Effective Communication

In previous posts, we spoke about Empowerment and Teamwork. Both of these concepts share a need for a key factor: Effective Communication.

Communication is present and very relevant in human relationships. A person, by nature, requires relationships with other individuals in order to satisfy their needs for affection and socialization.

Sharing information is something we do on a daily basis, and we do this through communication. When it comes to a work environment, communication is the structural basis of any organization. Effective communication is accomplished when relationships between employees are created and maintained, through a good internal communication plan. The following are some examples of such plan:

· Induction manual: It guides and allows employees to be efficient, effective and productive since their first day of work.

· Monthly all-hands meetings: They are a strategic communication tool, as they bring the entire organization together to share updates and ask questions. It ensures everyone receives the same information and message.

· Internal magazine or newsletter: This is a dynamic source, open to the opinion and collaboration of employees. When it’s well managed and organised, it can be highly reliable and allows employees to stay up to date with the latest developments in the organization.

· Instant messaging platforms: They are highly used tools in business communication, thanks to their immediacy and possibility for your team to collaborate and coordinate their work no matter where they are.

Organizational communication is a factor that allows business management to be carried out successfully; good management of this can make the organization persist.

Companies that give a special place to communication and information are those that stand out. This can only occur once they understand that by doing this, they contribute enormously to the improvement of the company’s work environment and increase their competitiveness.

‘Effective teamwork begins and ends with communication’ — Mike Krzyzewski

In addition, you must also consider that not only good internal communication is important, but also the external communication that the company has with its customers, partners, distributors etc. Promoting and reinforcing the company’s image, publicizing its projects or activities, knowing who you are addressing, getting the participation and interaction of your participants, or making other people get to know your organization will reflect a positive image of your company. How we are perceived is very important, as well as how we want to be perceived.

There are two key points we can use to determine whether communication is being effective: active listening and assertiveness. Never forget that the most important thing in a communication process is not what you want to say, but what the other person understands. The meaning of a message you want to convey can vary with a slight change in tone of voice or due to facial or body expressions.

A message expressed clearly and through an adequate communication channel will be converted into an action by the receiver; on the other hand, an imprecise and ambiguous message can cause problems in an organization.

The bottom line is that good communication isn’t just about presenting information and ideas more accurately and concisely. Effective communication is about finding a solution, satisfying customers and improving the quality of productivity.