Five Basic Corporate Communication Etiquettes You Should Employ

Corporate communications refer to the communication between a business and her internal and external audience. Internal audience here refers to the employers, employees, managers, executives and board-members while external audience refers to all relevant stakeholders outside the organization. This could include clients, prospective clients, investors, government agencies, and the media.

Just like communication in everyday human life is an important part of our growth and connected community development, communication within the corporate space is equally essential to the everyday functionality of an organization and plays a pivotal role in moving it forward, and must therefore be done effectively so as not to harm or stunt its growth, because when done poorly, it can.

Below are some basic communications etiquettes that will improve your relationship within the workplace.

1. Reader Friendly Documents

Every document (Word, Excel, Email, etc.) should be detailed yet simple enough to speak for itself. Use tables, bullets and charts to make your documents easy to read and grasp. With the fast pace of business today, nobody really wants to have to ask for explanations concerning a document every time; and by the way you will not always be there to explain. Your documents should be graspable upon first read.

2. Active Voice

Write in an active, professional and courteous voice. This elicits more action from the recipient than a passive voice. And because it is a professional space, be professional and courteous with your language. Thinly veiled passive-aggressiveness that is presented under the guise of politeness or professionalism is sure to instigate ill feelings and instigate conflict and should therefore be avoided.

3. Email Backup

ALWAYS have an email to backup sensitive information. Many professionals make this mistake and suffer many troubles that a simple email proof could have saved them. Some people have even lost their jobs for this. Endeavour not to be a victim. And the bigger the organization you work in, the more carefully you should practice this.

4. Reply All

If there are other people in copy of an email, reply to all. Replying to only the sender in such an instance is unprofessional, unless the email demands it. Also, in most large organizations it is statutory to copy your supervisors in almost if not all external emails. Be mindful of the rules that applies to you and work within them.

5. Be Tactful

Jokes are not a taboo in the corporate setting, but they should be employed tactfully. A joke that is lost on its recipient, or a joke targeted at a co-worker’s person is breeding ground for miscommunication and avoidable conflict. If you are not sure how the joke will be received, or if you are not on chummy terms with the target audience for the joke, desist from employing jokes in your communication with them. It is much safer to stick to professional interaction in an organization.

In conclusion, communication is imperative in any setting that comprises two or more humans and requires that they connect. Conflict is an inevitable feature of our lives, even more so in the work space, however, the key to delete avoidable conflict as much as possible through clear, concise and comprehensible communication.