Workplace communication

Last updated

Workplace communication is the process of exchanging information and wisdom, both verbal and non-verbal between one person/group and another person/group within an organization. It includes e-mails, text messages, notes, calls, etc. [1] Effective communication is critical in getting the job done, as well as building a sense of trust and increasing the productivity of employees. These may have different cultures and backgrounds, and can be used to different norms. To unite activities of all employees and restrain from any missed deadline or activity that could affect the company negatively, communication is crucial. Effective workplace communication ensures that all the organizational objectives are achieved. Workplace communication is tremendously important to organizations because it increases productivity and efficiency. Ineffective workplace communication leads to communication gaps between employees, which causes confusion, wastes time, and reduces productivity. Misunderstandings that cause friction between people can be avoided by effective workplace communication. Effective communication, also called open communication, prevents barriers from forming among individuals within companies that might impede progress in striving to reach a common goal. For businesses to function as desired, managers and lower-level employees must be able to interact clearly and effectively with each other through verbal communication and non-verbal communication to achieve specific business goals. Effective communication with clients plays a vital role in development of an organization and success of any business. When communicating, nonverbal communication must also be taken into consideration. How a person delivers a message has a lot of influence on the meaning of this one.

Contents

Another important aspect to have effective workplace communication is taking into consideration the different backgrounds of employees. "While diversity enriches the environment, it can also cause communication barriers." [2] Difficulties arise when a coworker's cultural background leads him or her to think differently than another. It is for this reason that knowing about intercultural communication at work and learning how to treat others without offending them can bring several benefits to the company.

Method of communication

Different people absorb information in different ways. To make sure that the information conveyed is understood by all, the method used for communication must be simple, clear, and precise. When presenting vital information, using pictures will make way for easy understanding. The presence of trust inside a corporation will also simplify the use of communication. Relationships must be established between coworkers to create a tension-free workplace. Messages should be sent and received with no alterations. To achieve healthy relationships in the workplace, behaviors such as bullying, taking credit for someone else's work and free riding should be avoided. These will create toxic relationships that will, in the long run, impact negatively a company and the productivity. [3] Furthermore, recent studies have shown that fostering a culture of trust within an organization enhances communication effectiveness and promotes a collaborative environment. [4] Preferring two-way communication is considered best for communicating. Adequate importance can be given for discussion, questions and clarifications. [5]

Content

The content of the information plays a major role in workplace communication. The level of detail must be according to the grasping capacity of the audience. Giving too much detail may get the audience bored and too little detail won't make them involved. Use of jargon while communicating is not considered good for effective workplace communication. [6]

Frequency

While formal workplace communication that is done too rarely or too often is not good for an organization, frequent informal workplace communication has its benefits. [7] A perfect balance is required for the proper functioning of an organization. Information must be communicated as and when required rather than holding unnecessary meetings frequently. At the same time crucial information must not be held till the last hour or day, instead they must be communicated early to engage employees in the objectives of the organization. [8]

Skills

Getting the message across efficiently depends on the skills of the communicator such as presentation skills, group facilitation skills, negotiation and written communication skills. Successful communication also depends upon the capacity of the employees to understand the information. This requires providing the employees some basic financial literacy like financial statements, sales, profitability, etc. [9]

When selecting a candidate, most employers seek for those who have strong speaking and writing skills. Problem solving and self- motivation are also highly necessary skills among the workplace. These allow rapidly changing environments to become less of a challenge. [10]

Tools

With the fast evolution of technology, companies have to stay up to date with communication tools that facilitate the workplace communication. Some of these include email, blogs, instant messaging and even social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook. It is important to keep in mind that sending an email, a fax or a letter does not necessarily mean that communication has taken place. Only when a message has been sent, received and understood by the intended receiver, it can be said that communication has occurred. [11]

