What is the importance of communication in the workplace?

Without any doubt, communication is a vital skill needed in all workplace environments. Communication is the foundation on which tasks are done effectively in a workplace. 

When it comes to a workplace environment, most people do not need a place full of misunderstandings and frustrations due to a lack of communication. Having a non-toxic and conducive workplace is one of the things that are possible when there is effective communication on the premises. 

There are benefits that you stand to gain from communicating within the workplace. These are some of the importance of communication in the workplace;

• Effective communication helps to build and establish good and healthy relationships. Most times, work and tasks flow so easy when there are no negative energies in the workplace. 
• Effective communication makes it easy for you when you want to deliver instructions or messages in your workplace. 
• Effective communication fast tracks the rate at which tasks and projects are completed in the workplace. 

What are the barriers to open communication in the workplace?

Sometimes, no matter how hard we try to ensure that there is always effective communication in our various workplaces. There are chances that we might encounter some breakdowns in communication which can turn into a barrier to open communication in the workplace. 

These barriers are the things that hinder and prevent us from effectively delivering messages within the workplace premises. Failure to overcome these barriers can affect many things in the workplace. The communication barriers that you should avoid are;

• Overloading people with too much information in the workplace.

• Unpleasant or vague words.

• Physical disabilities. Such as hearing impairments and speech impairments. These conditions make the process of communication to be hard to comprehend and understand.

• Impatient is another factor that causes the barrier to open communication in the workplace. To achieve effective communication, you have to be patient enough to listen and understand what the person is saying to you. 

• The use of jargon and complicated words can also be a barrier to communication. Learn how to use simple & common words when communicating in the workplace.

What are the ways to improve communication in the workplace?

Communication is essential in every workplace. This is why there is a need to improve communication in the workplace. For more productivity and positive results in the workplace, here are some of the few tips that will help you improve communication in the workplace. 

• The first step in improving communication in the workplace is by practising active listening. Attentive listening in the workplace will go a long way to ensure that employees understand the message sent to them. Sometimes, you will find out that employees tend to mess up their tasks or assignments when they fail to listen to the instructions or messages that contain how they can effectively carry them out the right way.

• You have to understand the different means of communication. Knowing the means of communication will help you determine and choose the best means of communicating effectively in your workplace. You can choose to connect with your employees in the workplace through phone calls, emails, SMS and any other means that you think will be effective for communication. 

• You should schedule weekly/monthly meetings in the workplace. The purpose of these meetings is to speak about things that have to do with work. These weekly/monthly meetings will help to foster effective communication in the workplace. Do not forget to notify employees via phone calls, SMS, or email to make sure that they are informed about the meeting. 

• To improve communication in the workplace, you and your employees should practice the act of giving feedback to one another. It doesn’t matter whether the feedback is positive or negative. It is necessary to get a reply when something is communicated to you because it shows that you understand the message or instruction. And again, you have to be mindful of the type of feedback you give out. 

These are ways that employers and employees can improve communication in their workplaces. 

One of the best ways to improve communication in the workplace is through SMS. 

SMS as a means of communication in the workplace ensures that messages and instructions are sent and delivered to employees based on a personal level. 

To activate SMS as a means of improving communication in your workplace. Click here to see how SmartSMSSolutions can be of help to you.