One of the essential factors that determine a business’s progress is communication. However, as important as this is, it is one of the most difficult to influence or control. Communication in the workplace directly or indirectly affects productivity. The kind of aura created for communication purposes determines whether employees will find it easier to communicate with not only their colleagues but also the management of the company or organization.
Lack of effective communication can heighten the stress of a company leader who would constantly feel he or she is putting in the right amount of effort but others seem not to understand the business need or lack the same incentive. For effective communication in a company, there are strategies or elements to use. Below are 5 elements of effective communication in the workplace.
Structure
The structure of your business communication determines the reaction it would trigger in the mind of the audience. The structure of your business communication entails the opening, the body, and the close. How you begin a communication at the workplace and how your structure the body of the communication and the ending can either earn a positive reaction or a pretentious one (depending on your position). Irrespective of who your communication audience is, structure matters.
Clarity
When your message is not clear and direct, communication is affected. Sending a confusing message to a colleague or subordinate at work might end up confusing the receiver who might ignore the message. For instance, if you are sending a message about late salary payment, it is better to state a simple reason rather than go into the details of the company’s budget and how the upcoming staff picnic might affect things. Clarity is an essential aspect of communication.
Consistency
If you have been sending messages to your colleague or subordinate at work and the messages have always been failing, there is every chance that your medium is where the problem lies. Constant failure in the message requires that you change your method of communication. However, if you seldomly experience failure, then this might mean your medium is right. Check some of your messages in the past, how consistent is the response you get, and what is the nature of the response?
Medium
If the only tool you have in your bag is a hammer, pretty soon everything you come across will look like a nail. In the same vein, if your only medium of communication is PowerPoint, you will get to a point where your receiver gets tired of seeing slides after slides. Sticking to one medium of communication is not only boring but affects reception and response. When communicating, what you should concentrate on is clarity and accuracy at the lowest time possible. These criteria can be achieved with other mediums of communication.
Relevance
The truth about communication is, unless a person is really interested in the message you are passing across, you might as well be speaking to an empty room. This is why, beyond having something to communicate, how do you think the other party would accept your message. Would it make sense to them? Or would it seem like a forced message (perhaps because you are in a higher position)? Save some unnecessary details like Exel generated chart and in-depth budget slide to those who are truly interested. If you must do this, don’t choose the boring path, you can notify your receiver beforehand and choose a better medium that would drive your message.
The importance of communication in the workplace cannot be ignored. As such how you communicate and what you communicate is essential. Beyond having a strategy, ensure you have a working strategy.
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