The lack of good team communication is a key concern. They result in severe productivity losses and prohibit your company from meeting its objectives in an effective and cost-effective manner.
On the contrary, effective workplace communication allows your team to improve performance, strengthen interpersonal and professional relationships, promote morale, and ensure the smooth transmission of critical information, which facilitates work and leads to success.
As a manager and team leader, you have the authority to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of communication in your organization. And in this section, we’ll go through some of the greatest strategies for doing so. But first, let’s go through the four sorts of workplace communication that every manager must deal with on a regular basis.
Communication styles
Verbal: the use of voice or sign language to communicate messages to listeners. Verbal communication can take several forms, including one-on-one chats with coworkers, small group debates, and public/organization-wide speeches. Furthermore, voice messages sent to others using apps like WhatsApp and Viber are a form of verbal communication.
Nonverbal communication is the use of body language (i.e., gestures, postures, and facial expressions) to communicate with others. This sort of communication is always used in conjunction with oral communication.
For example, by exhibiting the appropriate mood with your body, you can more effectively convey any verbal message. Unintentional nonverbal cues, on the other hand, can prevent you from conveying the correct meaning.
For example, displaying “closed” body language, which is naturally interpreted by others as a manifestation of anxiety, nervousness, and distrust, does not go well with a motivational speech intended to encourage your teammates to behave more energetically and take bold action for the benefit of business.
Visualization: The use of images, diagrams, drawings, sketches, and other visual elements to transmit information to others. Though visual media alone can not break down long and complex messages to the smallest detail, images and graphs can be used to ease the processing of difficult information.
Written communication with readers via emails, blogs, memoranda, and other comparable media. Written information, like verbal communication, can be transmitted to a single person, a small group, or the general public.
However, unlike verbal communication, a written message cannot be backed by nonverbal language or your direct presence in the moment of text perception by a reader. As a result, you must pay close attention to how you write, the words you use, and how the tone of your writing may be perceived by others.
4 ways to promote effective communication at work
To communicate effectively, one must understand their audience, determine whether their communication style matches the situational context, and know how to present information effectively in all four formats listed above.
As a result, every team leader must prioritize strengthening their communication abilities. Furthermore, it is critical to apply the appropriate tools and processes, establish clear goals, and foster a culture of trust.
Let’s take a look at each of these practices individually:
Improve your communication abilities
As a leader, you must be able to effectively communicate messages both verbally and in writing. To get their attention and create rapport, you must understand how to use body language and listen to others. You must be confident and eloquent in order to persuade and urge your team members to strive toward common goals using only your words.
Make a goal for yourself
Effective professional communication is only possible if your message achieves a specific pragmatic aim, such as helping someone comprehend something, making them laugh, or answering a question. As a result, when speaking with coworkers, you must plan ahead of time what you intend to say and why. It means that a manager must constantly have wider corporate goals and team objectives in mind when communicating professionally.
Do you want to increase your level of innovation? Do you require your employees to finish a project one week earlier? Or do you need them to implement a new software tool before the end of the month? Whatever your goal is, make sure you convey it clearly to all of your employees. Declare your expectations clearly and ensure that everyone follows them.
Remove structural impediments
Inadequate systems, methods, and instruments are structural impediments to effective communication.
A structural barrier exists if you utilize a video conferencing tool that constantly distracts you from the dialogue with background noise. If you don’t use any collaborative tools and have no set communication routine, this is also a structural barrier.
Make communication an integral component of your workplace in order for your team to share information smoothly and efficiently. Make sure to establish precise communication guidelines and urge everyone to follow them:
To keep everyone informed and updated, set up daily micro-meetings where everyone talks about their daily job progress.
You might request that everyone submit personal performance reports in writing by the end of each week.
You can involve your team in monthly or quarterly team meetings to review performance results and strategic issues in depth.
Encourage trust and accountability
It’s difficult to speak openly and constructively in a setting rife with interpersonal problems, just as it is in the midst of highly demanding, aggressive, and unfeeling bosses. As a result, it is critical to make your team members feel welcome and to engage them in constructive dialogue through establishing trust and good relationships.
Begin by practicing the approaches described for effective workplace communication. Trust your staff, invite them to professional conversations, and pay attention to what they say. As a result, everyone will open up (at least a little), making effective team communication a daily reality much simpler.