Even though they facilitate communication, studies have shown that communication tools may distract employees from their duties. [12] To reduce the interrupt effect, methods such as employee training and changing of environment can be implemented. Employees making themselves unavailable during specific times of the day or week can also help resolve this issue. This will increase concentration and as a result, productivity. [13]

Barriers

Common barriers to effective communication at workplace:

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Remote work</span> Employees working from any location

Remote work is the practice of working from one's home or another space rather than from an office.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Team building</span> Term for activities used to enhance social relations and define roles within teams

Team building is a collective term for various types of activities used to enhance social relations and define roles within teams, often involving collaborative tasks. It is distinct from team training, which is designed by a combination of business managers, learning and development/OD and an HR Business Partner to improve the efficiency, rather than interpersonal relations.

Within the realm of communication studies, organizational communication is a field of study surrounding all areas of communication and information flow that contribute to the functioning of an organization. Organizational communication is constantly evolving and as a result, the scope of organizations included in this field of research have also shifted over time. Now both traditionally profitable companies, as well as NGO's and non-profit organizations, are points of interest for scholars focused on the field of organizational communication. Organizations are formed and sustained through continuous communication between members of the organization and both internal and external sub-groups who possess shared objectives for the organization. The flow of communication encompasses internal and external stakeholders and can be formal or informal.

Communications management is the systematic planning, implementing, monitoring, and revision of all the channels of communication within an organization and between organizations. It also includes the organization and dissemination of new communication directives connected with an organization, network, or communications technology. Aspects of communications management include developing corporate communication strategies, designing internal and external communications directives, and managing the flow of information, including online communication. It is a process that helps an organization to be systematic as one within the bounds of communication.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Collaboration tool</span> Tool that helps people to collaborate

A collaboration tool helps people to collaborate. The purpose of a collaboration tool is to support a group of two or more individuals to accomplish a common goal or objective. Collaboration tools can be either of a non-technological nature such as paper, flipcharts, post-it notes or whiteboards. They can also include software tools and applications such as collaborative software.

Intercultural communication is a discipline that studies communication across different cultures and social groups, or how culture affects communication. It describes the wide range of communication processes and problems that naturally appear within an organization or social context made up of individuals from different religious, social, ethnic, and educational backgrounds. In this sense, it seeks to understand how people from different countries and cultures act, communicate, and perceive the world around them. Intercultural communication focuses on the recognition and respect of those with cultural differences. The goal is mutual adaptation between two or more distinct cultures which leads to biculturalism/multiculturalism rather than complete assimilation. It promotes the development of cultural sensitivity and allows for empathic understanding across different cultures.

Marketing communications refers to the use of different marketing channels and tools in combination. Marketing communication channels focus on how businesses communicate a message to their desired market, or the market in general. It is also in charge of the internal communications of the organization. Marketing communication tools include advertising, personal selling, direct marketing, sponsorship, communication, public relations, social media, customer journey and promotion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Active listening</span> Technique of both listening to what is said and replying with an accurate summary

Active listening is the practice of preparing to listen, observing what verbal and non-verbal messages are being sent, and then providing appropriate feedback for the sake of showing attentiveness to the message being presented.

Media richness theory (MRT), sometimes referred to as information richness theory, is a framework used to describe a communication medium's ability to reproduce the information sent over it. It was introduced by Richard L. Daft and Robert H. Lengel in 1986 as an extension of information processing theory. MRT is used to rank and evaluate the richness of certain communication media, such as phone calls, video conferencing, and email. For example, a phone call cannot reproduce visual social cues such as gestures which makes it a less rich communication media than video conferencing, which affords the transmission of gestures and body language. Based on contingency theory and information processing theory, MRT theorizes that richer, personal communication media are generally more effective for communicating equivocal issues in contrast with leaner, less rich media.

