Why Workplace Communication Is So Important

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has made a huge impact on interpersonal communication within organisations. The importance of good communication has risen significantly in this time frame. Communication skills were always considered to be the best tool to achieve productivity and for maintaining strong working relationships within an organisation. But, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced everyone to work remotely, and that has made workplace communication even more important.

It’s not easy to manage a workforce remotely; employers have to invest their time and energy to deliver a clear channel of communication. Well-coordinated communication will help an organisation to build trust among employees, increase productivity and morale. For an employee, communication with managers, colleagues and customers is equally important. 

Poor communication channels in an organisation can lead to unmotivated staff, who question their own confidence and also the organisation they are working for. The following are some of the underlying reasons explaining the importance of workplace communication:

1. Builds trust between the members
   For any organisation, building trust between the employer and employee is crucial. Having a good workplace communication culture can help in building effective teams. Team members feel connected to each other via communication, and that results in successful collaborations. By implementing effective strategies, you can open new doors for building well-coordinated teams. This, in turn, will improve morale and employee satisfaction.
   
   
   Also, employees feel well-connected when upward and downward communication is in sync with the organisation’s goals. By listening and responding to employees, employers can increase employee job satisfaction. Also, it helps them to understand any issues at a grass-root level. Building trust between members is an important leadership skill, and workplace communication is a key aspect of that.
   
   
2. Improves Employee Engagement and Productivity
   Many types of research have been conducted to study the effectiveness of communication as a contributing factor for employee engagement and productivity. And all the results point towards improvement in employee engagement when the proper communication channel is established in the workplace. Those employees who outperform others are the ones who are well coordinated in terms of communication with their superiors.
   
   
   This happens because of the clarity of commands and objective goals. Employees feel motivated by their superiors to keep them up-to-date with the instructions and company updates. Effective workplace communication can instigate a feeling of connection in the employees with their superiors. This improves employee engagement, and therefore, it positively impacts the productivity of the company.
   
   
3. Provides opportunities for knowledge sharing
   By keeping the lines of communication open for all, you can encourage employees to share their thoughts openly. This results in building good interdepartmental communication amongst other teams. This open line of communication encourages the employee to share their knowledge with each other. This knowledge sharing helps an organisation to reduce the skill gaps among their employees. Those sharing their skills and the ones receiving both learn a lot in this process.
   
   
   It helps in building a good company culture as well. Many times, these types of collaborations can lead to some new innovative ideas that can be profitable for both employees as well as the organisation. Additionally, organisations in which information flows smoothly, and teams collaborate easily, enjoy more workplace innovations.
   
   
4. Establishes A Healthy Company Culture
   Establishing a healthy company culture is the first goal for any manager. When there is a strong workplace communication channel in place, managers and employees can communicate their thoughts and opinions freely. For a manager, it eases the process of managing their teams. And for an employee, the process of getting commands becomes easier. Different processes, such as conflict management, the delegation of tasks and relationship building become simpler.
   
   
   By establishing a strong communication channel, everyone involved in the company feels empowered to speak out their opinions. This helps in establishing a healthy company wherein everyone is dedicated to achieving the company’s goal. In order to drive positive corporate culture and healthy communications in the workplace, employers have to continuously remind their employees about the importance of open and honest communications. 

Overall, workplace communication is the key to form a successful organisation. There are specific project management courses that can help your organisation to establish an effective communication channel. So, take one of these courses and enhance your communication channel.