Open communication is crucial to a positive and productive work environment. While a business can continue to operate without open communication, it isn’t likely to thrive or reach its full potential. Learning how to develop and maintain open communication in the workplace has a multitude of benefits for the company as a whole as well as for individual team members. It’s also helpful to learn what to do when typical communication issues happen so you can resolve them quickly.
Communication between professionals is considered an important soft skill that’s tied to overall success in the workplace. Communication includes both verbal and nonverbal cues and can take place in person, in writing, or over the phone. Effective communication includes the following components:
Effective communication involves these skills:
A positive work environment is built on trust, which fosters open communication. Trust grows slowly in a new business, and it happens as team members make and keep commitments. Trust is also fostered as team members risk being vulnerable with each other. As commitments are kept, team members notice and remember. This makes professional relationships stronger. As trust becomes stronger, employees become more engaged. A natural result of deeper engagement is enhanced performance. Employees who are more engaged care about their work, they put more effort into it, and they even work to develop more skills. A work environment that displays value for employees’ ideas and concerns naturally communicates that these employees are important. Employees respond by working harder to ensure the company’s success. In short, happy employees are more productive employees.
For employees to work most productively, they need to know and understand objectives and goals. A common goal is important for uniting a team. Management must clearly communicate overall objectives as well as departmental goals. A management team that shares a company’s vision and mission will usually foster a highly engaged work team.
Poor communication can have a cumulative negative effect on a business. Tentative and even secretive communication erodes trust quickly. When this happens, employees naturally disengage and stop sharing their ideas and concerns. It’s typical for employees in this situation to perceive that management doesn’t value them, and employees will often stop contributing anything beyond the minimum expectations. In turn, management often notices employees’ minimal efforts and assumes that employees aren’t performing as well as they could. Poor communication and the erosion of trust can also lead to a lack of ideas and innovations, which could directly affect how a business grows.
Tie open communication into the overall company culture to ensure that employees feel respected and valued. Reward open communication with enthusiasm and respect. Never refuse communication, even if the message is negative. Develop an effective way for employees to collaborate and communicate. Use regular meetings and electronic tools to encourage workplace communication. Remember that open communication requires vulnerability for all parties. Ensure that managers practice open communication to build and maintain trust.
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