, you can improve communications in the workplace by creating and committing to an internal communication plan that will help you reap the benefits of positive workplace communication.
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