Business communication is communication that is intended to help a business achieve a fundamental goal, through information sharing between employees as well as people outside the company. It includes the process of creating, sharing, listening, and understanding messages between different groups of people through written and verbal formats. The way that people communicate and operate within a business is very vital to how successful the company will be in the business world. Business communication occurs internally, employee-to-employee, or externally, business-to-business or business-to-consumer. This internal and external communication can happen through verbal or non-verbal communication methods. Often these internal and external forms of communication come with barriers, which can prevent the receiver from understanding the information sent by the sender.

In business, open communication is the ability of anyone, on equal conditions with a transparent relation between cost and pricing, to get access to and share communication resources on one level to provide value added services on another level in a layered communication system architecture. Simply put, open access plans are to deregulate oligarchy of telecom operators in a bid to give consumers more choices for equipment, services and service vendors or carriers. It will also provide some breathing room for the controversial net neutrality that has been the central issue between mobile carriers, like AT&T, Verizon and Sprint Nextel, and web media moguls, like eBay, Amazon.com and Google. True open communication is where employees are encouraged to share their thoughts and concerns, both good and bad, without the worry of retaliation from management when the feedback is bad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Workforce productivity</span> Concept in economics

Workforce productivity is the amount of goods and services that a group of workers produce in a given amount of time. It is one of several types of productivity that economists measure. Workforce productivity, often referred to as labor productivity, is a measure for an organisation or company, a process, an industry, or a country.

Virtual collaboration is the method of collaboration between virtual team members that is carried out via technology-mediated communication. Virtual collaboration follows the same process as collaboration, but the parties involved in virtual collaboration do not physically interact and communicate exclusively through technological channels. Distributed teams use virtual collaboration to simulate the information transfer present in face-to-face meetings, communicating virtually through verbal, visual, written, and digital means.

Work etiquette is a code that governs the expectations of social behavior in a workplace. This code is put in place to "respect and protect time, people, and processes." There is no universal agreement about a standard work etiquette, which may vary from one environment to another. Work etiquette includes a wide range of aspects such as body language, good behavior, appropriate use of technology, etc. Part of office etiquette is working well with others and communicating effectively.

Workplace aggression is a specific type of aggression which occurs in the workplace. Workplace aggression is any type of hostile behavior that occurs in the workplace. It can range from verbal insults and threats to physical violence, and it can occur between coworkers, supervisors, and subordinates. Common examples of workplace aggression include gossiping, bullying, intimidation, sabotage, sexual harassment, and physical violence. These behaviors can have serious consequences, including reduced productivity, increased stress, and decreased morale.

Ideal managerial climate (IMC) is a concept within organizational communication. Introduced by W. Charles Redding in 1972, this theoretical concept serves as a comprehensive model for management, and organizations as a whole, that places emphasis on relationships, interactions, and leadership functions. IMC furthers discussion in organizational communication beyond formal relations and structures, and assesses those characteristics that can produce the most ideal environment in an organization, and/or its management. This model presents an ideal situation rather than an attainable one, and should be a used as a tool for comparison, self-assessment, and improvement for organizations.

In an organization, communication occurs between members of different hierarchical positions. Superior-subordinate communication refers to the interactions between organizational leaders and their subordinates and how they work together to achieve personal and organizational goals Satisfactory upward and downward communication is essential for a successful organization because it closes the gap between superior and subordinates by increasing the levels of trust, support, and the frequency of their interactions.

Workplace relationships are unique interpersonal relationships with important implications for the individuals in those relationships, and the organizations in which the relationships exist and develop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Verbal aggression</span> Personality trait or a mainly destructive form of communication

Verbal aggressiveness in communication has been studied to examine the underlying message of how the aggressive communicator gains control over different things that occur, through the usage of verbal aggressiveness. Scholars have identified that individuals who express verbal aggressiveness have the goal of controlling and manipulating others through language. Infante and Wigley defined verbal aggressiveness as "a personality trait that predisposes persons to attack the self-concepts of other people instead of, or in addition to, their positions on topics of communication". Self-concept can be described as a group of values and beliefs that one has. Verbal aggressiveness is thought to be mainly a destructive form of communication, but it can produce positive outcomes. Infante and Wigley described aggressive behavior in interpersonal communication as products of individual's aggressive traits and the way the person perceives the aggressive circumstances that prevents them or something in a situation.

Multi-communicating is the act of managing multiple conversations simultaneously. The term was coined by Reinsch, Turner, and Tinsley, who proposed that simultaneous conversations can be conducted using an array of media, including face-to-face, phone, and email tools for communication. The practice allows individuals to utilize two or more technologies to interact with each other.

References

  1. ↑ Faizal, Fesmina (19 November 2018). "What is Workplace Communication? (& Why Does It Matter)". Feedough. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
  2. ↑ Guo, Kristina L.; Sanchez, Yesenia; Borkowski, Nancy (Dec 23, 2009). Organizational Behavior in Workplace. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
  3. ↑ DeIuliis, David (2016). "Workplace Communication". Communication Research Trends. 35 (1).
  4. ↑ "4 Ways HR Can Build Trust and Communication in the Workplace". www.pathways.com. Retrieved 2024-03-12.
  5. ↑ Henson, Baden (2007). Communication in the workplace. Milton, Old: Wiley. ISBN   978-0-7314-0650-0.
  6. ↑ Sudden, Marsha (2007). Effective workplace communication : skills for success in life and on the job (3rd ed.). Indianapolis, Ind.: JUST Works. ISBN   978-1-59357-433-8.
  7. ↑ Whitaker, Steve; David Frolic; Owen Day-Jones (April 24–28, 1994). "Informal workplace communication: what is it like and how might we support it?". CHI '94 Proceedings of the SIGHS Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems: Celebrating Interdependence: 131–137.
  8. ↑ Picardi, Richard P. (2001). Skills of workplace communication : a handbook for T & D specialists and their organizations ([Online-Gauss.] ed.). West port, Conn.: Quorum Books. ISBN   978-1-56720-362-2.
  9. ↑ Person, Sharon J. Person, Steven M. (2007). Workplace communication : process and product. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. ISBN   978-0-13-228808-8.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. ↑ Stevens, B (March 2005). "What communication skills do employers want? Silicon Valley Recruiters Respond". Journal of Employment Counseling . 42 (1): 2–9. doi:10.1002/j.2161-1920.2005.tb00893.x.
  11. ↑ Guo, Kristina L.; Sanchez, Yesenia; Borkowski, Nancy (Dec 23, 2009). Organizational Behavior in Workplace. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
  12. ↑ Jackson, T; Dawson, R; Wilson, D (2003). "Reducing the effect of email interruption on employees". International Journal of Information Management. 21 (1): 55–65. CiteSeerX   10.1.1.67.1995 . doi:10.1016/S0268-4012(02)00068-3.
  13. ↑ O'Conaill, Brid; Frohlich, David (1995). "Timespace in the workplace: dealing with interruptions". Conference Companion on Human Factors in Computing Systems. CHI 95: 262–263. doi:10.1145/223355.223665. S2CID   6491801.
  14. ↑ Hargie, Owen (2021-10-11), "A conceptual model of skilled interpersonal communication", Skilled Interpersonal Communication, London: Routledge, pp. 17–41, doi:10.4324/9781003182269-2, ISBN   978-1-003-18226-9 , retrieved 2024-09-07
  15. ↑ Tweedie, Gregory; Johnson, Robert. "Listening instruction and patient safety: Exploring medical English as a lingua franca (MELF) for nursing education" . Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  16. ↑ Musmar, Ola; Alghazo, Sharif; Jarrah, Marwan; AlTakhaineh, Abdel Rahman (2023-12-31). "The effect of the workplace on women's language: A view from Jordan". Cogent Arts & Humanities. 10 (1). doi: 10.1080/23311983.2023.2239001 . ISSN   2331-1983.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.